It appears Anderson Silva isn’t the only former UFC middleweight champion who’s angry at his employer.
Luke Rockhold recently went off on the UFC during an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, telling the entire middleweight division they should go on strike against the UFC if the promotion doesn’t give someone an interim title fight.
If they’re not putting an interim title on the line, or if they’re not making Bisping fight a contender, I’m not fighting everybody and so should the rest of the division, too. What’s the point? Without me, Mousasi, Yoel, and Whittaker. I think everyone should just stand their ground and say fuck you. Put a title on the line or else, fuck you, you don’t even have a division.
Luke Rockhold: If the UFC is not putting an interim title on the line, or if they’re not making Michael Bisping fight a contender, I’m not fighting anybody. #TheMMAHour
Posted by MMAFighting.com – The Mixed Martial Arts News Website on Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Rockhold is referring to the upcoming but still unscheduled fight between reigning Middleweight kingpin Michael Bisping and former Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre. GSP, who will be making his return after a 4-year haitus, leap-frogged #1 contender Yoel Romero in order to face Bisping for the title.
The UFC’s decision to give the former welterweight an immediate shot at the middleweight champ irritated many in the division.
But would a strike work? Is Luke Rockhold overreacting, or is he right in saying the division should stop fighting until their demands are met?
Sound off below or in this article’s Facebook thread.
I think Luke Rockhold has a point, lately the UFC has been looking more like the WWE. I like the big “money” fights too but not at the expense of the division.