Vicente Luque knows what’s at stake in his next UFC bout.
The UFC welterweight contender is booked for arguably the biggest fight of his career, as he takes on former UFC champion Tyron Woodley on the main card of UFC 260, which takes place March 27 in Las Vegas. The bout currently sits in a featured slot, just before the two title fights that occupy the main and co-main event positions on the card.
It’s a big opportunity for Luque (18-7-1 MMA, 11-3 UFC). Woodley (19-6-1 MMA, 9-5-1 UFC) is the first former UFC title holder Luque faces in his 12-year career as a professional fighter.
“It’s definitely a different fight; it’s definitely the toughest and the biggest name I’ve faced to this day,” Luque told MMA Junkie. “But at the same time, I understand why I’m here. I understand why I’m facing him right now. I know that I’ve been working for this and that I deserve this fight. I’m excited and surprised like, ‘Oh man, I’m fighting the former champion,’ but also I know why I’m fighting this guy.
“I’ve been working and showing my talent, showing what I’m able to do in the division. I feel like now it’s a time to get a big name and really prove myself and show that I can handle those top guys and eventually fight for the title.”
Luque, who currently sits at No. 10 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA junkie welterweight rankings, is currently on a two-fight winning streak. He’s also 8-1 in his last nine bouts, with the lone loss being a decision defeat to former title challenger Stephen Thompson. Given his track record, the 29-year-old knows a dominant win over Woodley could catapult him into the top-five rankings and open matchups with the very best of the 170-pound division.
“That’s what I’m aiming for, but my entire focus is on this fight,” Luque said. “I can not look past Woodley. I mean, he’s a tough guy, but a win over a guy like him would definitely set me up to fight a top-five, and that’s what I’m going for. I want to keep climbing the division and go for the title; that’s my goal.”
On top of just facing a big name, there’s a lot more to the matchup against Woodley. Luque sees it as good opportunity to test his skills against a well-respected wrestler, as he’s mainly faced strikers throughout his UFC tenure.
“I really enjoy (this booking) and I think that it’s a fight I need,” Luque explained. “If you look at the top of the division, most of the guys are grapplers.
“You have Gilbert (Burns), Kamaru (Usman), Colby (Covington) and Leon Edwards. Leon is a mix – he has great grappling and also great striking – and then you have (Jorge) Masvidal. So two of the guys are strikers with one being a mix and the other three guys are grapplers. So when you look at the division, at the top level you have a lot of grapplers. I have to get used to this game.
“I use to fight a lot of grapplers, especially when I was fighting back in Brazil – most of the guys there are grapplers. But in the UFC, because of my aggressive style, UFC matches me up with a lot of strikers, and that was comfortable in the sense that I’m fighting where I want to be. I love striking. That’s no big deal. Still going to be tough, but it is my comfort zone and where I want to fight. I need a fight like this. I needed to fight a guy like Woodley because he’s going to put me in a place that I haven’t been in in a long time. I wanted to get tested there and show everyone I’m ready to face the top guys, face guys that are going to come grapple and wrestle, and I can overcome that and impose my striking.”
UFC 260 airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Vicente Luque sees Tyron Woodley as ideal test to reach top five: ‘I need a fight like this’
