After spending his entire mixed martial arts (MMA) career at Middleweight, Luke Rockhold is ready for new scenery. Indeed, the former Strikeforce and Ultimate Fighting Championship is moving up to Light Heavyweight, as he will face Jan Blachowicz at the upcoming UFC 239 pay-per-view (PPV) event on July 6, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
With an impressive win, Rockhold says he could very well jump the line to a shot at Jon Jones and his 205-pound strap.
“I don’t think it takes much, it takes a good performance. It’s all about the performance and what you can do and how you do it, said Luke on a recent appearance on The MMA Hour. “Let’s just wait and see and check me out on July 6, I am going to go put this man away and then we can talk about what’s up.”
According to Rockhold, his all-around game is more than enough to give “Bones” fits, and regardless of where the fight goes, he has Jones beat in every area. Plus, his move up a weight class is solely to get his hands on Jon.
“The only reason I am here is to fight Jon. So of course that’s what I want. I want Jon first and foremost. I don’t believe there is a man in the world that can compete with me on the ground. I don’t believe Jon is that polished on the feet,” he said.
“I think he adjusts and he’s technical, but I think I have the skills to beat him there and I have the skills to beat him on the ground. And I think the wrestling is nullified and it doesn’t play much of a factor,” he concluded.
Blachowicz, however, is no pushover, as he was riding high on a four-fight win streak before getting dropped by Thiago Santos a few months back (see it again here). With wins over the likes of Jimi Manuwa and Jared Cannonier, Jan is more than capable of spoiling Luke’s debut at 205-pounds. Interestingly enough, Jones will be headlining UFC 239 against the aforementioned Santos.
What say you, Maniacs, can Rockhold do to Jones what his teammate and current Heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier, couldn’t?