The UFC is reported to be working on a Middleweight match-up between top contenders Luke Rockhold and Lyoto Machida. The exact date is unclear, however the company is reported to be targeting a 2014 delivery date for Rockhold-Machida. What you have is a match that could very well determine the No. 1 contender for the middleweight title.
Machida will be trying to bounce back, as we last saw him getting beat up by Chris Weidman in his first attempt at getting the title. Machida is going to remain near the top of the weight class if he wins, but he will probably have to keep fighting to get another shot at Weidman. For Machida, who considers himself an elite fighter t as a former UFC Light Heavyweight champion, stopping his losing streak at one is important to build upon his legacy.
Rockhold is on a two fight winning streak, with two first round finishes over Tim Boetsch and Costas Philippou, but he has failed to gain much momentum after taking a KO loss to Vitor Belfort. Should this match with Machida fall through, it will be almost four months since he last fought, so to not have a match on the schedule is a momentum breaker.
Rockhold too, considers himself an elite fighter, but he still needs the chance to prove it in the UFC’s cage. Machida represents that chance for Rockhold, as the win would leave him clearly awaiting the next shot at the title. The good thing for Rockhold is that he works as the next title contender with Weidman, who will need opponents who are not Brazilian eventually, or with Belfort, who he would have the added motivation of seeking to avenge his UFC loss.
Rockhold has been in the media talking about how he is eager for a big fight and how he believes he is a UFC Champion. With his wins in STRIKEFORCE over the likes of Tim Kennedy and Ronaldo Souza, he has faced tougher competition than he has met in the UFC so far and won. He believes he is ready for the next level, and he can prove that by taking Machida out definitively. Look for the bettors to believe so as well, as he is likely to be favored over the weary-seeming Machida.
