Vicente Luque finally got the step up in competition he’s been longing for with a fight that could change everything for him.
Luque (17-6-1 MMA, 10-2 UFC) takes on two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson (14-4-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) on Saturday on the main card of UFC 244, where he hopes to enter title contention.
Despite Thompson currently enduring the worst stretch of his MMA career, losing three of his past four, Luque believes that could make him an even more dangerous opponent.
“Stephen Thompson is a great fighter,” Luque told MMA Junkie. “He fought for the belt twice. He’s been on great winning streaks, and has beaten excellent fighters. The fact that he is coming off two losses might make him fight even harder to get back to winning. I’m getting ready for the best version of Thompson. I’ll be ready for him. He has been ranked number one in the past. This is highly motivating for me.”
Luque on the other hand, is enjoying his best career run, winning six in a row, and has finished all but one of his UFC wins. While he doesn’t want to overlook “Wonderboy,” Luque can only imagine how much a win would raise his stock.
“It was the fight that clearly showed that I’m ready to face the best in our weight class. I asked to face Stephen Thompson after the Perry fight. I think it makes a lot of sense. I wanted someone in the top 10, and I have that in Thompson. It’s an ideal scenario for me. It’s another difficult fight. It’s against guys like him that I can prove and I’m ready for anyone.”
Vicente Luque: Win over Stephen Thompson at UFC 244 'would significantly raise my profile'
