Questions remained unanswered in the UFC’s middleweight division after UFC on Fox 15.
The event—which rolled out top-10 middleweights Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in the co-main event and Luke Rockhold and Lyoto Machida in the main event—figured to bring some clarity to the top of the 185-pound class.
Whoever showed up and scored the most impressive victory would likely receive a shot against the winner of May 23’s title fight between champ Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort.
After both Souza and Rockhold scored dominant submission victories, however, UFC President Dana White refused to commit to either man as the next title challenger in the post-fight press conference from Newark, New Jersey.
We’re in a position right now where we got two guys that looked unbelievable, who could fight for the title next. … It’s a good problem to have. Who knows how Luke’s going to feel after tonight. Who knows how Jacare’s going to feel after tonight. You feel good tonight, but when you go home, we’ll see how everything is, we’ll see how this thing plays out. We’ll see how Vitor vs. Weidman goes, and we’ll make a decision.
Rockhold, for his part, believes the shot belongs to him after his victory in the night’s main event against a former UFC champion in Machida.
“I said it before, I’ll say it again: This is my show,” Rockhold said. “No offense to Jacare, but I am the No. 1 contender. I’m the best guy around, and it’s my title shot. I’ve dominated everyone in my path. I’ve beaten Jacare and I deserve it.”
Jacare, though, isn’t convinced Rockhold deserves to leap over him so easily. He’s also not convinced Rockhold deserved the victory in their September 2011 bout under the Strikeforce banner, where Rockhold took home a unanimous decision.
“I believe 100 percent it’s my time,” Jacare said. “I’m the No. 1 contender. I fought Luke a long time ago. Everybody knows he [didn’t] beat me. The judges fight for him…I’m ready for the title. It’s my fifth fight in the UFC. Man, I can finish anybody in my division. It’s my time.”
While Souza and Rockhold can each stake a realistic claim for the title shot, Rockhold is more vocal in his quest for gold, even calling for a fight against Weidman in Madison Square Garden in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.
“Look: I did my part,” Rockhold said. “Weidman, you go do your part, we’ll take this across the way, Madison Square Garden. Let’s make history!”
Jacare, meanwhile, was not interviewed after his win against Camozzi inside the cage.
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report as the middleweight title picture continues to take place.
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