Vicente
Luque sounds more and more like a man at peace with his
accomplishments, even though he wants very much to add to his list
with the time he has left in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship
welterweight division.
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 21 semifinalist will draw one of the
more intriguing assignments of his career when he faces unbeaten
Kill Cliff Fight Club stablemate
Ian Garry in
a featured
UFC 296 attraction this Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las
Vegas. Luque has remained a consistent presence in the promotion
for more than eight years now and enters his latest outing on the
heels of a five-round unanimous decision over
Rafael dos
Anjos at UFC on ESPN 51 in August.
“I feel a high level of satisfaction in being part of the world’s
biggest MMA organization,” he told Sherdog.com. “It had been my
dream since childhood. I’ve won 15 out of 20 bouts in the UFC
against the best in the world. I’ve fought former champions, as
well as the current champion [
Leon
Edwards]. It’s a long road, but I feel I’m still evolving. I
have yet to peak. I have far to go in fighting. It makes me happy
to see my personal history, as well as all the challenges I’ve
overcome. I feel blessed, always.”
Luque’s motivations run deeper than many of his contemporaries.
“I wish to not only be a standout athlete but also an example to a
younger generation,” he said. “I’ve always looked to behave as a
dedicated, respectful and hardworking professional, and when I step
into the cage, I fight with all my heart.”
Garry, 26, has emerged as one of the sport’s top prospects. The
brash Irishman boasts eight finishes among his 13 professional
victories and last fought at UFC 292, where he took a three-round
unanimous decision from
Neil Magny on
Aug. 19. If familiarity does indeed breed contempt, it should show
itself here.
“He’s a talented guy,” Luque said. “I know him. We’ve trained
together several times. We get along, but now we’re facing each
other. I feel ours will be a very active battle due to both of our
fighting styles. I feel he’s looking to overtake me in the rankings
and keep his hype train going. My objective is to stop that hype.
Since there are a lot of eyes on him, this fight has a good upside
for me. Beating him will propel me into the Top 5 again, so I can
go for the belt.”
While some trumpet Garry as a future champion at 170 pounds, the
32-year-old Luque has experience on his side and sees potential
weaknesses on which he can capitalize.
“We studied Ian’s game,” he said. “He has gaps on the feet and on
the ground which we can exploit. My game is MMA. Without a doubt,
we’ll strike, and if the opportunity presents itself, a submission
is also an option.”
The stakes are undeniably high for both men—a reality not lost on
Luque.
“Ian is a great opponent, and I see that a win over him would give
my career a big boost,” he said. “I’m focused on that.”