Ex-UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold wants to fight Fabricio Werdum

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold is willing to go up to heavyweight to fight fellow ex-UFC champion Fabricio Werdum.

With Fabricio Werdum’s scheduled UFC 211 fight vs. Ben Rothwell currently off the table due to a potential USADA violation for Rothwell, Werdum is in need of a new opponent. He expects to face one of Alistair Overeem or Cain Velasquez in the summer, but one man who is interested in fighting “Vai Cavalo” is … Luke Rockhold?

Why yes, it is former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold. According to MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani, Rockhold is angling to go up to heavyweight and settle their longstanding feud.

Rockhold is pushing hard for a fight with Werdum. He’s willing to move up to HW. Asked UFC for it this week after FW’s #TheMMAHour comments.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 22, 2017

UFC said Werdum has plans for this summer, but Rockhold isn’t letting this go. He really wants to settle their old Strikeforce beef ASAP.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 22, 2017

On Wednesday’s episode of UFC Tonight, Rockhold was a special guest co-host, and he elaborated why he wants to move up two weight classes for such a big challenge.

“Everyone’s steaming over this new fight I brought up. I think me and [Fabricio] Werdum got some old beef from Strikeforce. He’s a guy I’ve always wanted to fight,” Rockhold revealed (via Fox Sports). “I’ve thought it through and I like the style matchup.

“Given what’s going on in the middleweight division right now, screw that, I’m coming to heavyweight. Let’s do this.”

Rockhold (15-3) hasn’t fought since losing his middleweight belt to Michael Bisping at UFC 199 in June. He was scheduled to rematch Ronaldo Souza at UFC Melbourne last November, but had to withdraw due to injury. Werdum (21-6-1) did fight once after he lost his heavyweight title to Stipe Miocic, earning a unanimous decision win over Travis Browne at UFC 203. He recently called Rockhold a “b-tch guy” and said he loved when Bisping dropped him.

Other notable instances of back-and-forth jawing between Werdum and Rockhold include Fabricio calling Luke “Cockyhold” for losing to Bisping, while Rockhold said he wasn’t surprised that Werdum, whom he called a “joke,” lost his belt to Miocic. Early last year, Rockhold said he wanted Werdum, to which Fabricio responded by calling Luke a “wimp.”

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold is willing to go up to heavyweight to fight fellow ex-UFC champion Fabricio Werdum.

With Fabricio Werdum’s scheduled UFC 211 fight vs. Ben Rothwell currently off the table due to a potential USADA violation for Rothwell, Werdum is in need of a new opponent. He expects to face one of Alistair Overeem or Cain Velasquez in the summer, but one man who is interested in fighting “Vai Cavalo” is … Luke Rockhold?

Why yes, it is former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold. According to MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani, Rockhold is angling to go up to heavyweight and settle their longstanding feud.

On Wednesday’s episode of UFC Tonight, Rockhold was a special guest co-host, and he elaborated why he wants to move up two weight classes for such a big challenge.

“Everyone’s steaming over this new fight I brought up. I think me and [Fabricio] Werdum got some old beef from Strikeforce. He’s a guy I’ve always wanted to fight,” Rockhold revealed (via Fox Sports). “I’ve thought it through and I like the style matchup.

“Given what’s going on in the middleweight division right now, screw that, I’m coming to heavyweight. Let’s do this.”

Rockhold (15-3) hasn’t fought since losing his middleweight belt to Michael Bisping at UFC 199 in June. He was scheduled to rematch Ronaldo Souza at UFC Melbourne last November, but had to withdraw due to injury. Werdum (21-6-1) did fight once after he lost his heavyweight title to Stipe Miocic, earning a unanimous decision win over Travis Browne at UFC 203. He recently called Rockhold a “b-tch guy” and said he loved when Bisping dropped him.

Other notable instances of back-and-forth jawing between Werdum and Rockhold include Fabricio calling Luke “Cockyhold” for losing to Bisping, while Rockhold said he wasn’t surprised that Werdum, whom he called a “joke,” lost his belt to Miocic. Early last year, Rockhold said he wanted Werdum, to which Fabricio responded by calling Luke a “wimp.”