Vicente Luque’s story in the UFC is one that showcases his tremendous grit. His UFC career may have been a mixed bag as he struggles to find consistency, winning one fight and then losing the other. ‘The Silent Assassin’, however, is looking to bounce back from his previous loss with his second fight of the year at UFC Rio. But ahead of his fight against Joel Alvarez, let’s take a look at the injury Luque suffered that could have cost him his career.

After his fight against Geoff Neal at UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Hill in 2022, Vicente Luque revealed that he had been undergoing complications from the damage he had taken. And they were serious.

What happened to Vicente Luque? Details about his brain bleed injury

Vicente Luque got his start in the UFC as a part of The Ultimate Fighter 21. And he later made his official debut in 2015 at the UFC on Fox: Dos Anjos vs. Cerrone card. He holds notable victories in the promotion over fighters like Jalin Turner, Mike Perry, and Tyron Woodley.

Luque, known as “The Silent Assassin,” overcame a career-threatening brain bleed after a scary knockout loss to Geoff Neal in August 2022. The injury, in medical terms, is known as a subdural hematoma, which involves bleeding taking place between the skull and the brain tissue.

When the UFC and the commission found out about this injury, they gave Vicente Luque a pretty lengthy medical suspension. It was the need of the hour, and ‘The Silent Assassin’ did not show any disdain towards the commission’s decision.

Vicente Luque’s medical suspension and recovery protocol

Vicente Luque was initially asked to sit out of action from a medical standpoint for about six months. But later, the suspension was increased to a full year by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. The welterweight fighter revealed that he took the initial six months to stay out of action completely. He did not train, did not spar, and decided to let his body recover without risking more damage in the gym.

He revealed in an interview, “I was under observation in the hospital, and it didn’t develop to something more serious. They gave me this six-month suspension from fighting, but I decided not to any sparring for six months. I only trained grappling, wrestling, conditioning, hit pads, and things like that. I didn’t do any sparring to really be 100 percent recovered.” Luque’s full focus was on non-sparring training for recovery.

Luque’s dedication to evolving as a martial artist reflects his determination and readiness to return to the Octagon. But he took the time off from action to evolve as a human being and find what he had always been looking for. Peace.

How Vicente Luque used his time off to improve and prepare for his return

Vicente Luque, ahead of his UFC Rio fight, revealed how the time off due to his brain injury helped him gain “perspective.” He claims this was also a time when he grew more spiritual and started cherishing the experience of going to the gym and training to fight in the UFC. ‘The Silent Assassin’ believes that the fact that he was able to come out of a serious injury situation was nothing short of a “miracle.”

“That changed things completely, and it’s funny because that’s also when I had the encounter with God, started learning more about Jesus, and it changed my perspective. I am blessed to still do what I love to do, and before that, I didn’t appreciate everything that I had as much as I could have appreciated it,” Luque told UFC.com. “Now I look at it like, ‘Through all this, God took care of me.'”

Well, post his injury return, Luque hasn’t been able to make much of an impact in the UFC. But he’s still only 33 years old, and there’s a lot of fight left in him.

Recent fight performances and what’s next for Luque in UFC

In his last four fights since returning from injury in 2023, Vicente Luque has registered two wins and two losses. One of those wins was a submission finish, but both of those losses came via finishes – one submission and one knockout. So yeah, the Brazilian veteran is in a precarious position and has yet to break into the top 15 in the welterweight division.

As we’ve mentioned already, Vicente Luque will take on Joel Alvarez, who, despite a 7-2 record in the UFC, is still unranked. So, what does this fight mean for ‘The Silent Assassin’? Well, it’s about getting back in the winning column and taking the first step towards realizing his championship dream, because, let’s face it, he’s not getting any younger. Can he defy the odds this weekend?