Vicente Luque already has experienced being a top-ranked UFC welterweight, but now he’s targeting big names.
Luque (22-9-1 MMA, 15-5 UFC) faces teammate Ian Machado Garry (13-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) at UFC 296, which takes place Dec. 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims expected on ESPN and ESPN+
Luque is coming off a win over former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on ESPN 51. He sees undefeated, brash Garry as the perfect opponent to continue building his name.
“I’ve been in the top five. I’ve been the No. 4 ranked in the welterweight division, so I’ve gotten there,” Luque told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’ve moved down. So for me right now, what makes more sense are fights that are going to put eyes on me, are going to put eyes on what I can show, what I can do. I think RDA was a fight like that – former champ, a guy that wasn’t ranked in my division, but still regardless, he was No. 9 in the lightweight division, was a guy that had a lot of history.
“We were fighting a main event, and people had eyes on that. That was a fight that made a lot of sense for me, and I think Ian is the same kind of fight that makes sense. Why? He’s an up-and-coming, undefeated, young guy, young prospect. He has a lot of people that back him, that are going to be cheering for him. And at the same time, he is a guy that talks a lot, and that brings you hate, as well. So there are a lot of guys that want to see him lose. Regardless, people are going to be watching.”
Although Luque is no longer a top-five welterweight, he holds big finishes over former champion Tyron Woodley, top contender Belal Muhammad, and Michael Chiesa. He prides himself on not being a trash talker and wants his fighting to do the talking.
That has been the case so far for Luque, who has eight bonuses to his name. Now he wants more people tuning into his fights.
“I’ve already proven that I can fight against the toughest guys,” Luque said. “I’ve already proven I can reach the top five of the division. What I need now is people to watch me, people to know who I am, know my style, and start getting behind that.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.
