Lyoto Machida wants a fight against someone that will get him one step closer to a title shot. Luke Rockhold wants an opponent that fans will recognize.
It appears the two middleweights have been on a collision course for quite some time and will now finally meet.
On Wednesday’s UFC Tonight, Daniel Cormier, Rockhold’s teammate at San Jose’s American Kickboxing Academy, confirmed that the two camps are discussing details for a match.
Machida (21-5) is 2-1 since dropping down to 185 pounds. At UFC 175, he surprised many insiders with the final two rounds of his bout against Chris Weidman, recovering from handily losing the first three rounds. Weidman won the fight via unanimous decision.
Rockhold (12-2), submitted Tim Boetsch at UFC 172 in his last fight. While Rockhold has openly asked for a rematch against Vitor Belfort (who defeated him via knockout in 2013), Belfort is next slated to challenge Weidman for the title in December.
