After his big win over Chris Weidman at UFC 194, newly crowned middleweight champion Luke Rockhold eyes a return to action in mid-2016, just around the time the biggest UFC event of the year is taking place.
“I would say (I want to fight in) May, June or July, but UFC 200 would be cool,” Rockhold said in an interview with MMA Junkie. “I don’t want to be on UFC 199, I’ll tell you that. The hype for 200 will be so big it will take away from 199. Who wants to be on 199? I want to be on 198 or 200. That would be cool, even if I’m not main eventing.”
Rockhold continued to explain that he would be content to co-main event the show against anybody in the 185-pound division, be it Weidman in an immediate rematch or number-two ranked Yoel Romero.
“It depends on what works out. Whatever,” Rockhold said. “If Weidman’s ready to go, we can do that. If Yoel is the fight they want, I’ll pretty much have to be a co-main event to somebody. It better be Ronda Rousey or Conor McGregor (in the headliner).”
UFC 200 is expected to take place July 9 at the newly built Las Vegas Arena in Las Vegas, NV. A rematch between Holly Holm and Ronda Rousey, a title fight of some sort involving Conor McGregor, or both, could likely be the main event of the evening. UFC 198 is targeted to be the first-ever UFC event to be held in New York City’s Madison Square Garden, on April 23.