Vicente Luque sets his sights on a former UFC title challenger after a dominant debut in the middleweight division.

Vicente Luque focused before fighting in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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Vicente Luque has already decided who he would like to face in his next fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). After debuting with a victory in the middleweight division (up to 83,9 kg) by submitting Kelvin Gastelum in the first round of UFC 327 , held on April 11th in Miami, the Brazilian revealed his interest in facing Jared Cannonier , currently ranked 11th and a former title challenger in the division.

Excited about his strong start in the new weight class, Luque pointed to the veteran American as an ideal matchup to solidify his name among the top middleweight fighters. The Brazilian highlighted Cannonier's experience and the fact that his rival is already established among the division's ranked fighters.

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In an interview with 'Hablemos MMA', Vicente explained that he sees the fight as an important opportunity for his new phase in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and made it clear that the former title challenger would be an interesting opponent at this point in his career.

“ Jared Cannonier is a veteran, just like me, but he’s already established in the division, he’s ranked, and I don’t think he has a fight scheduled right now. For me, it would be an interesting fight,” said Vicente.

Cannonier fought for the middleweight title against Israel Adesanya at UFC 276 , held in July 2022 in Las Vegas (USA), but ended up losing by unanimous decision. At 42 years old, the American is coming off a loss to Michael Page at UFC 319 in August 2025.

The veteran has also crossed paths with Luque's team. Before that, Jared defeated Gregory Robocop , the Brazilian's training partner at Kill Cliff FC, by technical knockout in the fourth round of UFC Vegas 102 in February 2025.

New beginnings for Vicente Luque in the UFC.

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

After spending virtually his entire UFC career competing in the welterweight division (up to 77 kg), Vicente Luque decided to move up to middleweight in search of a new phase in his career. At 34 years old, the fighter believes that the change can prolong his high level of competitiveness within the organization.

According to the Brazilian, the main difference was precisely the relief in the weight-cutting process, which became less strenuous and allowed for a more relaxed preparation for the fight against Gastelum.

After his victory in Miami, Luque, in an interview with Evelyn Rodrigues , the official UFC reporter in Brazil, revealed that he experienced one of the best fight weeks in recent years and highlighted the positive impact of arriving stronger and more confident to compete.

“I think fight week was one of the best in recent years. The 77kg weight cut was really 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.

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