Vicente Luque has opened up about a potential meeting with Nate Diaz following his impressive win at UFC 265.
After extending his winning streak to four after a submission victory over Michael Chiesa last weekend, Vicente Luque took to the mic to call out former training partner and current welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman—ultimately earning himself a response from “The Nigerian Nightmare”.
Many believe the #4-ranked Vicente Luque to be one of the most deserving of a shot at the title alongside fellow welterweight contender, Leon Edwards, but it now seems the Brazilian has his sights set elsewhere.
During a recent interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Luque expressed his interest and considered the possibility of facing off against fan-favorite Nate Diaz, a brawl which he expects to be a Fight of the Year candidate.
“It’s going to be one of the best fights of the year I think, it’s going to be an awesome fight, both of us can take a lot of damage, so I don’t think it’s going to be a fight that will end early,” claims Luque.
Sharing his outlook on the matchup with Diaz, “The Silent Assassin” insisted, although it may be an incredibly tough task, he’d be pushing to finish Nate by any means necessary.
“But I’m going to look to finish that fight, be it on the stand-up or be it on the ground,” Luque continued. “That’s something that’s really challenging, somebody finishing Nate Diaz, so that is something I’ll be looking forward to doing in that fight.”
Vicente Luque is currently one of the most dangerous finishers in the division having racked up just two decision victories in his 21 pro career wins—a record that includes 11 KO/TKO finishes and 8 submissions.
Despite Luque’s achievements, finishing Nate Diaz has proved to be nearly impossible, and in his 33-fight career, the Stockton native has been finished just three times—though one was due to a doctor’s stoppage.
Will Vicente Luque get his wish and finish Nate Diaz if they are matched up in the near future?