Luke Rockhold (13-2) kommer ta sig an Lyoto Machida (22-5) på helgens UFC och det är en självsäker Rockhold som kommer äntra oktagonen på lördag.
Rockhold är säker på att han kommer att dominera Machida i deras match och vill sen ha en titelchans.
“The title shot is mine; I’m going to go take it,” berättade Rockhold för MMAjunkie. “That’s what happens. I think I’m going to go out there and dominate my fight.”
Rockhold är skeptisk till att matchen mellan Chris Weidman (12-0) och Vitor Belfort (24-10) kommer bli av.
“I could see Weidman winning the fight; I’m curious to see what Belfort comes out looking like, or if they even show up,” sa Rockhold. “It’s lost a little bit of its steam (because of the delays). I’m hopeful it happens, but I’m skeptical. Both of them making it healthy to a fight? That’s a hard thing to come by these days. I’m hoping it comes to fruition this time.”
Rockhold vet precis vad han ska göra för att vinna matchen mot Machida.
“I pose a lot of threats to him, and I can fight him in a lot of ways other people can’t,” sa Rockhold. “Machida doesn’t like angles, and he doesn’t like pressure. I can strike with him, I can outwrestle him, I can out-grapple him, and I think I can out-strike him.”
“Machida probably thinks he has the superior striking game, but he probably thought he was a better striker than ‘Shogun’ (Rua) and Weidman and Jon Jones. But they were able to out-strike him too. It’s just a matter of me making him think about every aspect of the game, every facet. I’m getting him everywhere, so it’s going to open up everything else. It’s just one thing to the next.”
Rockhold är självsäker på sitt fotarbete.
“I’m not one to overextend myself,” sa Rockhold. “I think my footwork – people are underestimating my footwork in this fight. I’m very proficient in how I corner and my how my opponents move. It’s about the subtleties. He tends to move out one direction. I can cut him off and corner him like not many other guys could.”
“I think that’s the key, is my footwork and my understanding of my range. He’s not going to be really prepared for it. I’m going to control the cage and keep the pressure on him. I have five rounds, so I don’t have to force the issue and get frustrated. I’m going to take my time.”
Rockhold tycker att mellanvikt är en bättre viktklass för Machida.
“I don’t think 205 was really a natural weight class for him; coming down to 185, he looks a lot more ripped, he looks faster, and he looks more at home here,” sa Rockhold. “He’s looked as good as he’s ever looked I think. He had some trouble with Weidman, but that’s Chris Weidman. No one has been able to beat that guy. He’s very dominant in what he does. Machida was able to come back and hurt Weidman and almost finished him. He put away (C.B.) Dollaway like nothing, and he’s beat the rest at 185 pretty easily.”
“I think he’s potentially as good as he’s ever been. I know there’s still a recipe out there to beating the guy, and I think I can put the pressure that Weidman put on him, and I don’t get tired. I don’t slow down. I think I can be faster, and I think I can be more precise.”
