Luque eyes Masvidal, Covington after proving he's 'no joke' at UFC 260

Vicente Luque wants another big name after finishing former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.

The No. 6-ranked contender called out Nate Diaz after his first-round submission win over Woodley in the UFC 260 co-main event on March 27, but Diaz recently agreed to a matchup with Leon Edwards. Now, Luque has his sights set on Jorge Masvidal - if Masvidal loses to champion Kamaru Usman later in April - and Colby Covington.

"Masvidal is a guy that I wanted to fight," Luque told theScore. "If he does not become the champion, I think it's a fight that can happen. I think it's something that makes sense. Also, we have Colby. He's playing hard to get, but I would love to fight him as well. I think he's a guy that is going to be a real test for me, and I would love to have that fight."

With several pivotal welterweight bouts booked for the coming months, Luque plans to wait and see how the various matchups unfold before agreeing to his next fight.

"I'm planning maybe August, that would be a great moment to have a fight," Luque said. "Until then, a lot of things are going to play out. ... We're going to get some (clarity) in the division. I think right now, I have to keep on working on myself, on evolving my own game and getting better."

Luque's submission of Woodley marked the biggest win of his career, as well as the first time he co-headlined a pay-per-view card. The 29-year-old Brazilian has earned several impressive finishes throughout his UFC career, but he thinks his most recent put the rest of the division on notice.

"I think it just cements what I'm going for - the top of the division," Luque said. "It shows everybody that I really deserve to compete against the top five. Every single fight, I'm evolving. Every single fight, I'm looking to become a better fighter. My end goal is to be the champion, and I think I'm working my way up. This is a big step. Beating a former champion is a big step and shows everybody in the division that I'm no joke."

A major talking point after UFC 260 was whether Woodley, one of the greatest welterweights of all time, should consider retiring from the sport. The 38-year-old has lost four straight, and the three defeats he suffered before running into Luque were all lopsided.

Luque believes Woodley has more to give but said the former champ must still have the desire to compete.

"As a guy that fought him, I definitely saw that he still has a lot that he can throw in the Octagon," Luque said. "It's just the competition he's faced - it's the highest. He fought me, and I'm a tough guy, and he fought the three best in the world before me. It's tough to keep competing at this level sometimes.

"Maybe to get your confidence back, you have to fight somebody that is ranked a little bit lower or maybe even out of the rankings. I think he would do great against guys that aren't ranked yet or some guys that are ranked lower because he still has that fire, he still has his power, he still has some tricky moves. I think it's up to him. If he still has the will to compete, I think he can still get in there and give people trouble. But he has to have that fire."