By Mark Vester

Last Friday in Ontario, veteran Jose Lopez was unseated by the next big thing in the Philippines, undefeated Marvin Sonsona. The 19-year-old Filipino took the WBO super flyweight title from Lopez with a twelve round unanimous decision. Lopez was very surprised by the raw power of Sonsona.

"He surprised me that he hit so hard.  Especially the power of his left hand. I didn't expect that. I'm sad and happy at the same time.  Sad because I lost the title, but happy because it was a great fight and we gave a great show to the fans," Lopez told El Nuevo Dia.

Lopez, at age 38, has been fighting since 1991. He doesn't plan to retire until he at least reaches the age of 40. He said the left from Sonsona that dropped him in the fourth round was so hard that he still felt the buzz for the rest of the fight.

"I felt that blow for the remainder of the fight.  It was winning that round [fourth], but I did not see that left hand. When we began the fifth, I still had weak legs.  I pressured him, I did him more than I was able to and he could not knock me out.  But those two points of the fourth and the other two point round where the referee took a point from me (low blows), it affected me since it is very difficult to win a decision when you are down by four points.  But I do not have any excuses", said López.

Lopez says that he would like a rematch but doubts the fight will happen. He is going to try to get fights with Jorge Arce and Nonito Donaire.

"I would like a rematch but that is not in my hands since there was no mandatory rematch caluse.  But there are other options and what can be something negative can sometimes bring positive things. There are boxers who perhaps did not dare to fight with me and now they can think that they can," Lopez said.

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