Tag: Vicente Luque

Gilbert Burns: It Would Take “Mayweather Money” For Me To Fight Luque

UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns has reiterated that he won’t accept a fight against teammate and fellow top-five Vicente Luque.

Since returning to welterweight in 2019, Burns has gone 5-1 and established himself as one of the top names in …

Gilbert Burns, Vicente Luque

UFC welterweight contender Gilbert Burns has reiterated that he won’t accept a fight against teammate and fellow top-five Vicente Luque.

Since returning to welterweight in 2019, Burns has gone 5-1 and established himself as one of the top names in the division. After victories over Alexey Kunchenko and Gunnar Nelson, “Durinho” shot into title contention with dominant 2020 wins against his compatriot Demian Maia and former 170-pound champion Tyron Woodley.

Despite knocking reigning king Kamaru Usman down in their UFC 258 title fight, the Brazilian became the first victim of the champ’s improved striking, falling to a third-round TKO.

Having immediately rebounded with a comfortable co-main event triumph over Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, Burns is looking to secure a second crack at dethroning “The Nigerian Nightmare” in his next outing.

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UFC Tried To Book Burns vs. Luque

Unfortunately for Gilbert Burns, the logical title eliminator would see him clash with Vicente Luque, his Sanford MMA teammate and friend. Luque has been on an impressive ride to the top, with his latest success against Michael Chiesa placing him in the division’s top five.

During a recent appearance on MMA Fighting’s Portuguese-language podcast Trocação Franca, Burns revealed that the UFC approached both men’s manager Ali Abdelaziz in an attempt to match the two training partners together.

“[The long wait for a fight] is a bit frustrating, I won’t say it isn’t, but it’s part of the job,” Burns said. “The UFC said the fight to make would be Vicente and I, but since we have this partnership, it won’t happen. This brotherhood screwed us, otherwise, we would have fought already. If we had fought, No. 2 against No. 4, I’d be way up there with a win, and Vicente would be up there with a win as well. I think that’s what’s keeping us stuck, more than the other guys [in the division].” (h/t MMA Fighting)

Despite shutting the door on a fight with Luque, “Durinho” did admit that, given the current welterweight landscape, it would make a lot of sense.

“It makes sense [based on] the rankings,” Burns said. “They know we won’t fight but still asked and tried to make it happen, but we declined. Vicente was the only fight I turned down in the entire division and vice versa. Other than that, I’ve already said I’ll fight anyone.”

Reiterating just how reluctant he is to face “The Silent Assassin,” Burns suggested it would take Floyd Mayweather-level cash for the pair to collide in the Octagon.

“Only if it’s the case of them coming with Floyd Mayweather money and Vicente and I talk and get to the point of like, ‘Let’s fight just for the money.’ Only if it’s something like that,” he said. “Other than that, there’s no way. And [Mayweather money] won’t happen. Only if it’s a life-changing stuff that we talk and see we have to take it. Other than that, I think it’s very difficult.”

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While the next steps for both men are still unconfirmed, reports suggest Burns will be the next challenge for surging star Khamzat Chimaev. After returning in style with a submission victory over Li Jingliang at UFC 267, most believe the Chechen-born Swede is one win away from a title shot. A victory over Burns would certainly secure one.

The situation is a little more unclear for Luque. With Leon Edwards set to wait for a rematch with Usman and Colby Covington eyeing up a grudge match with Jorge Masvidal, the 30-year-old is left with #7 contender Neil Magny as the highest-ranked name who’s available and who he’s yet to face.

How do you think a fight between teammates Gilbert Burns and Vicente Luque would play out?

Continue Reading Gilbert Burns: It Would Take “Mayweather Money” For Me To Fight Luque at MMA News.

Vicente Luque Calls For Title Eliminator Against Leon Edwards

UFC welterweight contender Vicente Luque has called for a title eliminator against #2-ranked Leon Edwards, and suggested he could make weight for UFC 269.

Luque has surged into the 170-pound top five with back-to-back submission wins in 2021. The B…

Vicente Luque, Leon Edwards

UFC welterweight contender Vicente Luque has called for a title eliminator against #2-ranked Leon Edwards, and suggested he could make weight for UFC 269.

Luque has surged into the 170-pound top five with back-to-back submission wins in 2021. The Brazilian initially entered it after a memorable victory over former champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 260 in March. Michael Chiesa then sent Luque back to #6 in the summer without either man fighting prior to the rankings update.

Luque reversed that change in emphatic fashion when he met “Maverick” at UFC 265 in August. After escaping multiple submission attempts against the grappling specialist, “The Silent Assassin” lived up to his moniker, reversing position and locking Chiesa in a D’Arce choke.

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Luque: “It Would Remove Any Doubts”

Luque’s second D’Arce choke triumph of 2021 marked his fourth straight victory. Prior to his successes against Woodley and Chiesa, the 29-year-old finished Randy Brown and Niko Price. A defeat to perennial contender Stephen Thompson in 2019 is Luque’s only blemish in his last 11 Octagon outings. In that time, he’s secured six bonuses, five of which have come in his last six appearances.

Having entered championship contention, “The Silent Assassin” believes he has earned a title eliminator. After Jorge Masvidal’s withdrawal from his UFC 269 clash against Leon Edwards, Luque pitched a number one contender contest with “Rocky” during an interview with AG Fight.

While the Englishman has announced his intention to move towards a rematch with Kamaru Usman for the gold, Luque suggested he’d be ready to fill in for “Gamebred” at next month’s pay-per-view. That’s despite the fact he missed weight as backup for the UFC 268 main event earlier this month.

“I would accept (the fight). I saw a lot of people talking about this fight and I didn’t say much because there were a lot of people asking. I’m always ready, I couldn’t beat the weight to be in reserve for Kamaru (Usman) and Colby (Covington), but I got the news within 10 days. If the UFC calls me, I’ll be in and sign a contract. A month is easy to beat the weight and I would still have time to do a good workout,” Luque said. (h/t BJPenn.com)

While some fans are calling for Edwards to receive the next shot, something the Jamaican-born Brit believes he is long overdue, others believe Luque should sit at the top of the queue. According to the Brazilian, a title eliminator between the pair makes the most sense.

“I think it would remove any doubts. There are people who think I should fight for the belt, there are people who think Leon. He has a great streak of victories, but I’ve done some damage in the division, with victories, so a fight between the two of us would remove any doubts and would be the next challenger for Kamaru.”

Would you like to see Vicente Luque and Leon Edwards collide in a title eliminator?

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Dana White Comments On Luque’s “Unfortunate” UFC 268 Weight Miss

UFC President Dana White has addressed backup fighter Vicente Luque’s weight miss ahead of UFC 268 last week, describing it as “unfortunate.”

This past weekend, one of the most highly-anticipated events of 2021 delivered. Inside New York City’s pre…

Dana White, Vicente Luque

UFC President Dana White has addressed backup fighter Vicente Luque’s weight miss ahead of UFC 268 last week, describing it as “unfortunate.”

This past weekend, one of the most highly-anticipated events of 2021 delivered. Inside New York City’s prestigious Madison Square Garden, a host of thrilling fights, memorable knockouts, and a couple of five-round title rematches went down. In the main event, Kamaru Usman followed in the footsteps of Justin Gaethje and Rose Namajunas, becoming the third of Trevor Wittman’s athletes to have their hand raised on the night.

#4-ranked welterweight contender Luque was brought to NYC to be a backup for Saturday’s headliner. Ultimately, there were no issues in the lead-up to Usman’s fifth title defense against Colby Covington and the Brazilian wasn’t required. That was fortunate given he’d actually missed weight by just north of two pounds on Friday.

Luque Gets Paid Despite Backup Weight Miss

The unexpected weight miss left many wondering whether Luque would get paid and what consequences there would be. At the UFC 268 post-fight press conference, Dana White commented on the incident after he was asked whether action would be taken. Despite revealing “The Silent Assassin” has still been paid, the UFC kingpin admitted the infraction was “bad.”

“Yeah, it’s unfortunate. [LAUGHS] It’s unfortunate when your backup doesn’t make weight. Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t know what the answer to that question is, but it’s not good. It’s bad.”

Having stepped on the scale twice, once with the use of the towel, Luque’s weight miss was official. However, White revealed that the Brazilian could have taken two more hours to try and make the welterweight limit.

“So what happened was: He didn’t make weight, we did not tell him to quit. But if he really was gonna be the backup, they would’ve gave him two hours to cut the weight. So he didn’t take the two hours to go back and try.”

Luque was last in action at UFC 265 in August. In a clash of welterweight contenders, “The Silent Assassin” met wrestling specialist Michael Chiesa on the main card. In a frantic opening round, Luque escaped numerous submission attempts before reversing position and locking in a D’Arce choke of his own. After “Maverick” tapped, Luque secured his spot back in the division’s top five.

In the mind of most, Luque is perhaps one impressive win away from a title shot. Given his place on the 170-pound ladder, a clash with Gilbert Burns to determine a future championship challenger would make the most sense. However, as close friends, that fight won’t be happening.

With that in mind, Luque has targeted a fight with Stockton superstar Nate Diaz. While it appeared both men were keen to make the bout happen, talk of a clash between Diaz and Khamzat Chimaev has seemingly somewhat derailed it.

How do you think Vicente Luque would fare against UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman?

Continue Reading Dana White Comments On Luque’s “Unfortunate” UFC 268 Weight Miss at MMA News.

Vicente Luque Will Be The Back-Up for Usman vs. Covington

Vicente Luque will be ready to step in if needed in New York.

One of the biggest events of the year will go down this Saturday night in New York City. UFC 268 will feature two title fights and a number of other great matchups. The main event will b…

Vicente Luque Kamaru Usman Colby Covington

Vicente Luque will be ready to step in if needed in New York.

One of the biggest events of the year will go down this Saturday night in New York City. UFC 268 will feature two title fights and a number of other great matchups. The main event will be a welterweight title bout between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington. This is a rematch and both fighters seem to be eager to run it back. That being said, there is always a chance one could be unable to go come Saturday, that is where Vicente Luque comes in.

Luque will be on hand at Madison Square Garden to weigh in on Friday as the official backup fighter for UFC 268. The news was first reported by ESPN. Luque is coming into this opportunity having won his last four. His recent wins are over some of the who’s who of the division, including Tyron Woodley, Michael Chiesa, and Randy Brown. He is currently sitting in the number four spot of the rankings.

Luque was briefly linked to a possible fight with Nate Diaz coming up this year, but talks of that bout seem to have cooled. If Luque gets the chance to step in on ultra-short notice on Nov. 6, it will be his first title shot, assuming he faces off against Usman.

Luque recently spoke to MMA Fighting about the possibility of getting this fill-in chance in which he said, “I’m staying ready. I love being ready for an opportunity. If something comes in November, if they end up needing someone, I’ll stay ready for it. I’ll be training for this.”

What do you think of Vicente Luque serving as the backup for the UFC 268 main event?

Continue Reading Vicente Luque Will Be The Back-Up for Usman vs. Covington at MMA News.

Vicente Luque To Serve As Backup For UFC 268 Main Event

Vicente LuqueUFC 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 […]

Vicente Luque

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?

Manager: Diaz/Luque Likely Only Happens If Nate Re-Signs With UFC

Dominance MMA CEO Ali Abdelaziz believes a fight between Nate Diaz and Vicente Luque will only happen if the former signs a new deal with the UFC. Talk of a clash between Luque and Diaz has existed for most of 2021. Prior to last month, it had been the Brazilian pushing for a clash with […]

Continue Reading Manager: Diaz/Luque Likely Only Happens If Nate Re-Signs With UFC at MMA News.

Dominance MMA CEO Ali Abdelaziz believes a fight between Nate Diaz and Vicente Luque will only happen if the former signs a new deal with the UFC.

Talk of a clash between Luque and Diaz has existed for most of 2021. Prior to last month, it had been the Brazilian pushing for a clash with the Stockton native. He first called for the matchup towards the back end of last year following his knockout victory over Randy Brown.

With nothing materializing, “The Silent Assassin” took on former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 260 in March. After just under four minutes of Fight of the Night-worthy action, Luque submitted “The Chosen One” with a D’Arce choke.

Four months later, Luque took on fellow surging contender Michael Chiesa at UFC 265. Despite facing one of the best wrestlers in the division, the 29-year-old reversed position on the ground and secured yet another first-round D’Arce.

Following his latest victory, the #4-ranked welterweight once again had Diaz’s name on his lips. Praising the veteran’s entertaining style and durability, Luque pitched a 10-round fight against the 36-year-old. Diaz put those traits on full display when he was last in action in June. At UFC 263, he faced Leon Edwards in the UFC’s first non-title and non-main event five-round fight. Despite being outpointed throughout, Diaz nearly secured an incredible comeback courtesy of a last-minute surge.

Having suggested he was targeting a December return to the Octagon, it appeared the timelines of the Stockton star and Luque fitted nicely. Diaz even publicly accepted the Brazilian’s callout in September, suggesting an official booking wasn’t far away.

However, Diaz took to Twitter last week to provide a disappointing update on the matchup. The Californian said he hadn’t received a contract for the bout, believing there was likely an issue on Luque’s side. The Brazilian’s manager Ali Abdelaziz has now discussed the faltering booking. According to him, the UFC wants to ensure Diaz’s potential trilogy fight with Conor McGregor is protected first by re-signing Diaz, who has just one fight left on his contract.

“Listen, I believe Nate Diaz has one fight left on his contract,” Abdelaziz told MMA Fighting. “I like the fight. I think it’s a great fight. I think the UFC, it’s a business, they want to make money and I think Nate and Conor [McGregor] will make them so much money.

“I think the only way the UFC will agree to make this fight happen [is] if Nate re-signs with the UFC. But I don’t know if this is good for Nate to re-sign with the UFC.”

Abdelaziz also reiterated Luque’s desire to fight either Nate or Nick Diaz. However, he understands the UFC and believes a fight with the younger Diaz brother will only be possible should the 36-year-old agree a new deal with the promotion.

“But at the end of the day, I understand the business. I understand the UFC’s point but they know we want the fight, Nate wants the fight but at the end of the day, they hold the contract. I can push as much as I can but I don’t know what they want to do. Vicente, 100 percent will fight Nate or Nick [Diaz].”

Do you think Vicente Luque vs. Nate Diaz is the fight to make?

Continue Reading Manager: Diaz/Luque Likely Only Happens If Nate Re-Signs With UFC at MMA News.