Vicente Luque now faces Themba Gorimbo at UFC 310 after veteran Nick Diaz withdrew from the Dec. 7 card in Las Vegas due to undisclosed reasons, and the Brazilian welterweight is concerned about Diazâs mental health.
Luque was originally slated to take on Diaz this past August, a day after Diazâs 41st birthday, but the promotion announced at the time that the match was pulled from the Abu Dhabi card due to âtravel issues.â The duo were re-booked for UFC 310 only for that matchup to be cancelled, and Luque wasnât informed of an official reason.
Shortly after that news broke, a viral video showing a shirtless Diaz apparently trying to light grass on fire in the middle of the night made the rounds on social media.
Luque said in an interview with MMA Fighting that he was prepared for any surprises going into UFC 310, including last-minute weight changesâlike what happened with Diazâs latest fight with Robbie Lawlerâor the former Strikeforce champion simply not showing up for the event. In the end, Luque is ârelievedâ to at least get a new opponent this time.
âI donât know exactly why [it was cancelled],â Luque said. âI saw that video of him in the streets, and he didnât look OK. And more than anything, I hope his family and heâs taking care of himself. I hope he recovers and goes back to his best state possible.