After UFC on ESPN+ 29 win, Ben Rothwell only wants in-form opposition for next bout

Ben Rothwell only wants to fight guys that have momentum on their side.

After edging out Ovince Saint-Preux at UFC on ESPN+ 29 this past Wednesday in Jacksonville, Rothwell (38-12 MMA, 8-6 UFC) called out Aleksei Oleinik.

But it appears that Rothwell won’t get his wish, after revealing that he had heard that Oleinik will likely face someone ranked ahead of him instead.

“It was right there at the cusp of the Top 10. (I) thought it was going to be a great fight for a lot of reasons. We haven’t fought before,” Rothwell told MMA Junkie Radio. “Anyone else aside of that, I get to say the good old boring ‘whatever they bring,’ because they have their own plan. I have no idea what it is.”

Rothwell has been a little confused with some of his recent bookings, which included Stefan Struve, who was coming out of retirement; Gian Villante’s heavyweight debut, a fight which was later canceled; and Saint-Preux, who was also moving up from 205 pounds.

“Names that have been brought to me (have been) so out of left field,” Rothwell said. “Stefan Struve out of retirement. I’m like, ‘What’? Just out of left field. Then this next fight it’s like, ‘Gian Villante. Who?’ So it keeps happening where it’s out of left field (with) guys you never expect moving up to heavyweight, so it could be anybody.”

Rothwell said he’d be willing to take on a rematch if that kept him in the mix. However, his only request is that he faces someone coming off of a win, and cited the example of former victim Alistair Overeem as a potential next opponent that makes sense.

Rothwell knocked out Overeem in Mashantucket at UFC Fight Night 50 back in September 2014, but the big Dutchman scored a big win of his own in Jacksonville as he stopped Walt Harris in the main event of UFC on ESPN 8. As a result, “Big Ben” says a rematch with “The Reem” represents the sort of bout he’d relish for his next assignment.

“Rematches, they’re better if they make sense,” he said. “Alistair would be great because he’s coming off of a win, and I have a win over him so I’m sure he might want to get the win back. So that fight is good, but fighting a guy on a loss? Honestly, anywhere in the realm, I learned the hard way you don’t want to do that. If you’re on a win, two wins, three wins, (you) don’t want to fight a guy on a loss. It does nothing for you.”