Vicente Luque emerged from his marquee welterweight bout against Michael Chiesa as a potential future title challenger.
Luque submitted Chiesa with a D'arce choke at 3:25 of the first round at UFC 265 on Saturday in Houston.
The Brazilian contender said postfight he wants to face Kamaru Usman after the 170-pound champion defends his title against Colby Covington in November.
Usman quickly responded to Luque on social media, expressing interest in a potential bout:
You looked great my man we might be dancing soon 👏🏿👊🏿 #ufc265
— KAMARU USMAN (@USMAN84kg) August 8, 2021
Luque has the second-most finishes in UFC welterweight history (13), according to ESPN Stats & Info. Only Matt Brown owns more with 14.
"The Silent Assassin" scored solid leg kicks against Chiesa early in the opening round. He tagged "Maverick" with a punch before being taken to the ground, where Chiesa immediately took his back and attempted a rear-naked choke.
Luque escaped and got on top of Chiesa, locking in a D'arce choke moments later and forcing his opponent to tap.
Luque has now won four straight bouts. The 29-year-old entered as the No. 6-ranked welterweight - Chiesa was No. 5 - and could be one victory from a title shot.
Chiesa, 33, saw his four-fight winning streak come to an end in his first loss as a welterweight.
