Rockhold: Jacare is a great fighter, but …

Both Luke Rockhold and Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza were victorious at UFC on FOX 15. Although UFC president Dana White has said that either fighter could get a shot at the winner of middleweight champion Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort at UFC 187 on May 23, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada, the prospect of Rockhold vs. Weidman has captured the hardcore fanbase.

In an appearance on MMAjunkie Radio, Rockhold made the case.

I have a lot of confidence in myself getting that title shot,” he said, as transcribed by Steven Marrocco for MMAjunkie.

I don’t see what ‘Jacare’ brings to the table that I don’t bring. If you want to sell pay-per-views, if you want marketability, if you want a real contender. … ‘Jacare’ is a great fighter – I’m not going to lie, he’s good. But his biggest win is against Mousasi. I just stomped the guy who stomped Mousasi, and I beat ‘Jacare.’ His two other wins are Chris Camozzi; he wasn’t even in the UFC (before the second fight), and a lot of guys that aren’t around. Okami, Carmont. … I don’t know what I need to do.

Rockhold even plans to stay in shape for the next two weeks, in case either Weidman or Belfort is injured.

Ideally, I’d like a full training camp, he said. I’ve come a long way, and I’d like to give it nothing but my best if I’m going to be in for a title fight. But at the same time, if an opportunity that big arises, it’s going to be hard to pass up. So I’m definitely going to stay in shape, I guess. I’ll give it a couple of weeks.

If it gets too close to the fight, I can’t push myself that far, really. If one of them is dropping out two weeks prior, that’s just stupid; I’m not going to do that. I’ll stay ready for the next couple of weeks. I’m not going to get too far out of shape, and I’ll feel that out. It’s a tough situation, but I want to fight the winner of that fight.

If he doesn’t step in over the next two weeks, Rockhold hopes to fight Weidman, rather than Belfort.

I think Chris is a better fighter; I want to fight the best fighter in the world, and I think Chris is going to go out there and beat him,” he said. “Sure, it would be sweet – I would love to fight Vitor for the title and take the title for him, but if he were to get it – I don’t wish him to do that, I don’t like Vitor, I don’t respect him, I don’t think he deserves it – sure, I’d love to beat his ass.

The only way Vitor wins is if he catches (Weidman) really early. It’s not like it’s going to be a close fight if it’s drawn out; if it goes anywhere past the third round, I’d be very surprised. I think Chris should dominate him, slow him down, and finish him in the later rounds.