Comprised of two welterweights at very different points of their careers, the UFC 260 co-main event was nothing if not intriguing. Plenty of questions were set to be answered when former champ Tyron Woodley took on Vicente Luque on the PPV card Saturday.
For starters, did Woodley still have what it takes to be an elite fighter at the top of the division? Could Luque break into the top of the weight class? Would the Woodley of old return? Was Luque correct in suggesting that pressuring the ex-champ was key to throwing him off his game?
As if looking to make a statement early, Tyron Woodley immediately closed the distance and tied up Luque. The ex-champ looked motivated, and was the clear aggressor, firing his right hand then changing levels for a takedown. Later in the round, Woodley would rock Luque. It looked like he had the upper hand. But Luque returned the favor, wobbling Woodley with an overhand right. At one point, Woodley had to use the fence just to stand up. Woodley was in dire straights as the pair continued to throw bombs. Woodley went to his knees, and Luque locked on with a D’arce choke. Probably unaware of what zip code he was in, Tyron Woodley soon tapped, in an absolutely wild finish.
The Silent Assassin! @VicenteLuqueMMA puts Woodley to sleep 🤫 #UFC260 pic.twitter.com/Gudyd2RlwG
— UFC (@ufc) March 28, 2021
The loss won’t help Woodley any, even if he did look competitive early on. Luque, meanwhile, just sent a message to the top half of the welterweight division.
Official Result: Vicente Luque def. Tyron Woodley by submission (D’arce choke), Round 1, 3:56
