Distinguished
Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight contenders
Vicente
Luque and
Joaquin
Buckley are set to ignite the co-main event at
UFC on ESPN 54 this Saturday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic
City, New Jersey.
Luque’s recent run has been fraught with challenges, including
canceled bouts and opponent changes. The No. 11-ranked welterweight
contender bounced back from a pair of disappointing setbacks
against
Belal
Muhammad and
Geoff Neal to
score a unanimous decision win over
Rafael dos
Anjos in his last Octagon outing in August. The Brazilian now
seeks to add another win to his UFC record against Buckley.
Meanwhile, Buckley has showcased renewed vigor after returning to
the welterweight division, starting with a technical knockout
victory over
Andre
Fialho in May. Following that appearance, he picked up a
unanimous decision over
Alex Morono
to cap off a successful 2023 campaign.
As fans eagerly anticipate the clash between an experienced
contender and the man who owns one of the most-talked-about
highlight-reel knockouts of all-time, we take a look at some of the
statistical intricacies that bind the fighters together:
20: Luque ranks 10th in total fights in the UFC welterweight
division, having made 20 appearances at 170 pounds.
15: With 15 career wins at 170 pounds, “The Silent Assassin” is
placed fourth on the welterweight ladder for most victories in the
organization.
13: Luque is renowned for his killer instinct, which is further
punctuated by the fact that he is second in the welterweight
bracket for most finishes at 13.
8: Luque also ranks second on the promotion’s list for most
knockout wins as a welterweight, with eight victories of those
nature to his credit.
5: Luque’s ability to finish fights is not merely limited to
knockouts. He also holds five submission wins on his record, which
is the tied fourth-best in the welterweight division.
8: The Brazilian has been honored with eight fight night bonuses,
sharing the third spot with former welterweight title challenger
Stephen
Thompson.
10: Luque has landed 10 knockdowns in 20 UFC Octagon
appearances.
6: With six knockdowns, Buckley occupies the tied ninth spot for
most knockdowns landed in middleweight competition.
3.87: Buckley lands 3.87 strikes per minute.
33: Buckley wields a striking accuracy of 33%.
57: Renowned for his powerful striking, Buckley also exhibits solid
defense, boasting a 57% significant strike defense rate.