You Better Believe Luke Rockhold Is Going to Smash Chris Weidman

The hype surrounding UFC 194 this December is reminiscent of a runaway train with no brakes.

Much of the momentum heading into the promotion’s most revered pay-per-view event of the calendar year can be directly attributed to Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor‘s long-awaited title clash, but it simply takes more than one fight to make a card.

Luckily, an interesting championship bout between middleweight king Chris Weidman and red-hot contender Luke Rockhold will be riding shotgun come Dec. 12.

With a matchup of styles handed down from the gods of MMA, people around the sport have already labeled Weidman vs. Rockhold as the best title fight in the history of the 185-pound division. Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen certainly applies to the argument when discussing bad blood, but Sonnen failed to match Silva’s potential on paper.

As an underdog in the eyes of many, Rockhold must overcome Weidman’s untainted record and rise to the occasion in order to capture promotional gold.

Here are five reasons why the former Strikeforce kingpin will defeat “The All American” and stake his claim as one of the best all-round fighters in the world.

Reason 1: Athleticism

There aren’t many fighters in the UFC middleweight division who channel the same sort of athleticism that Rockhold does.

Guys like Weidman, Tim Kennedy, Yoel Romero, and Uriah Hall certainly come to mind, but none of them combine speed, power, and finesse quite like Rockhold. It’s a reason why he has steam rolled some of the most game veterans in the weight class.

From quickly changing levels to launching spinning backs kicks, Rockhold’s natural capabilities allow him to do almost anything inside of the cage. He may not be the fastest or strongest fighter at 185 pounds, but the 31-year-old is certainly the most well-rounded, on the feet and on the ground.

Drawing power from his 6’3″ frame should not be an issue entering his matchup with Weidman, but he’ll have to stay on his toes to ward off the champ’s pressure.

Reason 2: Movement

Alongside his athleticism, Rockhold is capable of moving around the Octagon better than most middleweights.

His footwork, utilization of range, fluidity in the pocket, and ability to land violent attacks moving backwards and forward are easily some of his best offensive skills. If Rockhold is able to find his rhythm early on opposite Weidman, the champ could have problems scoring on his feet.

While Weidman’s striking has withstood the likes of a declined Anderson Silva and a depleted Lyoto Machida, his lack of side-to-side movement may present Rockhold with ample time to land and slide away from the counter.

Rockhold’s best chance to win this fight lies on the feet, so he must successfully maintain his distance and attack on all levels to force Weidman’s hand.

Reason 3: Ground Game

Training alongside UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is not a bad way to get ready for a title shot.

But when you consider that those two men, along with fellow American Kickboxing Academy standout Khabib Nurmagomedov, are among the best wrestlers in all of MMA, it’s easy to see how confident Rockhold must be opposite a champion known for his ground game.

What makes the top contender’s case even better is the fact that he has recently demonstrated a grappling repertoire capable of matching the best in the weight class. It has culminated into three-straight submission victories, including a rear-naked choke of Machida at UFC on Fox 15 and an inverted triangle kimura of Tim Boetsch at UFC 172 (Submission of the Year).

While Weidman’s wrestling background and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills under Matt Serra have fueled a flawless professional career (13-0), Rockhold is arguably the most underrated ground specialist in the game.

His explosiveness transitions could allow him to gain top position on a champion who has never felt his back touch the UFC canvas.

Reason 4: Conditioning

Weidman is undoubtedly capable of fighting a full five rounds. He did it against Machida at UFC 175 in what turned out to be one of the best middleweight title fights of all time.

But that’s the only instance in Weidman’s short career that he has fought beyond the third round. And considering Machida was able to land shots and regain momentum late in that fight, it’s safe to say that Weidman gassed at times.

While Rockhold has only had two fights last longer than two rounds, they were both five-round title fight wars against world-class competition in their prime (Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Tim Kennedy). Across those 10 rounds, Rockhold was taken down a grand total of seven times, yet still landed 157 significant strikes en route to victory.

Since then, Rockhold’s conditioning has only gotten better as the great fighters around him have evolved themselves. Weidman will probably never gas to the point of exhaustion, but dropping his hands and walking forward late in this fight will surely land him in immediate trouble.

Reason 5: Weidman’s Confidence

There is no disputing the dominance that Weidman has forged over the past four years.

He has dismantled the very best Brazilian fighters of all time (Silva, Machida, and Vitor Belfort) by pushing forward, landing heavy shots, implementing vicious ground-and-pound, and walking through damage.

While his journey has been admirable and borderline perfect, much can be said about the recognizable decline of Weidman’s competition. All three of his recent title fight opponents were washed up in some way, shape, or form. Silva was past his prime and got knocked out while clowning. Machida had dropped weight classes and in no way carried the elite counter ability he once had as a light heavyweight. And Belfort was an aged, one-round fighter who was fresh off a testosterone-replacement therapy ban.

Needless to say, Weidman’s destruction has left him as confident and brash as any  undefeated UFC champion should be. But on the doorstep of his greatest adversity, Weidman could very well be getting ahead of himself.

Rockhold is the very best the middleweight division has to offer. And considering his abilities inside of the cage, he’s a miserable matchup for the champion, even when compared to guys like Ronaldo Souza and Yoel Romero.

If Rockhold wants to win this fight, his best chance is to remain patient, pick Weidman apart on his feet, draw the champion in, and outlast him in the final two frames.