Santiago Ponzinibbio wants his next fight to be against Vicente Luque after edging out Miguel Baeza in a sure-fire candidate for 'Fight of the Year'.

Ponzinibbio (29-4), of La Plata, Argentina, improved his UFC record to 10-3, by outpointing Baeza at the UFC Apex, with all three judges scoring the contest 29-28 in his favour. 

Luque, 29, who defeated Tyron Woodley in the co-main event of UFC 260 in March, has long been touted for a fight with 

Speaking after the fight, Ponzinibbio, 34, said he is hoping for a quick return to action and says "exciting" Luque would be the perfect match-up. 

"Maybe end of August or September, I will see [when to return]," Ponzinibbio said at the UFC post-fight press conference. "I would really like to get back into the rankings and give me a tough guy. 

"Maybe Vicente Luque, he’s doing very well.

"We can do an exciting fight. I respect him a lot and I think we can do a great fight."

But if a deal can't be struck, the Argentinian fighter already has a backup plan in mind - to fight the winner of the upcoming bout between former title challengers Stephen Thompson and Gilbert Burns.

'Wonderboy' twice came up short against former champ Woodley but has worked his way back into title contention - and could now be in line for a shot at pound-for-pound king Kamaru Usman. 

"Or the guy who might lose between Stephen Thompson and Gilbert Burns [at UFC 264]," he added. "For the guy that’s going to walk away, he’s going to go to the belt.

"The guy who’s going to lose, it’s a really good fight for me to show to the world I am back and I can be champion of the world and stay with the best fighters in the world.

"For sure I’m going to do an exciting fight again."

Read more: Chuck Liddell exclusive: Anderson Silva is 'the greatest UFC fighter of all time'