This very well could be one of the most underrated fights of all-time.
I recall just staring at the TV screen wondering how the hell both men were still fighting. Vicente Luque and Bryan Barberena were going strike-for-strike with one another for almost 15 straight minutes.
“Bam Bam” absorbed damage in the first round before knocking Luque down in the first. That’s when the toughness of Barberena shined, as Luque recovered quickly and nearly submitted him twice during the round’s closing moments.
But the first round wasn’t even what made this fight great. It was everything that happened next and the way it ended.
More Desert Island Fights: Part 1 | Part 2
I was counting Luque out as the fighters started back up in the second frame. Barberena was teeing off and beginning to make the fight an ugly one. A true brawl broke out – with Luque using his elbows and knees to break Barberena down while Barberena smothered him. The pace was insane.
Luque capped off a wild third round with a devastating knee up the middle that knocked Barberena out of the fight with just six seconds left. Then Luque hit his trademark bow celebration. I was off my feet, and I couldn’t believe Luque was actually able to finish Barberena.
This fight made me a big-time fan of both Luque and Barberena. It was a crazy awesome fight that often is forgotten about.