Tag: Vicente Luque

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.

Video: Our favorite new matchups for 2024’s first quarter

Our “Spinning Back Clique” picks their favorite fights on the schedule so far for Q1 2024.

It’s a new year and that means a whole new slate of fights ahead.

As the UFC and other promotions fill out their Q1 2024 calendar, some intriguing matchups have been announced.

From [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] 2 in Mexico, to the return of [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] against [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] in Las Vegas, and [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] in Atlantic City, there are a number of fun matchups to get excited about.

But which fights are our favorites?

That’s what our “Spinning Back Clique” of Nolan King, Dan Tom and Brian “Goze” Garcia discussed along with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch their discussion in the video above, or check out this week’s episode below on YouTube or in podcast form.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC fights announced in the past week (Jan. 8-14)

There were 35 UFC fight announcements 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.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Jan. 8-14.

UFC Atlantic City main event announced: Sean Brady vs. Vicente Luque

The UFC’s return to Atlantic City features a welterweight main event clash between Sean Brady and Vicente Luque.

UFC Atlantic City will be headlined by a welterweight contender fight.

[autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag] and [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] will collide in a five-round main event atop the UFC Fight Night card March 30 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., UFC CEO Dana White announced Friday.

Brady (16-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC), who fights out of Philadelphia, will headline in the UFC for the first time and do so relatively close to home. He most recently competed in December when he defeated Kelvin Gastelum by third-round submission.

Luque (22-9-1 MMA, 15-5 UFC) was scheduled to compete at UFC 296 in December, but his fight was later canceled when opponent Ian Garry withdrew due to illness. Luque looks to extend his winning streak following a five-round unanimous decision victory over former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in August.

With the addition, the UFC Atlantic City lineup includes:

  • Sean Brady vs. Vicente Luque
  • 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

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

Vicente Luque calls for UFC Atlantic City main event with Sean Brady

After Ian Garry was booked against a different opponent following their failed UFC 296 fight, Vicente Luque is shifting gears to Sean Brady.

Seemingly the odd man out at welterweight after his failed UFC 296 bout with Ian Garry, perennial contender [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] is shifting his focus elsewhere.

Luque (22-9-1 MMA, 15-5 UFC) was scheduled to fight highly touted and unbeaten Garry this past weekend on the final UFC card of 2023, but when the Irishman withdrew on fight week due to pneumonia, he was left without a fight.

Once the event concluded, UFC CEO Dana White announced a number of 170-pound bouts for the first quarter of the year, none of which involved Luque. White claimed the Brazilian had turned down multiple of fight offers but did not specify if those were replacement fights for UFC 296 or other dates down the line.

That prompted Luque to take matters into his own hands for his next assignment. On social media, he issued a callout of [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) for the main event of UFC Fight Night in Atlantic City, N.J. on March 30 (via X):

5 rounds in Atlantic City against Brady what do you guys think? @ufc @AliAbdelaziz00 @danawhite @seanshelby

Brady, No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie welterweight rankings, has not responded to the callout but expressed interest fighting in Atlantic City following his submission win over Kelvin Gastelum at UFC on ESPN 52 earlier this month.

Given who is available, No. 13 Luque, who defeated former UFC champion Rafael dos Anjos by unanimous decision in his most recent bout at UFC on ESPN 51 in August, might be his best option.

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UFC 296 ‘Embedded,’ No. 6: Colby Covington tells Leon Edwards ‘I was in character’ during faceoff

In the final episode of UFC 296 “Embedded,” did Colby Covington try to back off his trash talk about Leon Edwards’ father?

The UFC is back for its final pay-per-view of 2023, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 296 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on ESPN+.

In the main event, welterweight champion [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] puts his belt on the line against former interim champ [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag]. And in the co-main event, [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] defends his flyweight title against [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] in a rematch of a 2021 bout that Pantoja won by submission.

The UFC 296 main card also features [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] in a key welterweight bout and legend [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] vs. rising star [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] at lightweight.

The sixth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Athletes make weight on Friday and the stage is set for two title fights: champ Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington and champ Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval. Also on tap: Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson and Tony Ferguson vs. Paddy Pimblett.

Also see:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

UFC 296 ‘Embedded,’ No. 5: Colby Covington plays dress-up, gives tour of lovely walk-in closet

Go behind the scenes of UFC 296 in Las Vegas with the “Embedded” series.

The UFC is back for its final pay-per-view of 2023, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 296 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on ESPN+.

In the main event, welterweight champion [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] puts his belt on the line against former interim champ [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag]. And in the co-main event, [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] defends his flyweight title against [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] in a rematch of a 2021 bout that Pantoja won by submission.

The UFC 296 main card also features [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] in a key welterweight bout; legend [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] vs. rising star [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] at lightweight; and another welterweight encounter between [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] and [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag].

The fifth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Champions Alexandre Pantoja and Leon Edwards talk about their title fights at media day. Bryce Mitchell meets with commentators. Colby Covington dresses up for a much-anticipated press conference.

Also see:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

UFC 296 ‘Embedded,’ No. 4: The one in which Bryce Mitchell talks prayer, fear with ex-‘journalist’ Tucker Carlson

On the latest “Embedded,” Brandon Royval arrives, Tony Ferguson opines, Bryce Mitchell talks prayer with a disgraced ex-FOX anchor and more.

The UFC is back for its final pay-per-view of 2023, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 296 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on ESPN+.

In the main event, welterweight champion [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] puts his belt on the line against former interim champ [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag]. And in the co-main event, [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] defends his flyweight title against [autotag]Brandon Royval[/autotag] in a rematch of a 2021 bout that Pantoja won by submission.

The UFC 296 main card also features [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] in a key welterweight bout; legend [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] vs. rising star [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] at lightweight; and another welterweight encounter between [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] and [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag].

The fourth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Brandon Royval arrives in Vegas. Tony Ferguson checks in and talks UFC talent. Paddy Pimblett connects with camera-ready Bryce Mitchell. Champ Leon Edwards and Shavkat Rakhmonov sharpen their skills in the UFC PIs. Colby Covington takes in a hockey game.

Also see:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

Top 5 welterweight wars in MMA history, ranked

That UFC 189 war between Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald was something else, wasn’t it?

Although the welterweight class in MMA is decently heavier than its contemporaries in other combat sports, it keeps in the tradition of offering a rich history of memorable battles.

Japanese organizations like Shooto have typically referred to fighters between 156-171 lbs. as “middleweights,” while the UFC’s 170-pound division dates back to the late 90s when the organization anointed its first welterweight champion, [autotag]Pat Militech[/autotag], at UFC 17.5 in Brazil.

Since then, the division has produced a slew of great fights and Hall of Fame fighters alike.

It’s impossible to properly pay homage to all the best bouts that have gone down at 170 pounds, so I’ll instead widdle down my list to my favorite welterweight wars.

Whether we’re talking about back-and-forth battles or brutally bloody affairs, I thought it would be fun to revisit some of my favorite fights from the weight class.

As usual, these lists reflect my personal tastes and biases and are not meant to serve as some ultimate authority. That said, I feel very strongly about not only my list but also my honorable mentions at the end – which are more than strong enough to serve as their own top five.

So, without further ado …