CORAL GABLES, Fla.—Luke Rockhold knows what it takes to become UFC middleweight champion and he doesn’t see Bo Nickal making it.
That’s at least compared to Joe Pyfer, who wrestles Rockhold at RAF 13 this Friday at Watco Center. Pyfer is currently a top 10 contender in the UFC at 185 pounds, with Nickal—a three-division NCAA wrestling champion and one of the most highly touted prospects in recent memory—still working his way up the rankings.
Rockhold has previously been critical of Nickal’s attitude, calling him “condescending,” and he kept that same energy when asked to compare Nickal and Pyfer.
“Joe is relevant in my mind right now,” Rockhold told MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck. “He’s a very tough dude. He’s a threat for the title, which I don’t see Bo at the moment at all.”
Nickal won his first four UFC fights before being stopped by veteran Reinier de Ridder at UFC Des Moines. He has rebounded with back-to-back knockouts over Kyle Daukaus and Rodolfo Vieira, but still has some work to do compared to Pyfer. “Bodybagz” has won four straight fights and is coming off of a second-round TKO over two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
That’s one reason why Rockhold sees Pyfer as his ideal opponent right now.
“This dude, he’s a real threat, he’s got a lot of momentum,” Rockhold said. “A lot of hype. So it’s motivating for me to put on my shoes, get back in the gym, get out of the bar scene, and go have some fun in the gym.
“Work like a kid, that’s what it’s all about, and go out there and perform and shut this kid down. I know he’s a big tough guy, but I’ve been in the game a long time and I think I can beat him in a lot of ways.”
To prepare for Pyfer, Rockhold has worked with fellow former middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, who also competes Friday at RAF 13. Chimaev wrestles Gilbert Burns in a rematch of sorts from their Fight of the Night-winning scrap at UFC 273, where Chimaev earned a hard-fought decision victory.
Rockhold considers Chimaev to have an elite work ethic.
“Khamzat, he’s as tough as they come,” Rockhold said. “That guy’s always on. Doesn’t take any days off. He’s always putting in the work and he’s as tough as a wrestler as you’re going to get in MMA, so that’s going to be a tough battle for Gilbert in this one.”
