Champ Luke Rockhold unhappy with UFC 199 poster ahead of Chris Weidman rematch

Luke Rockhold is following in the footsteps of fellow UFC champion Conor McGregor in lashing out at the UFC’s art department over a poster design.

With Rockhold (15-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) set to put his middleweight title on the line for the first time against former champ Chris Weidman (12-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) at UFC 199 on June 4, promotional materials for the event have started to surface.

One of those materials was a poster preview, and Rockhold made it clear via several posts on his official Twitter account that’s he’s not fond of it – in particular a random fist that appears between Weidman and himself.

UFC 199 takes place at The Forum in Los Angeles. Rockhold vs. Weidman headlines the pay-per-view main card following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Rockhold took the 185-pound belt from Weidman at UFC 194 in December courtesy of a fourth-round TKO. Although there were options for his first challenger, the decision was made to grant the previously unbeaten Weidman an immediate rematch. Tensions between the two athletes have flared since the bout was made official.

At a UFC media event earlier this month, an emotional Weidman vowed to avenge his only career loss and regain the championship. Rockhold naturally disagreed and labeled Weidman a “lost puppy” who won’t be fit to end his title reign.

Rockhold’s complaint about the UFC 199 poster comes less than two months after featherweight titleholder McGregor went on a longwinded rant about the poster for his once-scheduled fight with lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos.

“Where are all these historic images? These are posters that will be looked back on long after it’s all said and done,” McGregor said. “And then you’ve got to look back on that absolute garbage. I think I might have to go into that department, because they must be getting comfortable in that poster department. They want to get their act together and start doing their damn job. The posters are a significant part of the sport’s history.

“I feel someone’s sleeping on the job, and I will have to dip my nose and find out who – and eliminate them.”

Rockhold wasn’t quite as seething about the issue, but made it clear he’d like to see a fix.

For more on UFC 199, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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