Luke Rockhold is ready to be UFC 184's last-minute savior

Luke Rockhold

Four of the world’s top middleweight fighters are scheduled to compete at February’s UFC 184 event. If anyone’s unable to make the date, Luke Rockhold said he’ll be ready to fill the void.

UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman (12-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) puts his belt on the line against Vitor Belfort (24-10 MMA, 13-6 UFC) in the Feb. 24 pay-per-view headliner, which takes place at Los Angeles’ Staples Center. Top-10 fighters Ronaldo Souza (21-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC) and Yoel Romero (9-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) meet on the undercard.

Should one of the four suffer an injury or endure any circumstance that would prevent him from participating, Rockhold (13-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) said he wants to serve as a replacement.

“There are four middleweights fighting coming up in February, and potentially someone might fall out,” Rockhold told MMAjunkie. “If one of those guys falls out, I’ll be ready to go.”

Rockhold most recently fought earlier this month at UFC Fight Night 55, where he earned a second-round submission win over “The Ultimate Fighter 3” winner Michael Bisping. The grudge match was several years in the making, and Rockhold settled the score with an effort that earned “Performance of the Night” honors.

The $50,000 bonus wasn’t Rockhold’s only reward for the victory. He also recently signed a new eight-fight UFC contract that he said came with assurances of a “big fight.”

Currently ranked No. 4 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA middleweight rankings, Rockhold sees few opponents who make sense outside of the four scheduled for UFC 184. The winner of Lyoto Machida (21-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) vs. C.B. Dollaway (15-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC), who meet in the UFC Fight Night 58 headliner on Dec. 20, is also an option.

“My next fight’s going to be big,” Rockhold said. “I’ll be ready to take on whoever’s next. Potentially the Machida-Dollaway winner, or one of those guys (at UFC 184). I don’t really see anything else in my future right now.”

Rockhold said he would typically take time away from training after a win, but with his American Kickboxing Academy teammate Daniel Cormier preparing to challenge 205-pound champion Jon Jones for the title at UFC 182 in January, he’s returned to the gym earlier than usual.

Since Rockhold’s frequently spending time in the gym to assist Cormier, he said it’s only logical to stay ready for any opportunities that may arise for his own career.

“It’s a little premature for me to get back in the gym, but it’s good for me too,” Rockhold said. “You never know what’s going to happen. I’ve got to be ready to go. I’m just looking forward to what’s next.”

For more on UFC 184, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.