UFC Fight Night 35’s Luke Rockhold not ruling out future move to light heavyweight
One of the main improvements Luke Rockhold said he’s made in recent months is his ability to control his diet.
With the aid of a plan and a lot of willpower, the former Strikeforce champion said he’s lighter than in previous camps.
But Rockhold (10-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) also admits that the struggle to stay slim might one day give way to accepting a bout in the light heavyweight class, where his 6-foot-3 frame and 77-inch reach is well-suited.
“At 210 (pounds), I feel strong; I feel faster than most light heavyweights I spar with,†he said. “There’s definitely a possibility in the near future that I could be moving up and getting some fights there.â€
For now, he’s got his eyes fixed on his next bout, which comes at middleweight against Constantinos Philippou(12-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in a headliner at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 35. The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga., hosts the event, which airs live on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
Rockhold said leading into the bout, his weight is where it was in 2011 when he faced Ronaldo “Jacare†Souza.
“I think that’s a big issue,†he told MMAjunkie. “You’ve got to be consistent. People have off-days, so you want to be as consistent as possible and make that one night … one of those good nights.â€
His performance against Souza obviously was one of those good nights, as he outpointed the tough Brazilian to capture the middleweight title in the now-defunct promotion. His most recent performance, however, was quite the opposite.
A head-kick from Vitor Belfort ended Rockhold’s first push toward the UFC middleweight belt, and now he’s resetting for another climb when he meets Philippou, who was outpointed by Francis Camont in his previous performance.
On the scale at 185, Rockhold repeatedly has shown up looking absolutely miserable, and on at least one occasion, he’s needed more time to cut weight.
This time around, he doesn’t anticipate the same situation. But if the circumstances line up the right way, he won’t need to worry much about the number he hits.
“It wouldn’t be a permanent move at this point, no doubt,†he said of a bout at 205 pounds. “It would be an experiment, to get some interesting fights. But obviously, I have plenty ahead of me in the middle of the middleweight division.
“If there’s a lapse in time or I get the right opponent, I’ll move up.â€
