Lyoto Machida Picks Chris Weidman To Defeat Luke Rockhold

Set to face surging no. 1 contender Luke Rockhold at a yet-to-be-determined event after finally ending his long-standing feud with Vitor Belfort at UFC 187, middleweight champion Chris Weidman is planning on simply running through all of the top-level contenders waiting for him.

And there’s at least one elite fighter who agrees with him.

After Rockhold submitted light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida with alarming ease at April’s UFC on FOX 15, many were quick to pick the AKA product to wrest the belt from Weidman’s hands. But Machida, who’s faced and lost to both in two of his last three fights, is siding with the champion.

‘The Dragon’ detailed his assessment of the divisional title picture in an appearance on today’s The MMA Hour:

“It’s hard to say who will win that fight because they both have strengths and weaknesses. I think Luke Rockhold has a good ground game and he knows how to fight standing up. So, Chris Weidman has good takedown, and also has good control on the ground, so, it’s very hard to say. I think it’s who brings a better strategy wins the fight. I pick Weidman.”

Indeed it is hard to pick a winner between the two elite competitors, but it’s still kind of a surprise to hear his choice given the fact that Rockhold finished him so easily when he went five tough rounds against Weidman in their entertaining slugfest at July 2014’s UFC 175.

Machida will look to get back on track when he makes a quick turnaround to face no. 6 Yoel Romero in the main event of June 27’s The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 21 Finale from Florida. Romero doesn’t exactly echo Machida’s sentiment about the Weidman, believing that the champion can be beaten.

Do you agree with ‘The Dragon,’ or is ‘The Solider of God’ more in line with the facts on this one?

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