"Man, it's pretty surreal to be fighting Vitor Belfort. He's one of the first guys I've seen fight. I admire his style and respect what he's done in the cage, but it's my time and I feel this is going to be a changing of the guard for sure...I think he is just as dangerous as Anderson for me because of my fighting style. I'm not sleeping on him or thinking about the Silva fight at all. This is the biggest fight of my life and I am training harder than I have ever trained before, so I'm ready to go...I'm going to put Vitor to sleep," stated UFC middleweight contender and Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, who talked about his upcoming showdown this weekend with former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort. Check it out!
PC: It's been a long road for you to get into the UFC and now you have your debut on the 18th against Vitor Belfort. How do you feel?
LR: Man, it's pretty surreal to be fighting Vitor Belfort. He's one of the first guys I've seen fight. I admire his style and respect what he's done in the cage, but it's my time and I feel this is going to be a changing of the guard for sure.
PC: I was glad to see some of the comments you made before you came over to the UFC get clarified. Some people took you saying you wanting a fight before Anderson Silva with someone like a Vitor Belfort as if you were calling him a tune-up fight. Can you elaborate on that a little bit?
LR: Yeah, it's funny how they brought that back up because that was from 2011 when I said that. I was asked if I wanted Anderson right off that bat and I said maybe it wasn't the right time and I would prefer to have a fight before a title shot. And then later on in the interview, I said I wanted to fight Vitor Belfort. I don't know how it worked out like that because I didn't say it like that. They just twisted the words and cut and pasted the article together for it to look like I said Vitor would be a tune-up fight.
PC: Everything I have heard from you about Vitor has been a respect thing.
LR: Yeah, you gotta respect his greatness. I think he is just as dangerous as Anderson for me because of my fighting style. I'm not sleeping on him or thinking about the Silva fight at all. This is the biggest fight of my life and I am training harder than I have ever trained before, so I'm ready to go.
PC: You didn't get to finish out your Strikeforce career with your last fight because of injury. I know all of you guys are bruised in some way or another, but are you for the most part back to health and ready to go physically for the 18th?
LR: I'm ready to fight. You always got your injuries and whatnot; some prevent you from fighting and the other ones you fight through. I'm trying to take care of my body as best as I can. I come into practice early and take care of my hands and I protect what's dear to me. I'm ready to go!
PC: Do you have any reservations about going to Brazil to fight Vitor because of the TRT issues over there?
LR: No, I don't have any setbacks at all about going over there. I took the challenge and if that's where Vitor wants to fightÂ…honestly, that's probably the only place he can fight with the TRT stuff. If he wants to be on TRT, so be it. I want Vitor Belfort and if I gotta do it in Brazil, so be it. TRT or no TRT, the guy is still dangerous. It is what it is. I think its crap; the whole TRT is pretty much bullshit, but whatever. I don't care. I'm going to go in there and right his wrong. I will beat him.
PC: You are a totally different fighter in style and stature than a Michael Bisping, who Vitor last fought. Even though you guys are not similar, were you able to take anything away from the Bisping fight that you feel you could take advantage of?
LR: I take something from every fight that Vitor has had recently. I studied him very extensively and try to understand him completely and make it a part of my training camp. I want to feel those instincts and know how to move and counter Vitor. By the time it's time to fight him, I will know how to fight him. I pull bits from every fight he has had and try to make a strategy to beat him the best way that I can and the most efficient way that I can. I don't believe he can pull anything from any of my fights to fight me because I'm forever changing. You never know what I'm going to bring next. This fight will be completely different from any of my fights that I have had. I haven't fought like a really top notch striker like Vitor and someone that I really respect as a striker; Jacare or Kennedy, I didn't respect as strikers, and that made me lazy, clumsy, and look careless, looking to take those guys heads off and I looked sloppy. With Vitor, I will be sharp and precise and looking to counter and cut him off in the cage, and I really gotta be sharp and on my game. This will be a different Luke Rockhold. When I'm in the cage with a good striker, I bring myself to a whole nother level and you will see that in this fight.
PC: When do you head out to Brazil and do you feel you will have a sufficient amount of time to adjust to their climate to cut weight and their different time zone?
LR: Yeah! I don't think it's too much of a difference there as far as the weather. I think it will probably be a little more humid there. The time change isn't that bad. I got there on Saturday. That's plenty of time for me. I got there, got a hard workout before I go to bed, and just get those workouts in before I go to bed those first couple of nights and then once I adjust my sleep, I will be fine and that shouldn't take no more than 2 or 3 days.
PC: Is there any built up anxiety going into this fight in your UFC debut, in your opponents backyard, and with all of the elements that we talked about earlier?
LR: It is what it is. It's a fight, the UFC or Strikeforce, I have been in some pretty big fights before and headlined multiple cards. I'm ready for the show. I'm ready for the big show and when it's fight time, I'm in tunnel vision. A fight is a fight, an arena is an arena, and an opponent is an opponent. I'm not focused on the venue; I'm just focused on the task at hand. There is always anxiety before a fight, but I don't expect anything different than what I've been through.
PC: I can't wait to see this fight. I know this is a long awaited debut for you and I'm sure you will capitalize on it; best of luck. Is there anything else you want to add?
LR: Check me out on Twitter @LukeRockrold and on Instagram @LukeRockhold. I will be posting some stuff leading up to the fight and keeping everyone up to date, and don't miss it May 18th. I'm going to put Vitor to sleep!
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]