Vicente Luque Always Wanted To Fight Nick Diaz, Modeled Style After MMA Legend

Vicente Luque knows his summer fight with Nick Diaz will be a war -- and he says he's ready to flatline the Stockton-born MMA star -- but he's also savoring the moment ... as the 32-year-old welterweight says the 40-year-old actually inspired his fighting style!

Luque and Diaz are set to square off in the Octagon on August 3 in Abu Dhabi at UFC on ABC 7 -- Nick's first fight since he lost to Robbie Lawler in 2021 -- and Vicente says this will certainly be a career highlight.

"It's definitely a bucket list," Luque told TMZ Sports.

He continued ... "I've always kind of, his fight style always inspired me, you know, walking forward, putting on the pressure, trying to break his opponent, you know, looking not only to finish, but really to dominate, like to break. It's the mentality, who wants it more? And that's something I always try to bring to my fights and to my style."

Vicente says he always wanted to fight Nick -- and while he says he almost came close to sharing the cage with his brother, Nate -- Luque assumed the scrap with Nick would never come to fruition. After all, prior to Lawler, Diaz hadn't fought since facing Anderson Silva in early 2015.

But, as the saying goes, good things come to those who wait.

"This was a guy that I always wanted to fight. And later on, it felt like it's not going to happen. And now it actually is going to happen. So it's awesome!"

Now, once the guys step in the Octagon, all the 'I watched you growing up' stuff goes out the window. We asked Vicente how he expected the fight to look.

"Man, it's got to be a war with him, you know, and that's what I see. He's tough. He always has cardio. It's his background, you know with all the triathlon and all that. I know that he has cardio. I know he has a tough chin. I know he has the will to fight."