Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad will square off in a rematch of top-ranked welterweights in the main event of the upcoming UFC card scheduled on April 16.
Luque and Muhammad’s manager Ali Abdelaziz confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Tuesday following an initial report from ESPN.
“I love both guys,” Abdelaziz said about the matchup. “They’re not just great fighters but great human beings. These guys are the greatest in the world and look like they’d be ranked No. 1 contender’s match. They’ve both fought before, but they have evolved. I believe the true winner is the .”
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“It’s going to be an amazing fight and I can’t wait for these two guys to compete.”
The first encounter in 2016 was won by Luque over Muhammad through a first round knockout at UFC 205..
Since that time, Luque has remained one of the most ferocious finishers in the welterweight division, sporting a remarkable 10-2 record over his past 12 fights. His current win streak is four, highlighted by victories against former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley (submission victory) and Michael Chiesa.
Luque will now look to take another step towards title contention by facing off with Muhammad, who has put together an impressive win streak of his own.
Undefeated in seven consecutive fights, Muhammad has made a slow and steady climb up the welterweight ranks while knocking off a string of veterans along the way. In his past two fights, Muhammad has earned victories over a pair of former UFC title contenders, defeating both Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Demian Maia.
Muhammad now looks to extend that unbeaten streak while attempting to avenge his past loss when he faces off with Luque in April.
The UFC has not yet announced the location of the April 16 event, although more fights will be added over the next few weeks.
