Luke Rockhold: Alex Pereira Would ‘Get Mauled by 20 Guys in the UFC’
Luke Rockhold is well aware of the narrative that seems to have propelled Alex Pereira into a middleweight title shot after just three Ultimate Fighting Championship appearances.
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“Yeah, it’s an intriguing story, Alex Pereira has beat Izzy twice,” Rockhold told Submission Radio. “And so you’re looking at any level of intrigue, and so they’re looking for someone that they can throw in the mix, even though Alex Pereira would get mauled by, 20 guys in the UFC would probably maul him. But yeah, it’s a compelling story if you get him past a brawler like Sean Strickland. So, they did it, and it’s up and going. So, it’s my job to go f—-ing deter that.”
A former middleweight champion himself, the 37-year-old Rockhold is
set to make his first Octagon appearance since July 2019 when he
faces Paulo Costa
at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City on Aug. 20. It’s a fight that Rockhold
believes could propel him into the championship discussion.
“Anything is possible with this fight and in this fight,” Rockhold said. “I mean, Marvin Vettori is the No. 1 guy in the world, right? Or [Robert] Whittaker? Paulo’s only been smoked by Izzy. Vettori barely, he didn’t do anything great against him last time. So, if I can go out there and smoke him, it’s gonna tell.”
And if he can author an impressive showing against Costa, Rockhold is confident he has what it takes to defeat Adesanya, who hasn’t lost a fight at middleweight in his career.
“I know how to fight Izzy. It’s a straightforward fight. He’s a tough fight, man. He’s a big puzzle,” Rockhold said. “He’s the most complicated puzzle there is at middleweight that there’s been for a long time. So, it’s going to be interesting. But I think with the right game, that’s my fight.
“We were talking the other night and I think the hardest fight for me right now is Whittaker. But if I play the right game with many of these guys, it’s my fight. So, I just gotta be level-headed and focused and f——ing go out there and do my thing.”
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