The rated Brazilian welterweight of the UFC, Vicente Luque, commented on his early victory over Michael Chiesa, whom he captured by strangling D’Arce in the first round in the main card of the UFC 265 tournament.
“I was just patient and didn’t rush to finish it. I knew he was a great grappler. I understood that sooner or later he would knock me down, take my back. Not because I’m easy to knock down, no. I plow so as not to find myself in these positions, but simply because I am a realist, and he is a very strong grappler. But I’m also confident in my grappling.
As I said before the fight, I have a large arsenal on the ground. I have been practicing jiu-jitsu since I was 16, and I also practice luta livre. So when I close D’Arce, the opponents will not get out. I proved it in the fight with Chiesa.
I felt that everything was going according to plan, I constantly changed the racks to puzzle him. He fights in a left-handed stance – it’s sometimes hard to fight with such guys. Chiesa caught me with a heavy two and smashed my face a little, but it wasn’t very hard. I have a strong jaw, so he didn’t shake me,” Vicente Luque said in an interview with ESPN.