MLBRecap
Purple Row After Dark: The value of a shutout
Chase Dollander leads Rockies to a 3-0 shutout over the Mets!
Yahoo Sports1 min read
Sports
Vicente Luque calls out ex-UFC middleweight title challenger
TL;DR
Vicente Luque aims to make a mark in the UFC middleweight division after submitting Kelvin Gastelum. He has called out Jared Cannonier for a potential matchup, seeing it as an exciting fight for fans.
Key points
- Vicente Luque submitted Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 327
- Luque is targeting Jared Cannonier for his next fight
- Cannonier is a former title challenger in the middleweight division
- Luque aims to become UFC champion at middleweight
- Cannonier has no upcoming fights scheduled
Vicente LuqueJared CannonierKelvin GastelumMichael Page
Vicente Luque wants to get to work now at middleweight.
The longtime welterweight is looking to stay busy and make an intentional climb to the top now that he's got his UFC middleweight debut out of the way. Earlier this month, Luque (24-12-1 MMA, 17-8 UFC) submitted former interim title challenger Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 327 in Miami, and he'd like to now face a former undisputed title challenger of the division.
"Someone who I'd like specifically â I think it would be great for me, but also the fans â would be Jared Cannonier," Luque told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. "He's a veteran, just like me, but already established in the division and in the rankings. I believe he doesn't have a fight at the moment. For me, it's a very interesting match. It's a fight between two veterans with great styles. That's a fight I would love. He's in the rankings."
Cannonier fought for the title and lost to then-champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 276 in 2022. Since, he's been lingering in the top 10, notching solid wins over Sean Strickland, Marvin Vettori and Gregory Rodrigues. He was last seen in August, losing a unanimous decision to Michael Page at UFC 319. Cannonier currently has no return to the cage booked.
Luque, who cracked the top five of the welterweight rankings, but never got to challenge for the belt, maintains the same goal he had at 170 pounds for this run at middleweight:Â become UFC champion. Luque wasn't feeling great toward the end of his welterweight run, and feels rejuvenated now fighting at 185 pounds.
"I don't know how you do this without the desire to become champion," Luque said. "This is a dangerous sport. You can't just come in here and look to get by because you can get hurt badly. I think if I want to do it well, I have to be in it to be the best. The change in division and all that, people might look at it and think I might not have the same commitment, but no. This change was to improve, to get better. For me, that's the plan:Â Reach the top."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Vicente Luque calls out ex-UFC middleweight title challenger
Q&A
What did Vicente Luque achieve in his UFC middleweight debut?
Vicente Luque submitted former interim title challenger Kelvin Gastelum in his UFC middleweight debut.
Why does Vicente Luque want to fight Jared Cannonier?
Luque believes a fight with Jared Cannonier would be interesting for both himself and the fans, as both are veterans in the division.
What is Jared Cannonier's recent fight history?
Jared Cannonier lost to Michael Page by unanimous decision at UFC 319 and currently has no fights booked.