The setting was simultaneously simple and complex: Laredo, Texas MMA idol Sonny "Loco" Luque had lost his last two bouts and, turning 33 years old in a couple of months, was not sure if fighting was still for him. After agreeing to face Mexican striking powerhouse Ricardo "El Loco" Arreola, Luque felt that it was time to prove to himself that there was still plenty of scrapping left in the tank. "I made no secret about it; I was thinking about retiring," Luque said. "This was a grueling camp for me but, for the first time in a while, I had no doubts." Luque's resurgence culminated this past Saturday night in Monterrey, Mexico after he defeated the heavily favored, local product Arreola.
Fighters find ways to motivate themselves, often digging deep into their pains and sorrows to demonize the past in order to justify the present. For "Loco", the motivating factors for this particular camp boiled down to two things, Luque explained: "I've known [Ricardo Arreola] for a while and he never asked to fight me. I drop my last two fights then all of a sudden, he calls me out?" Luque added, "I felt disrespected and motivated to prove he made a mistake. I also felt this was the camp of my life since I'm going to train at the All Star Training Center in Stockholm, Sweden [in July], so I really wanted to make a statement."
The statement was made loud-and-clear as "Loco" battered Arreola around the Combate Extremo promotional cage for three rounds. Luque's superior strength and striking skills were on full display and Arreola's face and body were the evidence: by the third round, Arreola was a bloody mess, showing signs of Luque's precision attack. "Loco" closed the show by achieving a full mount and grounding-and-pounding without mercy until the final bell. "I felt so strong and knew that there was no way I was going to lose that fight," Luque recalled. "I was fighting for the pride and honor of my hometown and my career, so I had to destroy Ricardo."
Once the carnage was done, Luque earned a unanimous decision victory. It was the vindication he knew was not given to him, but one that he had earned. "I believed in myself [again], and that made the difference." Loco added, "I believe in myself and I'm going to prove to Andreas Michael (head trainer at All Star Training Center) that I am an elite fighter and I do belong at the upper level."
Luque dedicated the victory to "my sponsors, team members, family, friends, supporters, the City of Laredo, and lovely fiancée." He declared, "I have everything I need to succeed and all of those who have always believed in me, I will prove you right."
Sergio L. Martinez
www.convictedartist.com
photo by Rockberto Moreno
