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Vicente Luque wants to fight fan-favorite Nate Diaz next because of his "gangster" nature.
Luque defeated the No.7-ranked Michael Chiesa via submission using a D'Arce choke in his last bout at UFC 265 in August this year. Following the fight, 'The Silent Assassin' said that he would love to fight Nate Diaz. A few days later, Diaz accepted the challenge.
Speaking with MMA journalist Damon Martin, Vicente Luque added that he respected Nate Diaz for agreeing to fight him. However, the UFC has not yet confirmed the matchup:
"One of the things that excites me the most is the way I know that Nate is tough... I know that he is a real fighter because if you get my highlight and watch my highlight and show it to many of the fighters, a lot of fighters wouldn't want to fight me unless they have to. Nate is the guy that goes out there and he picks the guy that is finishing everybody. That shows how gangster he is. That's why I want to fight him," said Luque.
Watch Vicente Luque in conversation with Damon Martin below:
Luque is currently on a four-fight winning streak in the UFC. His last loss came against No.5 welterweight contender Stephen Thompson at UFC 244 in November 2019.
Since then, he's impressively finished the likes of Niko Price, Randy Brown, Tyron Woodley and Michael Chiesa.
Nate Diaz last fought Leon Edwards at UFC 263 in June this year
Nate Diaz contested a bout inside the octagon for the first time in almost two years at UFC 263 in June 2021. He suffered a unanimous decision loss at the hands of No.3-ranked welterweight Leon Edwards. The encounter was the first ever non-title, non-main event five round fight in UFC history.
Ever since UFC 263, MMA fans around the world have been eagerly waiting to find out who will be Nate Diaz's next UFC opponent. A rematch against Jorge Masvidal has also been discussed.
Both Vicente Luque and Diaz are ready to fight in December. A clash between the two welterweights at UFC 269 looks possible.
