Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold retired at UFC 279 following a bloody decision loss to Paulo Costa. Rockhold seemed intent on retirement, declaring into the microphone that he’s just “too f***ing old” to stay in the fight game. Rockhold, however, indicated to Submission Radio that he could be tempted out of retirement by the right opponent.
Specifically, if Alex Pereira dethrones Israel Adesanya at UFC 281, Rockhold wants to come back and claim the “free belt” from “Poatan”.
Rockhold: Alex Pereira As MW Champ Could Lure Him Out of Retirement for “Free Belt”
“If I get inspired, if someone inspires me to get back in it, you never know. That Brazilian dude winning the title. Alex Pereira. He’s gonna have every wrestler in the fucken game just chomping at the bit to get that guy. Let’s go. Let’s get the free belt.”
Alex Pereira’s trajectory in the UFC has been fuelled largely by his old rivalry with the middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya. Adesanya has never lost an MMA fight at middleweight, but back when he was still kickboxing for the GLORY promotion, Alex Pereira defeated him twice. The second time was a vicious knockout, marking Adesanya’s final appearance as a pro kickboxer.
Pereira, since his arrival in the UFC, has continued to impose his will on opponents, most recently demolishing Sean Strickland in a single round. Pereira’s knockout power has not faded as he transitioned into MMA, but many grapplers claim that there’s a huge hole in his game. Pereira has yet to showcase any sort of takedown defense or grappling ability, which is why Luke Rockhold feels that “Poatan” represents such an easy fight. Sean Strickland thought so, too, until he woke up on the canvas at UFC 276.
Of course, in order for Luke Rockhold to challenge Pereira for the title, Alex Pereira needs to defeat Israel Adesanya. Luke Rockhold, too, would need to return from retirement, and probably string together a win or two before he could be considered for title contention. Rockhold knows that means he’ll need to face one of the most beloved, and dangerous, men in the division: fellow former champion Robert Whittaker.
“The only thing is you gotta fight Robert Whittaker or some s**t in between, it f*****g hurt. To win or lose to Robert Whittaker, that sh*t hurts. It’s gonna hurt, we’re gonna fight.”
Do you think Alex Pereira is as easy a fight as Luke Rockhold does? Let us know in the comments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHUe0Cwm8iA
