A fresh face for Kamaru Usman, Vicente Luque thinks UFC 265 win could be ticket to title fight

HOUSTON – If he performs impressively at UFC 265, Vicente Luque might have a leg up on the rest of his welterweight counterparts at the top of the division vying for a title shot.

Three surging contenders in front of Luque (20-7-1 MMA, 13-3 UFC) in the promotion’s rankings have a common trait – one he doesn’t share. Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns, and Leon Edwards all have gotten their chance to fight Kamaru Usman. That’s an opportunity Luque hopes to earn with a win over Michael Chiesa at UFC 265.

“It’s a big fight,” Luque told MMA Junkie at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “Chiesa is coming off great wins. I’m coming off great wins. (Neither) of us has fought against Kamaru, so I think if Kamaru keeps the title, it’s possible that we could be a challenger if we have a great win on Saturday night – and we have the fans back. It’s my first fight with the fans back, so I’m really excited for that. I know that I have the style that excites them. I know everybody will be cheering while we’re fighting. I’m excited. Overall, it’s a great feeling.”

Nothing is a given for Luque, with Covington set to face Usman next and Edwards angling for a title fight in the midst of a lengthy unbeaten streak. Regardless of what opportunity awaits him on the other side, Luque is focused on defeating Chiesa – a tough test by his estimation.

“(Chiesa) is definitely a dangerous opponent,” Luque said. “I think that everybody knows his grappling and his wrestling are very, very high level. Every single fight, even the ones he couldn’t win, usually he gets his opponents down. That’s something I’ve been working on. I know that this fight, at some point, will probably be on the ground. I also have tools on the ground. I’ve shown them before. I’ve been grappling since I’ve been 16 years old, so it’s not something I’m uncomfortable with. But I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for that.”

UFC 265 takes place Saturday at Toyota Center. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN2/ESPN+.

Check out Luque’s full UFC 265 pre-fight news conference in the video above.