When Luke Rockhold defeated Keith Jardine in the main event of Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine on December 17, he made it clear that he was a cut above Jardine.
In less than five minutes, Rockhold put away the veteran who had been unbeaten in his last three fights, and a man who held victories over notable fighters such as Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin and Brandon Vera.
Then in his post-fight interview, Rockhold did what many Strikeforce fighters have done. He called for a fight with a UFC contender, saying that was where all the top talent was, and that was who he wanted to face.
However, in the process, he ostracized the one true contender he has left in the Strikeforce middleweight division, and that is Tim Kennedy.
Originally, Rockhold was due to fight Kennedy for the title, but an injury forced Kennedy out of the fight, and Jardine stepped in.
Kennedy is 5-1 in Strikeforce, and his only loss came against Ronaldo Souza, a man whom Rockhold has already defeated.
In Strikeforce, Kennedy is the only challenge left for Rockhold, but he was completely ignored in the post-fight interview.
Kennedy should be mad at Rockhold for not giving him the respect that he deserves.
If Rockhold doesn’t take Kennedy seriously, then we could see Tim holding the belt sooner rather than later.
Tim McTiernan is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. For the latest news on everything MMA, follow me on twitter @TimMcTiernan.
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