Luke Rockhold wants to make his Octagon return in June.
Topping the list of potential opponents is former title challenger Paulo Costa, assuming the No. 5-ranked “Eraser” can still make the 185-pound limit. That might require the brooding Brazilian to lay off the wine and cheese during his upcoming fight camp.
“It’s an option, it’s a very viable option. So, as long as terms are met, you know, we could have a dance,” Rockhold told Submission Radio. “I’m not here to fight fuckin’ cheaters. So, if the weight is met, unless too much wine is consumed, you never know. Weight has to be met. There’s too many fuckin’ weak-ass people trying to get advantages upon the game. And I’ve lost, I’ve killed myself to make weight and do things right. And can’t say the same for the rest of them. I ain’t going to do that again. I ain’t going to do that again and fight a guy that misses weight purposely to gain an advantage. Fuck no.”
Despite his title of “weight-cutting master,” the 30 year-old Costa (13-2) came in heavy for his Marvin Vettori loss back in October. It was the second straight defeat for “The Eraser,” who was previously whooped by Israel Adesanya at UFC 253 after a night of hard drinking.
“It’s a guy that I don’t like, and I think disrespects the sport and motivates me to fuckin’ correct it,” Rockhold continued. “It’s a guy that’s obviously top-ranked somehow, some way, when he can’t even make weight. So, typically if anything he should be ranked in the 205-pound division, right? I just don’t care for the guy. I tell you that, I don’t care for the guy. And I think it’s a fun fight. I think I can go show him the door. I think you have a guy that fuckin’ wants to make excuses on wine and weight, and his liver is obviously affected, so let’s go fuckin’, let’s go munch on it. He’s like a duck. He can fuckin’ swim, he can fly, but he can’t do anything great.”
Rockhold (16-5), who was previously attached to a Sean Strickland fight, has not competed since his Jan Blachowicz knockout loss back in late 2019. The former champ is just 1-3 since capturing the middleweight title from Chris Weidman more than six years back.
Costa has yet to respond to Rockhold’s callout.