The first-year Spanish cadet faced the world number one without hesitation.
"In that contest, I went without fear, knowing that the one who had something to lose was him.
The pressure was on his side. I am a first-year cadet and I had no pressure at all," he added.
The victory positioned Lopez Pereira near qualification for the upcoming European tournament after mixed results in his prior two international competitions.
"I came wanting to do something important.
In the last two competitions, I was winning some contests but something was always missing in the end.
Here I came to leave everything on the tatami because it was the last opportunity to qualify for the Europeans.
Now I don't know if I will go to the Europeans but I know I gave everything, the work is done, and the medal is at home," Lopez Pereira said.
Portuguese athlete Sofia Gaspar, ranked 14th globally in the girls' -52 kg category, aimed for the podium on home soil as preparation for the European Championships.
"The objective is to reach the medals and give my best on the tatami in every contest," Gaspar said.
Gaspar noted that local spectators provided a significant psychological boost despite the tournament being far from her home city of Coimbra.
"For me, competing in my country feels different. Even though Faro is far from Coimbra, the support feels much stronger.
Hearing the crowd behind us at home gives us a special confidence," she said.
