Luke Rockhold will be making his UFC light heavyweight debut when he takes on Jan Blachowicz at UFC 239 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. But there is another European Luke Rockhold was nearly booked to debut against, one whom was the UFC’s preference and is also highly ranked, that being former multiple-time title challenger Alexander Gustafsson:
“They did throw out the Gus fight,” Rockhold said recently on The Ariel Helwani MMA Show. “I told them, I’d do anything here in town, in this side of the States. I’m not going overseas, man. I’ve done that too much. I’ve been booked three times in Australia, Brazil. This is my first fight at 205; I’m fighting here. Obviously, I like the Gus fight a lot, but he can’t come here. He’s got to headline out there. So, unfortunately, that didn’t work.”
This is not the first time Luke Rockhold has almost fought Alexander Gustafsson. Rockhold and Gustafsson were targeted to fight at UFC 227 last year in Los Angeles, but Rockhold was not healthy enough to take the fight at that time. But Luke Rockhold did not enter the light heavyweight division to fight Jan Blachowicz or Alexander Gustafsson. He has his sights set on one man:
“I’m moving up to get after (Jon Jones),” Rockhold said earlier this year. “That’s what I’m here for. The last couple years, I’ve been compromising myself so much to get down to ’85, and my body just falls apart in training camp the last few weeks. (Being at 205) just feels right. I feel healthy. I feel comfortable, and I’m excited to take down these light heavyweights. I just don’t see a lot there.”
In order to get to Jon Jones, Luke Rockhold must first pass his first test at 205 against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 239, a card that coincidentally, Jon Jones will be headlining when he defends his light heavyweight championship against Thiago Santos.
Whom do you think would win a fight between Luke Rockhold and Alexander Gustafsson?
