So much about Vicente Luque’s life and perspective changed in the days and months following his August 2022 clash with Geoff Neal, which left his future in the Octagon uncertain and also served as a catalyst for his deepened relationship with God.
Neal won the fight via knockout, the first man to stop the Brazilian via strikes, and Luque was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma — a bleed on the brain — that instantly put his career in jeopardy. Luque was medically suspended for a year and had to force himself to break away from his usual pattern of returning to the gym, training, and simply being active, replacing all those familiar elements with rest and a focus on recovery.