Costa Philippou Leaves Serra-Longo In Preparation For UFC Fight Night 35

UFC middleweight Costa Philippou is in for the biggest fight of his life this Wednesday when he steps into the Octagon to face No. 6 Luke Rockhold in the main event of UFC Fight Night 35 from The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Georgia.

Currently fighting out of New York, the Cyprus native sits at No. 10 in the 185-pound rankings. Philippou comes into his UFC Fight Night 35 headliner off a decision loss to Francis Carmont at UFC 165 last September.

Beating Rockhold will be crucial in keeping hold of his Top-10 spot, and Philippou knows it. That’s why he recently changed camps, going from Team Serra-Longo where he trained alongside UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, to Bellmore Kickboxing Academy. Both camps are in Long Island, N.Y., and despite the natural assumption that Philippou left to avoid training with Weidman, he told FOX Sports that simply isn’t the case. Apparently he left for “personal reasons,” and the camp switch has renewed his focus and motivation:

“I feel like I belong somewhere. It motivates me to train harder, to work harder. I made some changes in my life. I’m in a better place. Even if I don’t win another fight, I’m happy with the decisions I made in my life.”

It’s good to hear that Philippou is happier in a new place. With Bellmore so close to his old gym, some of the things he enjoyed at Serra-Longo are still in place. That includes his favorite sparring partner, UFC light heavyweight Gian Villante, who was recently signed to face Fabio Maldonado at an upcoming UFC in Brazil. Philippou discussed his preparation for the bout against Rockhold, noting that he’ll stick to his main skillset:

“Sparring used to be fun before this fight. Not anymore. There’s no secret what I’m trying to do. I feel that my striking is my strong part. I think I can connect with Rockhold and finish him.”

With Rockhold also known for his impressive kickboxing, UFC Fight Night 35’s main event could turn into a war. But Rockhold also trains at AKA alongside noted wrestlers Cain Velasquez, Daniel Cormier, and Jon Fitch. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the former Strikeforce 185-pound champ attempt to neutralize Philippou’s explosive striking by taking this fight to the ground.

Philippou is confident he can avoid that and finish Rockhold on the feet. He moved on to the touchy subject of his former teammate Weidman, quickly dispelling any rumors about his absence from “The All-American’s” team by noting that he’s light years away from fighting for the title:

“I’m not even close to fighting for the title. Whatever. What if I was Superman? That’s assuming a lot of things are going to happen.”

It would definitely be assuming a lot of things to speculate on Weidman and Philippou locking horns anytime soon. “The All-American” is currently tied up with No. 1 contender Vitor Belfort, and even if he gets by “The Phenom,” a whole slew of murderous contenders await him.

Philippou can only look as far ahead as Rockhold. If he does win, he’ll still need several top quality victories before his name can be discussed as a potential opponent against Weidman.

And it’s a good thing that Philippou knows that, because if he looks past Rockhold, he’s going to get knocked out in Georgia. Philippou seems re-invigorated in his training for this fight. Who is your pick to emerge victorious in this showdown of Top-10 middleweights?

Photo: Gary A. Vasquez for USA TODAY Sports