With his back against the wall, Tyron Woodley will look to keep his career’s flame alive when he takes on the power-punching Vicente Luque at UFC 260 this Saturday.
Tyron Woodley vs. Vicente Luque Preview
“The Chosen One” is no stranger to adversity, having grown up in the ghettos of Ferguson, Missouri, Woodley knows how to defend himself, and that’s precisely why he is so hard to put away.
Great piece on @TWooodley by ESPN’s @alisa_harrison and @kelseypuck. pic.twitter.com/hSjMoe1lRX
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 17, 2020
Despite the rib injury that occurred against Colby Covington, the former UFC champion is back and as usual, Woodley is paired against an absolute killer. Rated at No.10 in the official UFC rankings, Luque has been quietly amassing a nice record in the welterweight division.
Tyron Woodley – Paths To Victory At UFC 260
In particular, Woodley’s wrestling is outstanding, yet the power-puncher prefers to stalk and launch his overhand right lately. If Woodley employs his wrestling skills and keeps Luque guessing, this is his fight to win. Overall, with such a high fight IQ the former 4X defending welterweight champ has to be weighing his grappling intentions at this point.
In Tyron Woodley’s last few losses, his opponents all possessed serious danger on the ground or were cardio machines and were as good or better at wrestling. Even though the 38-year old former champ lost to Kamuru Usman, Gilbert Burns, and Colby Covington in a row, it definitely does not mean he is done. In addition, Woodley’s restrained striking has always been an issue for opponents, and he highlighted that fact when he knocked out Darren Till in 2018 and before that beat Demian Maia.
How “The Quiet Assassin” Luque Can Silence Tyron Woodley
Since this is a three-round fight, both fighters will have to come out of the gate pretty fast. The blueprint to beating Woodley involves the threat of submissions and effective wrestling because the two deter the athlete from feeling free to launch bombs. While Luque is more well-known for his striking (i.e. his stoppage of Niko Price), the Brazilian has a very underrated clinch-game too. Getting underhooks and working the former champion against the fence has been proven to work, and Luque possesses the technique to get that done. However, in order to implement such a plan, Luque cannot let Woodley control the pace of the striking exchanges.
O @VicenteLuqueMMA 🇧🇷 nunca decepciona na trocação 👊 #UFC260 pic.twitter.com/aeqHWKcCJK
— UFC Brasil (@UFCBrasil) March 23, 2021
Luque isn’t just a standup fighter, sporting eleven wins by knockout/TKO and seven submissions overall, the Brazilian can definitely snatch a neck if it’s presented to him. Underrated on the ground, “The Silent Assassin” likes to go for anaconda and darce chokes too. The reason Luque is so dangerous is that he improvises and adapts quickly depending on how the fight is playing out. At UFC 260, he will have the chance to take a giant leap in the division and take the scalp of a former welterweight great.
Don’t miss the barnburner between Tyron Woodley and Vicente Luque this Saturday on ESPN+ and pay-per-view!
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