Nothing’s ever simple.
On Saturday at UFC 194, Luke Rockhold beat Chris Weidman into a bloody mess and took his Middleweight championship in the fourth round of their title fight.
Moments before, Yoel Romero beat Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza in what was described as a number one contender bout.
The next step is a simple one, right? Wrong.
For despite the appearance of cut and dry, Rockhold’s next match-up is in the air. Here, we take a look at his next potential options.
Rematch?
Chris Weidman was undefeated going into Saturday night. Coming off wins over Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort, he’d marked himself as a dominant champion over the Middleweight division. Despite this, the ‘All-American’ hasn’t really been regarded as perhaps a big name as he should be.
It’s no doubt because of this, that fans aren’t exactly clamouring for a rematch. It’s almost as if it’s unanimously agreed that it isn’t an option. However, if we examine the fight, it wasn’t a runaway affair for Rockhold. The fight was more than likely a tie going into the third round, and until the ill-fated spinning kick that Weidman decided to throw, seemed like it was starting to head the New Yorkers way.
A rematch is still an interesting option, and with the right promotion, could be built up as a really big fight.
A war with the Soldier of God?
Romero vs. Souza was an opportunity for both men to lay claim to a title shot. In fact, the entire premise behind the fight was for them to do so.
Yet, as Romero’s hand was raised at the end of the fight, it felt like more questions had arisen than answers.
Firstly, it wasn’t without controversy. A split-decision that many had going the opposite way, the fight could easily have had been labeled a draw. Romero’s opening round was impressive, knocking Souza down with a spinning back fist and looking generally like the freak athlete he is, but after that he began to look sluggish.
Romero’s cardio has always been an x factor. Those muscles don’t come without a tax after all. Against Jacare, it seemed like the Cuban was fading rapidly towards the end, and when put against the gruelling pace of the main event, it doesn’t inspire much confidence for his odds in a five round title fight.
Rockhold appears to agree.
“Yoel had a so-so performance,” Rockhold said post-fight. “It was a little iffy. I respect the guy. He’s very tough. But is that credible? I don’t know.”
A grudge to settle?
Luke Rockhold doesn’t like Vitor Belfort.
When Rockhold came from Strikeforce and entered into the UFC, he came in as the Strikeforce Middleweight champion. He also came in and faced Vitor Belfort when the Brazilian was in the middle of his now infamous Testosterone Replacement Therapy assisted streak of victories.
When they clashed in Rockhold’s 2013 UFC debut, Belfort knocked-out the newcomer with a vicious kick to the head. Since then, TRT has been banned, and Belfort has diminished in both size and ability. Yet it appears the new Middleweight champion isn’t quite ready to forgive and forget.
When asked who he’d like to fight next, Luke’s answer was simple.
“What I would like, why not? Vitor Belfort on a silver platter,” Rockhold said post-fight on Saturday. “C’mon Dana.
“I just want to rub it in. The man deserves a little bit more. I gotta bring him down even further.”
Rumour has it that a certain Mr. Belfort agrees.
On the Joe Rogan Experience podcast Monday, UFC commentator Joe Rogan discussed a conversation with Dana White.
“[A fight with Anderson Silva’s] not going to happen,” Rogan said in conversation with Brendan Schaub. “Vitor won’t fight him. I talked to Lorenzo Fertitta. Vitor doesn’t want to fight him, he wants a shot at the title.”
Indeed, Belfort didn’t take long to publicly respond to Rockhold’s comments. In an Instagram post, Belfort wrote: “My head is very well placed in my body and will remain so; different from yours that apparently still spinning since 2013,” as a caption attached to a picture of Rockhold being knocked unconscious.
Belfort himself is coming off a victory over ageing Dan Henderson, and one would likely say it wasn’t a title shot worthy performance.
Not that it always matters in the UFC. Money talks, and grudge fights tend to do well with bringing in cash. Stranger things have happened.
As for Rockhold, it doesn’t matter who it is, he just wants to make an impact.
“I’m in for a big fight; I want a big fight,” Rockhold said. “The middleweight division is in a great place now. We’ll see what happens, and we’ll see what the boss wants. I want a big, big fight. I’ll leave it at that.”
