Who is Next For Vicente Luque?
Vicente "The Silent Assasin" Luque fought Randy Brown in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 5. It's safe to say that Vicente Luque out on the most impressive performance on that night.
This was a big jump in competition for Randy Brown. However, he was coming from wins over Warlley Alves and Bryan Barberena. So it was expected that he would present some adversities against Luque.
However, Vicente Luque destroyed Randy Brown and secured a TKO win in the second round. The fight did last for more than one round but Luque dominated the fight from start to finish. He showed up with a brilliant gameplan and executed it until he got the job done.
Following the impressive victory over Randy Brown, Vicente Luque called out Nate Diaz, which got the attention of the fans. From the fans' perspective, this is a fun matchup. Luque is one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC. And Nate Diaz is always a fan favorite. And Luque knows that this fight is guaranteed to be a barn burner.
In the post-fight interview, Vicente Luque explained the reason for calling out Nate Diaz and said:
“Nate Diaz is a super respected guy, everybody know what he’s capable of and what he’s accomplished. That’s why I think it’s a great name even though he’s underneath me in the rankings. I think it would add a lot to my name, that’s why I want that fight. It’s a super exciting fight in my mind. People see my highlights, you watch Nate’s highlights, there’s no way it won’t be a great fight.”
However, this fight is not going to happen. Nate Diaz fought Jorge Masvidal in his last fight. And it is hard to imagine Diaz accepting a fight against Luque who is not a big draw on the box office.
Who should Vicente Luque fight next?
Vicente Luque has bounced back from the loss against Stephen Thompson with an impressive win. And it's time for the Brazillian to get a higher-ranked opponent. And there are two intriguing matchups for the ranked number 10 welterweight, Vicente Luque.
It's either Rafael Dos Anjos or Demian Maia. Maia vs Luque or Maia vs RDA would be a huge fight for Luque. While RDA is considered the toughest test in the division for a rising star Demian Maia one of the most experienced fighters in the division.
Vicente Luque vs Demian Maia would be a bigger fight because Maia is looking to retire after one more fight. Maia has already called out Diego Sanchez for his retirement fight. However, a fight against another Brazillian who seems to have a bright future in UFC would make perfect sense for the veteran, Demian Maia.
The fighters who get a win over Demian Maia or Rafael Dos Anjos have done some incredible things in the welterweight division. So if Luque gets the win over Maia then it will give him a much-needed popularity boost.