Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold was scheduled to rematch former Strikeforce champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza this past November, but he was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury. The American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) product last competed at June 2016’s UFC 199, losing his title in shocking fashion to Michael Bisping.
Recently speaking on the state of the middleweight division, Rockhold said that he hasn’t seen much ‘movement’, also saying that he’d like to ‘finish business’ with Souza upon his return:
“I haven’t seen much movement in the division, honestly. I think Bisping is a coward and he’s running and trying to get irrelevant fights and I think Jacare is right where he was before I left,” Rockhold said on yesterday’s edition of The MMA Hour.
“Anderson came back, did his thing, I haven’t seen much else go down. I’m excited to get back. ‘Jacare’ says I’m running, he wants to stay relevant, he wants to stay in the fight game, not wait around. He’ll have to wait a while (for a title shot) given the current situation, so I’d love to go in there and fix that situation and finish my business with that man.”
Rockhold even has a time frame for a potential rematch with the Brazilian submission ace:
“If the time works for him, I think that July timeframe, International Fight Week (July), it plays nicely for me. I want ‘Jacare,’ I’m not looking to dance around. I’m going straight through the gut of the division back to my title.”
Souza fought last weekend at UFC 208 in Brooklyn, submitting Tim Boetsch in the first round of their main card bout. “Jacare” is currently ranked No. 2 in the 185-pound division, but Rockhold doesn’t seem to be impressed with his progress:
“I didn’t see anything from ‘Jacare.’ I think he’s slow, I think he’s stiff and I think he forces the fight as to where I flow with the fight,” said Luke. “I haven’t seen him grow since I fought him. I know that I had a little fall back, but I will bounce back and show people that it wasn’t what you will see in the future, I will reset and put that man away,” he concluded.
Rockhold did indeed edge out a decision victory over Souza when the two first met, but would you expect a different outcome in a rematch?
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