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- What: UFC Atlantic City Co-Main Event
- Who: Vicente Luque vs. Joaquin Buckley
- Date: Saturday, March 30, 2024
- Location: Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Time: Prelims (7:00 p.m. ET) Main Card (10:00 p.m. ET)
- How to Watch: Prelims (ESPN2), Main Card (ESPN)
Two of the top UFC women’s flyweights meet in the main event of the UFC Atlantic City card at Boardwalk Hall. Headlining the ESPN fight card is a matchup between Erin Blanchfield and Manon Fiorot. Blanchfield is the No. 2 fighter in the official UFC women’s 125-pound rankings, while Fiorot checks in at No. 3 in those rankings. Before that fight takes place, Vicente Luque and Joaquin Buckley face off in the welterweight co-main event. Here is some background on the fighters before we look at the betting breakdown for UFC Atlantic City.
Vicente Luque (22-9-1) is the No. 11 fighter in the official UFC welterweight rankings. The 32-year-old, who competes out of New Jersey, ended the first two-fight losing skid of his 15-year-long MMA career in August 2023 with a unanimous decision win over former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. Before that victory, Luque had dropped a decision to Belal Muhammad and was knocked out by Geoff Neal.
Joaquin Buckley (17-6) is unranked in the UFC’s 170-pound weight class. The 29-year-old from St. Louis is riding a two-fight winning streak since dropping from middleweight to welterweight in 2023. Buckley is coming off an October decision victory over Alex Morono.
Before we look at the best bets for the Luque vs. Buckley matchup on the UFC Atlantic City card, check out the best UFC betting sites and where you can find the best odds on all the UFC fights.
UFC Atlantic City co-main event: Vicente Luque vs. Joaquin Buckley betting picks
| Fighters |  |  |  |  |
| Vicente Luque | -145 | -150 | -145 | -145 |
| Joaquin Buckley | +125 | +119 | +115 | +115 |
Vicente Luque betting breakdown
Vicente Luque is a dangerous opponent for any UFC welterweight. He is second all-time in the division with 13 finishes, second all-time in knockouts with eight, third all-time in post-fight bonuses with eight, fourth all-time in wins with 15, and fourth all-time in submissions with five. In short, don’t let his losses give you the idea that he is an easy fight for Buckley. Luque is a heavy-handed striker with good technical skills who puts a high output on his opponents. However, something he showed in his loss to Geoff Neal is that he can be hit, and his defense can sometimes be suspect. As good as Luque is on his feet, he is also more than able to handle himself on the mat if the fight should go there.
A member of the UFC roster since 2015, Luque was on a 10-1 run, with his loss coming to Stephen Thompson, before dropping fights to Belal Muhammad and Neal in 2022.
Luque is an active striker; he lands 5.17 significant strikes per minute and has a 52 percent striking accuracy rate. However, his defense is a little shaky, as he gets hit with 5.15 significant strikes per minute on a defense rate of 52 percent. Luque lands 1.04 takedowns per 15 minutes, and he succeeds on 60 percent of his takedowns. His takedown defense is 62 percent, and he averages 0.7 submissions per 15 minutes.
Joaquin Buckley betting breakdown
Joaquin Buckley was a middleweight when he debuted with the UFC in 2020. He went 5-4 at 185 pounds under the UFC banner, but following losses to Nassourdine Imavov and Chris Curtis, he dropped to 170 pounds in 2023. He is 2-0 at that weight.
Buckley is a powerful striker, and that power has translated with his move to welterweight. Another thing that has improved with the move down a weight class is Buckley’s cardio, something he showed when he overwhelmed Alex Morono in October. After that fight, UFC commentator Daniel Cormier said Buckley never looked better in the UFC’s Octagon. This fight will show if Buckley will be a legit contender at welterweight.
Buckley’s approach to the fight game has changed over time. He’s no longer chasing knockouts with big strikes but has been more patient as he progresses in his career. That has helped his defense somewhat, but he can still be hit, and there have been times when he looks to get even with his opponent when he gets tagged.
Buckley lands 3.87 significant strikes per minute and has an accuracy rate of 33 percent. He gets hit 3.31 times per minute coming back and has a striking defense of 57 percent. Buckley, who is not known for his ground game, lands 1.51 takedowns per 15 minutes and has a success rate of 36 percent. His takedown defense comes in at 65 percent, and he averages 0.0 submissions per 15 minutes.
Best Bets: UFC Atlantic City co-main event – Vicente Luque vs. Joaquin Buckley
This is an excellent fight for Joaquin Buckley to prove he can hang with a ranked fighter in the UFC’s welterweight division. However, I don’t see the betting underdog in this contest getting the win outside of a surprise knockout. Vicente Luque gets hit a lot, and Buckley has power, so there is some betting value in placing a wager for Buckley to win via KO. With that being said, the betting favorite in this matchup, Luque, is the more well-rounded fighter and more experienced against high-level competition. The betting pick for the UFC Atlantic City co-main event is Vicente Luque to beat Joaquin Buckley by decision.
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