Stylistically, Luke Rockhold thinks he’d have a harder time with Robert Whittaker than UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
Rockhold (16-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC), a former 185-pound champ, almost fought Whittaker (23-6 MMA, 14-4 UFC) for the title at UFC 221 in 2018 but wound up fighting Yoel Romero for the interim title after Whittaker withdrew.
As he gears up for his return against Paulo Costa on Aug. 20 at UFC 278, Rockhold is hoping to earn a title shot with a win. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Rockhold said he’s the only one who could dethrone Adesanya but doesn’t see him as the toughest test in the division.
“I know how to fight Izzy. It’s a straightforward fight,” Rockhold told Submission Radio. “He’s a tough fight. He’s a big puzzle. He is the most complicated puzzle there is at middleweight and has been for a long time, so it’s gonna be interesting. I think the right game, and that’s my fight. I think the hardest fight for me right now is Whittaker, but if I play the right game with any of these guys, it’s my fight.”
He continued, “For me, Israel’s a lot easier. He’s a lengthier body, he’s easier to control, he’s not as much of a spark plug. Whittaker’s got better wrestling defense, he’s harder to track down around the cage, he springs in and out. On paper, he seems a little bit tougher for me.”
Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) is coming off a successful title defense against Jared Cannonier this past Saturday at UFC 276. “The Last Stylebender” received boos from the crowd, but Rockhold said the fight played out the way he expected it to.
“I thought it was what it could be,” Rockhold said. “Jared Cannonier is just a dog of all dogs. He’s tough as nails, and he’s just gonna keep coming, and Izzy couldn’t land quite the shot. It takes a lot. It wasn’t anything great, but it was what I expected. I thought Izzy could finish him but just couldn’t find that button.”
Luke Rockhold explains why Israel Adesanya is ‘a lot easier’ fight than Robert Whittaker
