Las Vegas – UFC welterweight Vicente Luque lost a matchup against an MMA legend, but still gets to scrap at UFC 310 on Saturday night against Themba Gorimbo.
Luque was set to face Nick Diaz this Saturday night until a disturbing video of Diaz emerged. In the video Diaz is seen shirtless attempting to light grass by a sidewalk.
Vicente Luque got to work soon as he saw a troubling video of Nick Diaz. #UFC310
🎥: @DoubleGonTV pic.twitter.com/OqPpzaZQu2
— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) December 5, 2024
Once the video came out Luque started to realize the fight may not happen.
“Maybe a week after the video, something like that, I’m not sure how long ago that is. Me and Ali (Abdelaziz) my manager we were talking about it. Without even the UFC saying anything let’s try to reach out to them and make sure that something’s going on,” Luque told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.
“When I was supposed to fight in August and it didn’t happen, the UFC wanted this fight, it was a big fight and I said ok. Let’s do it, but I want to fight this year.”
Luque (22-10-1) and Diaz were supposed to fight in August in Abu Dhabi, but Diaz had travel issues and the fight was move to UFC 310. With the video coming out it seems that all parties decided Diaz was not fit to fight although no official word has come as to exactly why he was pulled.
“I told Ali, ‘I’ll be ready for anybody’. I knew like maybe it’s not going to happen so I’ll stay ready for whoever steps up and great that Themba stepped up and now we get a fight,” he said.
To his credit Gorimbo actually spoke on the possibility of stepping into the fight after defeating Niko Price in October. Five fights into his UFC career he said he’d be ready to step in for either Diaz or Luque should they withdraw.
Then Diaz pulled out.
“When he said that I heard right away and my mind was like ok. If something happens there is somebody,” Luque said.
“There’s somebody that is going to say yes. So in my mind I knew that he could be an option, maybe even the first option, and that’s what happened.”
As for a possible third shot at Diaz? Luque shot that down.
“At this point I don’t think it will happen again. Maybe, who knows, but I’m up the division,” he said.
“I’m looking to get past Themba. That’s first mission to be accomplished and after that I’m looking up. I think that the Nick fight is past.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Vicente Luque above. He takes on Themba Gorimbo at UFC 310 on Saturday night.
