Vicente Luque: As Driven as Ever

Inner drive has never been hard for Vicente Luque to find.

Now 33 years of age and nearly a decade into a successful run in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the battle-hardened welterweight will square off with Themba Gorimbo as part of the UFC 310 undercard this Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Luque grows increasingly reflective as his career progresses, but his competitive fires still burn as brightly as they did when he first entered the sport.

“It’s been a privilege to bring all those great battles to the fans,” he told Sherdog.com. “It’s something I’ve always been able to do. It makes me happy. It’s what I always tried to do—have exciting fights. It’s my style. That won’t change. Of course, this is the most challenging moment in my UFC career. It serves as even greater motivation to get back to my winning ways. I wish to get to a point I haven’t yet reached: a title bout. I’m still evolving. Without a doubt, I can still be fighting up to 40 years old, but I see the next three years as my best.”

Luque was originally scheduled to face Nick Diaz, who has not fought since 2021. The former Strikeforce champion withdrew from the card for undisclosed reasons in November, clearing the way for Gorimbo.

“I’m not entirely sure what happened,” Luque said. “There were many rumors that he was having personal problems. I’m not sure. What I can say is that I hope he can get beyond whatever it was, and he can come back and continue to fight in the best way possible. I am happy that the UFC was able to find me a new opponent in short order.”

Gorimbo enters the cage on the strength of a four-fight winning streak. The 33-year-old MMA Masters rep last suited up at UFC Fight Night 244, where he took a three-round unanimous decision from Niko Price on Oct. 12. Gorimbo boasts eight finishes among his 14 professional victories.

“Regarding technique, Themba is a complete fighter,” Luque said. “He has good striking. He’s tall and knows how to use his reach, and he also makes good use of his wrestling and submissions. He is a true MMA fighter, and because he’s a newer guy on a streak, I’m sure he’s hungry to get into the rankings. That means that he’ll be very well prepared. I’ll be prepared myself, not just to defend my spot in the rankings but to get back to winning and making my way back up. I aim to show him that I’m at a different level. I see that I have all the tools necessary to defeat him in every area.”

Luque steps back into the spotlight in a bit of a tailspin, having lost three of his past four fights. The Kill Cliff Fight Club export last suited up on March 30, when he succumbed to second-round punches from Joaquin Buckley at UFC on ESPN 54.

“I’m coming off losses, of course, but I’ve done a lot of learning and improving,” Luque said, “and I’m ready to make my comeback.”