Luke Rockhold says Khamzat Chimaev was "wise" to turn down fight against him
Luke Rockhold believes it was in Khamzat Chimaev's best interest to stay at welterweight and turn down the proposed fight against him.
Ariel Helwani reported last June that Chimaev wouldn't be facing the former middleweight champion despite his eagerness to fight. According to the journalist, 'Borz' turned down two offers to fight Rockhold at 185lbs.
Luke Rockhold tells me he was offered a main event vs. Khamzat Chimaev on Aug. 28. He said he accepted but just got word Chimaev declined because he’s staying at 170. He also accepted a 3-rounder vs Chimaev on Aug. 7.
“All respect but I thought he would fight anyone,” he said.
The way Rockhold saw it, Chimaev dodged a bullet as it was the right call to remain in the 170-pound division. During an interview with Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA, the former UFC middleweight titleholder said:
"Khamzat didn't take that fight, by the way. We were set to fight, he wanted to stay at 170. It was a wise move for him at this point."
Watch Luke Rockhold's interview below:
Chimaev looked human for the first time during his most recent fight against Gilbert Burns. Once thought of as an invincible juggernaut, Chimaev's deficiencies were exposed when 'Durinho' dragged him into an ugly battle.
The Russian-born Swede's performance was impressive nonetheless. However, fans were left wondering whether Chimaev could hold his own against contenders at middleweight, where he won't necessarily have a size advantage anymore.
Meanwhile, Rockhold has accepted that the Chimaev fight is no longer on the table. He is currently gearing up for a showdown against Paulo Costa, which will likely take place at UFC 277 in August.
Khamzat Chimaev's coach on why 'Borz' turned down Luke Rockhold fight
Many believe Khamzat Chimaev could be a threat in multiple divisions. His victory over Gerald Meerschaert illustrated that his knockout power carries over to the 185-pound weight class. On top of that, Chimaev has called out Israel Adesanya multiple times, insinuating that he's coming for the middleweight title as well.
It appears, however, that 'Borz' will stay in the welterweight division for the foreseeable future. Explaining why his pupil turned down the Luke Rockhold fight, Chimaev's coach, Andreas Michael, said:
"It’s not that we don’t want the fight. But we want to choose a weight class, and then go for the belt in that weight. We don’t have a problem fighting anyone, but it has to be in one weight, and going for the belt. If we jump up and down, left and right, we’re never going to get that belt. So we have a mission – we need to get the belt."
Check out Andreas Michael's comments below: