Tag: Vicente Luque

UFC on ESPN 54 results: Joaquin Buckley unloads heavy ground and pound to stop Vicente Luque

Joaquin Buckley picked up a big win by stopping Vicente Luque in the UFC on ESPN 54 co-main event.

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] picked up the biggest win of his UFC career thus far with an impressive stoppage of Vicente Luque.

The welterweight bout was the UFC on ESPN 54 co-main event at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. Buckley (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) was patient early, but gradually ramped up his offense until he stopped Luque (22-10-1 MMA, 15-6 UFC) at 3:17 of Round 2.

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The opening round was spent on the feet with the explosive welterweights searching for openings. Buckley worked from the outside, darting in and out with strikes, while Luque stayed light on his feet from the center, looking for counters. It was a relatively even first round.

Buckley unleashed flying attacks early in Round 2, connecting with a nice knee. A blitz of punches a few moments later caused Luque to cover up against the fence, but did not appear hurt when he returned to the center of the cage. However, Buckley started to sit down on his punches, connecting with a couple of flush left hands.

A Luque takedown attempt was easily reversed by Buckley, who then postured up and began raining down hard ground and pound. The referee stepped in closer and closer as Buckley continued the onslaught. Eventually, the barrage was stopped and Buckley scored the TKO finish.

Buckley may have found his true home at welterweight. The former middleweight made the move after a pair of setbacks in 2022. However, he moved to 170 in 2023, and has since won three straight fights, with a promotional ranking likely to follow this result.

The UFC-ranked No. 11 welterweight Luque entered on the heels of a victory over former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, but failed to keep the momentum going.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 54 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

Joaquin Buckley def. Vicente Luque at UFC on ESPN 54: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Joaquin Buckley’s second-round TKO win over Vicente Luque at UFC on ESPN 54.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]’s second-round TKO win over [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 54 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. (Fight and venue photos by Ed Mulholland, USA Today Sports)

UFC on ESPN 54: Vicente Luque vs. Joaquin Buckley odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 54 odds between Vicente Luque vs. Joaquin Buckley, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 3-round welterweight bout on the main card, Vicente Luque and Joaquin Buckley meet Saturday at UFC on ESPN 54 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC on ESPN 54: Luque vs. Buckley odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin at 7 p.m. ET, and can be viewed on ESPN2/ESPN+, while the main card starts at 10 p.m. ET, also on ESPN/ESPN+.

Records: Luque (22-9-1) | Buckley (17-6-0)

Luque is coming off a unanimous-decision win over Rafael dos Anjos in mid-August in his most recent fight. That halted a 2-bout losing skid with a KO/TKO setback against Geoff Neal in Aug. 2022, and a UD loss to Belal Muhammad in the main event in mid-April of 2022.

Buckley ended up with a UD win over Alex Morono last time out in early October, and he had a 2nd-round KO/TKO against Andre Fialho prior to that. His last loss was a KO/TKO in the 2nd round against Chris Curtis at UFC 282. Buckley has picked up wins in 5 of the past 7 fights, going the distance 3 times.

The southpaw Buckley holds a slight half-inch reach advantage, while Luque has a 5.17-to-3.87 significant strikes landed per minute advantage. The favorite is way more accurate on those strikes, too, hitting 56.04%, while Buckley throws punches wildly, with just a 35.56% significant strikes accuracy percentage.

In the takedown game, Buckley has 1.51-to-1.04 advantage, although, again, Luque is more accurate at 60.87%, while Buckley has just a 36.67% takedown accuracy percentage.

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UFC on ESPN 54: Luque vs. Buckley

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 3:35 p.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Luque -135 (bet $135 to win $100) | Buckley +110 (bet $100 to win $110)
  • Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over -175 | Under +135)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +150 | No -210)

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UFC on ESPN 54: Luque vs. Buckley picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

LUQUE (-135) is just a little more polished. He is 32 years old, and he lands a lot more significant strikes per minute, and he does so with much greater accuracy. And in the takedown department, he is much more accurate there, too.

Luque has gone the distance in 2 of his past 3 fights, and Buckley has ended up going the distance in 3 of his past 5 full fights which weren’t ended via doctor’s stoppage. If the judges decide, Luque will win by a mile, as he just does all of the little things better to rack up points throughout the course of a fight.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (-175) is a little on the pricey side, but it’s worth the risk. These 2 fighters should feel each other out in the 1st round, and it’s unlikely to be a quick finish. As mentioned above, these fighters have both ended up going the distance frequently lately.

YES (+150): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? is also worth a look at plus-money, and LUQUE BY DECISION/TECHNICAL DECISION (+500) on the 7-way line for a chance to multiply up by 5 times is worth a roll of the dice. That’s a tremendous value.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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UFC on ESPN 54 full card faceoff highlights from Atlantic City

The 28 UFC fighters competing in Atlantic City on Saturday came face-to-face for the final time pre-fight.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – The competitors lined up to fight at UFC on ESPN 54 came face-to-face for the final time at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins at Boardwalk Hall, the same venue that hosts Saturday’s event.

Among those faced off were headliners [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and [autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC), co-headliners [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] (22-9-1 MMA, 15-5 UFC) and [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC), and middleweights [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) and [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag] (23-10 MMA, 4-4 UFC).

MMA Junkie was onsite for Friday’s ceremonial weigh-in and faceoffs. Check out full video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

UFC on ESPN 54 official weigh-in results: Fighter somehow gains weight between attempts, misses mark

The UFC on ESPN 54 weigh-ins ended oddly as Julio Arce somehow gained 0.25 pounds between attempts and his team was scratching their heads.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Ahead of Saturday’s fights at Boardwalk Hall, the 28 fighters involved in UFC on ESPN 54 hit the scales at the host hotel. One missed weight.

Atop the event, which airs on ESPN/ESPN+, is a pivotal women’s flyweight main event between top contenders [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and [autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC).

In the co-main event, welterweight standouts [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] (22-9-1 MMA, 15-5 UFC) and [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) collide. Also on the card, former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) attempts to reenter the win column against [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag] (23-10 MMA, 4-4 UFC).

All of those fighters made weight, but one from the prelims. [autotag]Julio Arce[/autotag] missed the featherweight limit after previously missing at bantamweight in April 2022. He was given two attempts and gained 0.25 pounds between attempts.

Arce’s re-weigh was the last weigh-in of the day. A different New Jersey State Athletic Commission (NJSAC) representative than who weighed in the other 27 fighters and Arce’s first attempt, weighed in Arce the second time. This caused further frustration and disbelief from Arce’s team, who said they had weighed 146 on their own scale. Arce was fined 20 percent of his purse and the fight will continue as scheduled.

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Check out the full UFC on ESPN 54 weigh-ins results below:

MAIN CARD (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Erin Blanchfield (125) vs. Manon Fiorot (125.25)
  • Joaquin Buckley (170) vs. Vicente Luque (170)
  • Bruno Silva (186) vs. Chris Weidman (186)
  • Sedriques Dumas (185) vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (185)
  • Bill Algeo (146) vs. Kyle Nelson (145)
  • Rhys McKee (170.25) vs. Chidi Njokuani (170)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Nate Landwehr (145.25) vs. Jamall Emmers (145)
  • Loopy Godinez (115) vs. Virna Jandiroba (115)
  • Julio Arce (147)* vs. Herbert Burns (145)
  • Dennis Buzukja (145.25) vs. Connor Matthews (145)
  • Ibo Aslan (205) vs. Anton Turkalj (205)
  • Viktoriia Dudakova (125) vs. Melissa Gatto (125)
  • Jacob Malkoun (185) vs. Andre Petroski (186)
  • Caolan Loughran (135) vs. Angel Pacheco (135)

* Arce missed featherweight limit by 1 pound; 20 percent fine

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

Despite failed booking, Vicente Luque thinks he’ll eventually fight Ian Machado Garry

Vicente Luque thinks he’ll eventually cross paths with Ian Machado Garry.

Unfortunately, the [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] matchup got away, but that might just be a thing of the moment.

Luque strongly thinks he’ll eventually see Garry’s name on a contract again, but with the result of them actually fighting each other. The two were booked to fight at UFC 296 in December. Both fighters got through camp, but on fight week, Garry was forced to withdraw due to pneumonia, and the bout was scrapped.

It was a big hit for the event, as many fans were looking forward to the matchup. Yet, despite the failed booking, Luque doesn’t think the matchup got away forever and expects to run into Garry in the future.

“I think that if he keeps doing what he’s doing, which is rising, my plan is also the same: climb as high as possible,” Luque told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “So if we both keep advancing, I think we’re going to fight. I think we now have it cleared up. We’re both ready to fight each other, so I think it’s something that makes sense.”

Luque (22-9-1 MMA, 15-5 UFC) returns to the cage this Saturday, as he takes on Joaquin Buckley (17-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 54 in Atlantic City, N.J.

Many expected Luque and Garry to get rebooked after the cancellation, and were puzzled to see Garry get matched up against Geoff Neal for UFC 298 in February, , a fight he won by split decision, and then see Luque booked for UFC on ESPN 54.

The Brazilian revealed that the UFC did try to keep the matchup, but unfortunately, the dates didn’t align and both had to go their separate ways.

“The truth is that they tried to rebook the fight for January or early February, but I had a whole camp for December, and I was ready to fight,” Luque explained. “I came down to 178 pounds (from 190), so I dropped a lot of weight and I needed to respect my body. I also had a trip to Orlando for the holidays, and all my family from Brazil was coming. I told the UFC that I always accept any fight, but this time, I couldn’t for January or February.

“I told them I could be ready to fight him in March or April anywhere. I’d be ready. Let’s do it. I also wanted to fight with Kevin Holland (at UFC 296 in December), but they didn’t want the 180-pound catchweight. So, in the end, we just agreed to look for another fight in March, and we found this one.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

Why UFC on ESPN 54’s Vicente Luque accepted dangerous Joaquin Buckley replacement

Vicente Luque explains why he had no issue accepting dangerous replacement Joaquin Buckley for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 54.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] accepted what many fighters would’ve rejected in his position – a replacement fight with a dangerous, lesser-ranked opponent on a lesser spot on the card.

The UFC welterweight veteran was supposed to headline UFC on ESPN 54 against Sean Brady, who’s ranked No. 8 on the UFC’s official rankings. Instead, he ended up pitted against unranked striking powerhouse [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] in the co-main event of Saturday’s event.

This change came as a consequence of Brady’s injury, which didn’t allow him to compete on the card. In response, Luque (22-9-1 MMA, 15-5 UFC) accepted to fight Buckley (17-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) as a replacement – something he had no issue doing.

“I’ve been in that position before, like in Buckley’s position,” Luque said at the UFC on ESPN 54 media day on Wednesday. “I’ve been the guy outside the rankings that people were concerned about because we’re good, we’re dangerous. Fighting is always risk, but I feel the more risk I take, the more reward I’m going to get from that. That’s how I look at this fight.

“Yeah, he’s not ranked, and he is dangerous, but I’m dangerous as well, and I’ll give him the opportunity to try to come in and beat me.”

On top of wanting to challenge himself and also give an opportunity to someone looking to enter the rankings, there were other things to consider for Luque.

“Everyone says, ‘You don’t always get what you want,’ but on the bright side, I get to fight in front of my family, I get to fight in New Jersey, and in the month I wanted to – so many things that are favorable,” Luque said. “The training camp was great for the time frame that I had and getting a guy in Buckley that yeah – he’s not ranked, we’re not going to be the main event, but he has a lot of hype behind him, and he has a style that people love to watch.

“I have a style that people love to watch, so at the end of the day it’s a fight that people are going to watch and are going to be supporting. I can showcase my skills and my work my way up in the division.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC, PFL, Bellator fights announced in the past week (Feb. 12-18)

Check out the UFC, PFL, and Bellator fights that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC, PFL, and Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Feb. 12-18.

Vicente Luque remains on UFC Atlantic City with co-main event vs. Joaquin Buckley

Vicente Luque will still fight at the UFC’s return to Atlantic City, but it will be against a lesser-ranked name than originally intended.

[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] will still fight at the UFC’s return to Atlantic City, N.J., next month, but it will be against a lesser-ranked opponent than originally intended.

Luque (22-9-1 MMA, 15-5 UFC) is set to meet [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] (18-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in a three-round welterweight co-main event at UFC Fight Night on March 31, which takes place at Boardwalk Hall and airs on ESPN. Two people with knowledge of the situation verified the booking to MMA Junkie after the venue announced the fight on Thursday.

UFC officials initially announced Luque would be facing Sean Brady in the main event of the card. However, it was later revealed Brady never actually signed for the fight and had been dealing with lingering injuries.

Now Luque, No. 12 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie welterweight rankings, will get an unranked opponent in Buckley, who is riding back-to-back wins over Alex Morono and Andre Fialho.

Luque will attempt to put together a two-fight winning streak of his own after he outworked former UFC champ Rafael dos Anjos to a unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN 51 in August.

The latest UFC Atlantic City lineup now includes:

  • Erin Blanchfield vs. Manon Fiorot
  • Joaquin Buckley vs. Vicente Luque
  • Alonzo Menifield vs. Carlos Ulberg
  • Dennis Buzukja vs. Connor Matthews
  • Loopy Godinez vs. Virna Jandiroba
  • Jacob Malkoun vs. Andre Petroski
  • Bruno Silva vs. Chris Weidman
  • Sedriques Dumas vs. Nursulton Ruziboev
  • Caolan Loughran vs. Angel Pacheco
  • Rhys McKee vs. Chidi Njokuani
  • Julio Arce vs. Herbert Burns
  • Ibo Aslan vs. Anton Turkalj
  • Bill Algeo vs. Kyle Nelson

UFC Atlantic City loses headliner as Sean Brady vs. Vicente Luque fizzles

Two months out, the UFC’s return to Atlantic City is suddenly without a main event.

The advertised UFC Atlantic City main event won’t happen as [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] has fizzled out.

Three people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the development Wednesday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. MMA reporter Harry Mac first reported the news.

Despite Brady vs. Luque being announced by UFC CEO Dana White and officially acknowledged by the promotion, Brady (16-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) never signed a bout agreement as he’s dealt with an injury.

It’s unclear if Luque (22-9-1 MMA, 15-5 UFC) will remain on the card or if an entirely new bout will now headline the March 30 event at Boardwalk Hall. An important women’s flyweight contender fight between Erin Blanchfield and Manon Fiorot is also slated for the event.

With the change, below is the current UFC Atlantic City lineup:

  • Erin Blanchfield vs. Manon Fiorot
  • Bruno Silva vs. Chris Weidman
  • Loopy Godinez vs. Virna Jandiroba
  • Jacob Malkoun vs. Andre Petroski
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Carlos Ulberg
  • Chidi Njokuani vs. Rhys McKee
  • Dennis Buzkuja vs. Connor Matthews
  • Caolan Loughran vs. Angel Pacheco
  • Julio Arce vs. Herbert Burns
  • Sedriques Dumas vs. Nursulton Ruziboev
  • Ibo Aslan vs. Anton Turkalj

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Atlantic City.