UFC welterweight contender Vicente Luque will weigh in and serve as the backup to Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington 2 at UFC 268.
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to report the news, per Luque’s manager Ali Abdelaziz. Luque will weigh in at a championship weight of 170 pounds just in case either Usman or Covington fail to make the walk on Saturday night.
Luque, in many eyes, is the No. 1 contender who will face the winner of Usman vs. Covington next. He’s been on a tear as of late, with four straight wins over the likes of former champion Tyron Woodley, and most recently a first-round submission against Michael Chiesa at UFC 265.
Vicente Luque could get the next title shot against either Kamaru Usman or Colby Covington
Luque has looked like a force of nature at welterweight since losing to Stephen Thompson at UFC 244. Since losing in The Ultimate Fighter: Season 21 Finale against Michael Graves, he’s only lost to Thompson and Leon Edwards in his professional career.
Luque’s gesture of offering to be the backup for Usman/Covington could also complicate things in the title picture. Edwards is slated to face Jorge Masvidal at UFC 269 next month, and could potentially get the next title shot with his long winning streak. But, Luque also has a good case to get the next title shot with his recent successes.
Luque and Usman are also former training partners during their time at Blackzilians during the gym’s rise in south Florida. Luque called for a fight with Usman following his latest win over Chiesa.
UFC 268 is expected to be one of the most exciting cards of the year, with two title fights and plenty of talent on the undercard. In the event that something happens with the main event, Luque is ready to step in and keep the welterweight fight intact.
Should Vicente Luque get the next UFC welterweight title shot?