A welterweight rematch between Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad is targeted to headline a UFC Fight Night event on April 16.
A high stakes welterweight rematch is on deck to headline the April 16 UFC Fight Night as Vicente Luque is expected to face Belal Muhammad. The promotion’s official broadcast partner, ESPN, was first to report the news. The two last fought in 2016 where Luque stopped Muhammad with strikes in round one.
Luque (21-7) is on cusp of a career breakthrough after having recorded finishes in fights against Randy Brown, Tyron Woodley, and Michael Chiesa. A part of the UFC since 2015, “The Silent Assassin” is on an incredible 10-1 run that has seen him record victories over the aforementioned fighters as well as Niko Price, Mike Perry, and Jalin Turner. Luque was notably selected as the backup for the welterweight title fight last November, though he was not required. Luque last competed in August.
Muhammad (20-3) also has a chance to breakthrough into the title conversation with a victory. “Remember the Name” is on a nearly identical run as Luque with a 10-1-1 record in his past twelve fights. Muhammad has victories over Stephen Thompson, Demian Maia, Curis Millender, and Dhiego Lima since the fight with Luque and his lone loss came at the hands of Geoff Neal. Muhammad last competed in December.
No location for the bout has been announced at this time, although it is completely possible that it goes outside of the UFC Apex as the promotion is looking to resume travel for Fight Night events beginning in March. Since June of 2020, the promotion has held their smaller Fight Night events exclusively at either the UFC Apex or on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.
Currently, the following bouts have been reported for the April 16 event:
- Vicente Luque vs. Belal Muhammad
- Drakkar Klose vs. Brandon Jenkins
- Miguel Baeza vs. Dhiego Lima
- Jesse Ronson vs. Rafa García
- Chris Barnett vs. Martin Buday
- Caio Borralho vs. Gadzhi Omargadzhiev
