Vicente Luque reveals behind-the-scenes details of his debut in a new weight class after his victory at UFC 327.

Vicente Luque celebrates his UFC victory. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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Vicente Luque couldn't have achieved a better result when he moved up a division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The Brazilian, who moved from welterweight (up to 77 kg) to middleweight (up to 83,9 kg), defeated Kelvin Gastelum by submission (arm-triangle choke) in the first round of UFC 327 , held last Saturday (11), in Miami (USA). The 'Silent Assassin' went into detail about his new phase in his career and the days leading up to the fight.

In an interview with Evelyn Rodrigues, the official UFC reporter in Brazil, Luque said he experienced one of the best fight weeks in recent years. Regarding all the preparation and the tension of the weight cut, for the Brazilian, the days leading up to the event went positively.

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“I think fight week was one of the best in recent years. Really, cutting to 170 lbs (77 kg) was very tough for me. I'm a professional, I can be disciplined and make weight, but it really took away from the final stretch of my camp, from my fight week. Now, I was able to arrive with more energy and confidence…”, said Vicente Luque.

The 'Silent Assassin' also commented on one of his specialties, the triangle choke. Luque recalled that the move is one of the most practiced throughout his life in martial arts, being a valuable resource in many moments during combat.

“The triangle choke is something I’ve been doing for a long time. In English, it’s called the ‘Anaconda’ or ‘D’Arce’. In this case, it was the Anaconda, which we call a straight triangle choke. It’s something I’ve been doing since I was young, since the beginning of my career. I think almost all of my submissions have been with one of these moves; it’s what I train. For me, it’s instinctive,” explained the Brazilian.

Finally, the now middleweight shared the moment of the finish. After trying more than once to end the fight via stoppage, Luque found the opening only in the final minute of the first round, when Kelvin Gastelum finally gave in.

“I hit him and knocked him down with my hand, but he’s very resilient. I saw he was recovering. I tried to create space with elbows, but I couldn’t. When he turned around, I thought, ‘now’s the time,’ because he wasn’t fully recovered yet and there was less than a minute left. I heard the corner and knew I needed to press hard,” concluded Vicente Luque.

Watch Vicente Luque's interview with UFC Brazil.

 

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