Former UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold would like to fight former UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum.
Rockhold would like to settle an old beef with the heavyweight fighter and he’s willing to change weight classes in order to make the fight happen.
“Everyone’s steaming over this new fight I brought up: I think me and Werdum have got some old beef from Strikeforce,” Rockhold said on UFC Tonight. “He’s a guy I’ve always wanted to fight. I’ve thought it, through, and I like the style matchup. Given what’s going on in the middleweight division right now – screw that. I’m coming to heavyweight. Let’s do this.”
The former UFC champion appeared on MMA Junkie Radio to go into further detail about his issues with the Brazilian.
“Fabricio didn’t really have respect for people at the time (of Strikeforce). I’m not going to get into it, throw him under the bus too bad, but he pretty much was being a piece of (expletive) that night, and I demanded some respect. I was a young Strikeforce challenger at the time. And he was like, ‘Who the (expletive) are you?’ And he treated me like a piece of (expletive). He was just being a dick, and I stood up for myself, and he tried to act like I was being the bad guy. Ever since, he just kind of said some (expletive), and I don’t really have respect for the guy. I respect him as a fighter, he’s tough, and he lays it out there. He’s earned respect in that manner, but outside of that – meh. I’d fight him in a heartbeat. I think I’d beat him too. Easy.”
Upon hearing the comments from Rockhold, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion issued quite the response.
"I only fight people, I don’t fight chickens,” Werdum told MMA Fighting. "He’s just promoting himself because he knows nobody is talking about him. I’m one step away from the belt. Why would I fight a chicken?"
Rockhold hasn’t competed since losing the middleweight gold to Michael Bisping at UFC 199, while Werdum hasn’t fought since a win over Travis Browne at UFC 203.
