Luke Rockhold showed one and all that he is no spent force in the UFC and insists that he is back in the hunt for the UFC middleweight title
Rockhold dispatched of the dangerous David Branch at UFC Pittsburgh last week, putting himself back in contention for a shot at the title he lost to incumbent 185-pound champion Michael Bisping.
To say the Californian has been a vocal critic of what he sees as the UFC’s advocacy in allowing Michael Bisping ‘hold the title hostage’ is an understatement. Put simply, Rockhold believes that both Bisping and returning legend and middleweight title challenger Georges St-Pierre do not deserve to be in the position they find themselves in (via MMAFighting):
“He doesn’t deserve it,” Rockhold said of Bisping. “GSP, he’s overstepping his boundaries. He’s jumping into a world that he’s not ready for. I mean, even if he were to win this fight, he’s unprepared to fight any of us. That’s not gonna happen. It just doesn’t make any sense. And it’s annoying. It’s what we all worked for, is to get to that title. To have that thing held hostage is frustrating. The direction this company is going, just feeding the people this bullshit. I fight to get the title, I fight to be the best. There’s two of them out there and I’m trying to hunt one down. So, obviously, Bisping is my first priority. If not, Whittaker is there.”
Despite criticizing Bisping and St-Pierre for what he perceives as being driven by big money fights over legacy, Rockhold wants his piece of the pie:
“I want money fights,” Rockhold said. “And of course that’s what I’m here for. I’m 33 next month. I’m not getting any younger. i want to set myself up. I’m not fighting for little change, I want the money.”
