Poll: Will Luke Rockhold Defeat Chris Weidman?

Chris Weidman earned the respect of the MMA world when he made a massive contribution to what turned out to be a blockbuster card at last night’s (Sat., May 23, 2015) UFC 187 from Las Vegas, Nevada, battering a game but overmatched Vitor Belfort in a thrilling back-and-forth bout that packed a whole lot of intense action into just under three minutes of actual fight time.

With his rivalry with ‘The Phenom’ finally said and done, Weidman has mowed down a row of Brazilian legends and is headed for some new and intense rivalries with the new breed of middleweight contender; namely No. 1 contender Luke Rockhold and No. 2 Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza.

It’s become clear that Rockhold has earned the next right to face Weidman with the slightly better resume than Jacare after finishing Lyoto Machida at UFC on FOX 15, and indeed the confident AKA competitor called out for a bout with Weidman at Madison Square Garden.

All things are pointing in the direction of that bout actually happening if mixed martial arts (MMA) if finally legalized in New York later this year, and indeed the UFC has an early December spot for the famed and historic arena if things go as planned.

Weidman looks dominant and Rockhold has finished four straight opponents since Belfort famously knocked him out with a spinning kick back at UFC on FX 8 in 2013. Each competitor is a huge and powerful middleweight with no real glaring weakness who can finish any fight at any time. That should translate into one of the most anticipated bouts of 2015; especially if it’s on the grand stage at Madison Square Garden.

Based on what you’ve seen from both, do you believe Rockhold will be able to dethrone the surging champion?

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Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports