Tag: Vicente Luque

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.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSUIDwJrbdT/

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?

Continue Reading Vicente Luque Calls For Title Eliminator Against Leon Edwards at MMA News.

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.

Nate Diaz Talks Fight Contract With Team Vicente Luque

Nate Diaz has not taken his radar off of Vicente Luque, and he’s now zeroing in on getting things finalized. “Closed mouths don’t get fed” is a common American expression. It is a modernized version of the more antiquated, “Ask and you shall receive.” Many men have asked for a fight with Nate Diaz, but […]

Continue Reading Nate Diaz Talks Fight Contract With Team Vicente Luque at MMA News.

Nate Diaz has not taken his radar off of Vicente Luque, and he’s now zeroing in on getting things finalized.

“Closed mouths don’t get fed” is a common American expression. It is a modernized version of the more antiquated, “Ask and you shall receive.” Many men have asked for a fight with Nate Diaz, but it looks like Vicente Luque’s open mouth is getting closer and closer to being adequately served.

Just prior to defeating Michael Chiesa in August, Luque expressed a desire to face Nate Diaz not in a five-round fight but in a first-ever 10-round fight! After he got the W over Chiesa, Luque was just eager to share the cage with Diaz for any length of time, with the aim of ensuring that it wouldn’t see the distance of however many rounds were allotted. And wouldn’t you know it, Nate Diaz accepted the call-out.

That acceptance was a full month ago, yet the date and place of the “agreed” fight have yet to be reported. The fact that this bout still has not been made official has surely been noticed by the Nate Diaz Army, including their general.

“I ain’t got a contract It must be something wrong wit luque,” Diaz posted.

This prompted a response from Luque’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, who assured his client is every bit as ready to get things finalized as Diaz is.

“He ready let’s go,” Abdelaziz tweeted, tagging his client to ensure he was apprised of these latest developments.

It didn’t take long for Luque to respond to his manager’s cue and charge headfirst into the conversation.

“You know I’m in from day one! I’ve never backed up from a fight and I’m not gonna start now!! We can do it when and where you want I’m ready.”

Luque even decided to sweeten the pot with an offer for an all-you-can-eat violence smorgasbord.

“I’ll raise my offer we can go as many rounds as you want and let’s make it an all stand up war no take downs allowed! #FOTY“

These two warriors have never disappointed, so Luque’s hashtag of “Fight of the Year” isn’t difficult to imagine. Now, instead of talking or imagining, it’s time for the signing followed by the fighting, so that both these tested dogs can eat.

And when that happens, your good friends here at MMA News will give you the full scoop the moment the latest update drops.

Continue Reading Nate Diaz Talks Fight Contract With Team Vicente Luque at MMA News.