Nu har den föredetta mästaren Luke Rockhold planerat att återvända till oktagonen nästa år i mars. Rockhold gick senast match på UFC 199 i juni i år, där han skulle försvara mellanvikts bältet mot Michael Bisping. Han förlorade dock den matchen på KO och blev av med sitt bälte vilket resulterade i att Bisping blev den nya mästaren i mellanvikt. Så här säger Rockhold till Submission Radio angående sin återkomst till fightingen:
A small bundle pulled off the ACL at the attachment point. I’m trying to go through the natural process of healing which they say there’s a high potential of it reconnecting itself… I’m trying to do everything I can to avoid surgery. That’s key for me because any time you go into ACL – orthoscopic or reconstruction it’s a good 12 months out, pretty much. I’ve been told potentially in a couple of months it could reattach itself and then I can start kicking again
Tidigare var det sagt att Rockhold skulle möta Ronaldo Souza på ”UFC: Fight Night 101” som kommer vara den 27 November. Första november kom en rapport att Rockhold drog på sig en skada, vilket resulterade i att han var tvungen att dra sig ur den matchen. Detta berättar Rockhold om sin skada:
it’s weird because it feels good in so many ways but the moment I kick it feels like my knee is gonna fall apart – if I’m kicking at full power. So I’m just trying to lay off that – not trying to aggravate it – and heal up.
I tried to working around it and if the kick didn’t land flush it really felt like my knee was gonna fall apart. I know I need to show up. This is not the time to go out there and have a half-ass performance. Jacare’s no slouch so I knew I needed my left kick the last time around for Jacare, and I knew I needed it this time. It’s my biggest weapon and not being able to kick is something I dealt with last time. I tried to avoid kicking and certain things you can’t work around leading into a fight.
Given the time table of what’s going on with my potential recovery and Bisping and Yoel Romero probably not fighting until February/March, I think that’s a good time frame. If I can get in that frame around March, that would be perfect for me.
If I have a guaranteed title shot to fight Mousasi then I’d love to but I’m not looking to fight the next guy – fight Mousasi and then have Jacare try to jump me for that shot… I have a lot of respect for Mousasi but I want to get right back at it. I want my title shot…Jacare’s the most clear cut way back to the title. I’m not looking to fight another guy and have there be a question mark about who gets the next shot. I’m gonna go straight down the throat. I’m gonna get Jacare, finish my business with Jacare, and make no ifs, ands, or buts who’s the next in line to get that shot, whether it’s Bisping or Yoel
I think it’s a rare, rare opportunity for Bisping to pull it off. Not as rare as beating me, but I think Yoel pretty much goes in there and – it might take a little while – but he’ll get to Bisping.
Gegard Mousasi kommer senast från en vinst via TKO mot Uriah Hall på galan ”UFC: Fight Night Belfast” som var förra veckan i helgen. Souza blev bortagen från kortet direkt som det rapporterades att Rockhold var skadad inför deras match. Det återstår att se vem den nästa motståndaren blir.
