[autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] knows he’s in for a tough fight in his return but is confident that his well-rounded skills will help him prevail.
Returning from a lengthy layoff of more than two years, Rockhold (16-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) meets the streaking [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (24-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) at UFC 268 on Nov. 6.
Though Strickland has shined in his current five-fight winning streak, Rockhold sees certain holes in his opponent’s game that he’s looking to take advantage of in the contest.
“As stupid as he looks and as stupid as he sounds, he’s effective,” Rockhold told MMA Junkie Radio. “Probably because he’s so stupid. He just comes forward, he’s got confidence in himself, and he doesn’t question it, and that’s dangerous, for sure. I think he’s somewhat one-dimensional, and being able to expose that is key. He’s just tough – tough and confident. That’s a big problem for a lot of people, so you’ve got to take that confidence from him.
“You’ve got to put him in positions he’s not comfortable with and finish it. I think he’s average everywhere. He’s hasn’t got a great ground game. He doesn’t have great wrestling. Decent boxing. He doesn’t kick much, but he’s tough. He’s tough, and he’s not going to take no for an answer kind of thing. He doesn’t have quit in him. You’ve got to make him quit.”
Unbeaten in his career at 185 pounds, Strickland is on his most impressive run to date. The 30-year-old is coming off a shutout of “The Ultimate Fighter 17” finalist Uriah Hall in July and has already logged in over an hour of octagon time since Rockhold last fought.
But now that Rockhold has recovered from a slew of injuries, he says he is rejuvenated to return and re-stake his claim at the top of the middleweight division.
“Recently I’ve gotten healthier, and I’ve got that urge to come back and to fight,” Rockhold said. “Being away from it for so long, it kind of builds it back up. Anyone can burn out in any sport, especially even more so in fighting, so time was well-deserved, well-needed, and it fired me back up to get back in there, and I still believe I’m the best. When I’m dedicating myself and put the time in and fight freely, I don’t think anyone can compete with me.”
To see the full interview with Rockhold, check out the video below.
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