Like crabs in a bucket, the elite of the UFC’s middleweight division seem content to just pull each other down.
When Luke Rockhold scored a submission win over Lyoto Machida in April, middleweight champion Chris Weidman wasn’t too impressed.
When Weidman scored a TKO over Vitor Belfort Saturday at UFC 187, Rockhold wasn’t moved.
“[Weidman] fought a deflated Belfort. Vitor had no heart,” Rockhold told Bleacher Report Wednesday. “Look at the difference in him when he showed up last week to what we’ve seen in the past. Chris is a tough guy, but that fight didn’t prove anything. Vitor had one burst, and then he was done. He quit.”
With even UFC president Dana White showing no real sign of who could be next for Weidman, it might be up to the contenders to sort out.
For weeks, Rockhold has campaigned to face Weidman in September ahead of what would be a rematch in Madison Square Garden at year’s end.
Calling himself ‘a tactician,’ Rockhold says Weidman ‘matches up perfectly’ for him.
“I’m better than him everywhere,” Rockhold said. “I see it as a fight that will be on the feet. He’s used to guys that don’t want to go to the ground with him, but I don’t mind the ground. I am going to control the fight and I’m going to get in his face. I’m not going anywhere.”
Keeping with the theme, Weidman doesn’t sound like he’s losing sleep over a fight with Rockhold.
“[Rockhold]’s well rounded, but he’s not great anywhere,” Weidman told Ariel Helwani Monday. “He’s not the best striker I’ve ever fought, he’s not the best jiu-jitsu guy I ever fought.”
5 MUST-READ STORIES
‘I would be going insane.’ UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier hopes Jon Jones was watching him at UFC 187. ‘Could you imagine him sitting there watching me of all people get the belt?’
‘They have no chance with me.’ UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman says Luke Rockhold is ‘not great anywhere’ and that Ronaldo Souza is ‘more dangerous.’
Chat Wrap. Luke Thomas recaps UFC 187 previews UFC Fight Night: Alves vs. Condit and more in this week’s live chat.
‘I will be back at full strength.’ Vitor Belfort won’t call it quits after UFC 187.
‘My 14-year-old son could’ve beaten him up.’ Michael Bisping says Chris Weidman made Vitor Belfort ‘look like the coward that he is.’
MEDIA STEW
Inside the Octagon with Ariel Helwani.
Highlights from Jason Jackson vs. Marcelo Alfaya on TUF 21.
Media call for UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Leites.
Phil Davis on Chael Sonnen’s podcast explaining why he didn’t resign with UFC. (Full episode here)
Profile on WSOF’s Smealinho Rama.
The Rock says Conor McGregor reminds him of himself from back in the WWE.
Long watches.
UFC Fight Night Condit vs. Alves Care/Don’t Care Preview
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Heavy Hands 53: Comebacks and Confidence at UFC 187
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TWEETS
Beef+++
@bethecorreia suicide is no joke or selling point. My father will be with me the day I hand you the comeuppance you deserve.
— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) May 28, 2015
Yikes.
Damn that was nasty RT @ShotScience: That looks like a @lukerockhold finishing move #UFC https://t.co/7mtF8ODkU2
— Luke Rockhold (@LukeRockhold) May 28, 2015
Sound good?
@vitorbelfort & I both have a following in Japan. As long as we have a clean fight, I’m in! Time is now! @danawhite pic.twitter.com/8DFjUJXLvM
— Gegard Mousasi (@mousasi_mma) May 27, 2015
Get well soon.
I was going to fight still. But matchmaker said no 🙁 I feel like Khabib lol https://t.co/EVpEjnyB0y
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMaster_UFC) May 28, 2015
Watch out.
BACK ON THE GIMMICK
— Chael Sonnen (@sonnench) May 28, 2015
Wrapped up.
To every single cast and crew on #DEADPOOL Thank You. Memories for a lifetime. angel dust pic.twitter.com/UcQqvXJtcL
— Gina Carano (@ginacarano) May 28, 2015
Interesting.
This is big. Fertitta Brothers Said to Weigh IPO for Station Casinos – Bloomberg Business http://t.co/kXgYKdYZYA #MMA #UFC #Vegas
— Jon Fitch (@jonfitchdotnet) May 28, 2015
It’s beautiful.
Fedor Emelianenko armbars Hong Man Choi oil painting in head office of M-1 Global, St. Petersburg. ???????, ??????????? …
Posted by M-1 Global on Tuesday, May 26, 2015
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (May 2015)
Viscardi Andrade vs. Andreas Stahl at The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 4 Finale
Gavin Sterritt vs. Brennan Ward at Bellator 140
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today’s Fanpost of the Day comes via MMAtylander.
Andrei Arlovski Must be Stopped. The Fate of the World Depends Upon It.
It is the year 2015 and Andrei Arlovski is aranked in the Top 5 of the UFC Heavyweight Division.
Huh?
Had I heard someone make this prediction in February of 2011, right after “The Pitbull” had been KO’d for the 3rd time in 4 trips into combat, I would have considered it to be either an attempt at comedy or the symptom of an individual’s tragic descent into insanity. Even believing it to be feasible at that time would have meant abandoning all logic and common sense. It just wasn’t an occurrence that the Universe, a place governed by strict and measurable laws of physics and other galactic absolutes, seemed to have the ability to condone. Arlovski’s time was over, and it may as well have occurred in the Stone Age. The Universe had moved on and so had MMA fans.
…
Check out the rest of the post here.
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