L. Rockhold (photo) wants Bisping as his next opponent. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
The challenges of Luke Rockhold a Vitor belfort e Michael Bisping after his victory over Costa Philippou at UFC Fight Night 35 drew as much attention as the North American's ruthless knockout of the Cypriot. In the case of Belfort, the reaction was quite obvious, as the Brazilian beat the former Strikeforce champion in his Ultimate debut. As for the words directed at Bisping, the explanation came at the press conference.
“He (Bisping) went on TV and said he was the unofficial Strikeforce champion (after having beaten Rockhold in a supposed training session with the American). He says it was a joke, but I say he has bad taste,” Rockhold said. During the rest of the press conference, Luke was very interested in the fight and asked Dana White about the possibility of scheduling it soon. The director, however, recalled that the Briton is still suspended, recovering from an eye injury.
According to Rockhold, his interest is always fighting the best, a condition in which he sees Belfort and Bisping. “I always want to fight the best middleweights in the world, and Vitor and Bisping are among them. I know that Vitor has a fight scheduled against Chris Weidman, and Bisping is one of the few who are available to fight. That’s why I decided to challenge them on national television”, he concluded.
In the main fight of UFC Fight Night 35, Luke Rockhold beat Costa Philippou after delivering a powerful kick to the Cypriot's liver. With the result, the North American now has eleven wins and two defeats as a professional. In addition to rehabilitation after his UFC debut with a defeat to Belfort, the kick earned Rockhold the bonus for best knockout of the night, worth US$50 (approximately R$117).
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