Nate Diaz, right, fights Jorge Masvidal during the first round of a welterweight mixed martial arts bout at UFC 244 early Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, in New York. Masvidal stopped Diaz in the fourth round. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

After barely breaking a sweat in his Round 1 submission over Tyron Woodley on Saturday night at UFC 260, welterweight star Vicente Luque took even less time to call out Nate Diaz for his next fight.

Luque (20-7, 11 KOs) has now won three straight matches since falling to Stephen Thompson via unanimous decision at UFC 244 in November 2019. Diaz has been unmoved by past challenges from Luque, but Luque thinks things should be different now.

ESPN MMA @espnmma

Nate Diaz hasn’t responded to his past callouts, but @VicenteLuqueMMA feels now is the time 👀 #UFC260 https://t.co/szjs2ADDX3

“I called him out in the past and he didn’t respond,” Luque said. “I think right now I’ve got a big win, I’ve got, you know, a great streak coming on, and man, my style, it matches perfect.”

Diaz (20-12, 5 KOs) hasn’t fought since a technical knockout loss to Jorge Masvidal—also at UFC 244—and has been a bit streaky over his recent matches, going 4-5 inn his last nine bouts.

That could make a fight with Luque more intriguing for Diaz now as he looks to reestablish himself as a premier contender.

Brett Okamoto @bokamotoESPN

Vicente Luque vs. Nate Diaz?? I kinda love it. Diaz wants to fight, but he’s selective about opponent. He wants an old school fighter, one who comes for blood and not points. And there’s actually not an obvious fight out there for Luque right now. I’d love this.

UFC currently ranks Diaz outside the top 15 welterweight fighters, but at 35 years old, he’s still capable of reviving his career.

Luque, meanwhile, was ranked as the No. 10 welterweight contender before his win Saturday. With Woodley entering the bout at No. 7, Luque is more than likely to make a massive jump in the rankings.

Whether that’s enough to get Diaz into the Octagon with him remains to be seen, but after one of the biggest wins of his career, Luque made it clear he wants Diaz next.

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