Luke Rockhold Still in Shock About Being Champ; Bring on Tim Kennedy

http://mmaweekly.com/strikeforce-post-fight-luke-rockhold-still-in-shock-about-being-champ-bring-on-tim-kennedy

Being called the Strikeforce middleweight champion is something Luke Rockhold admits is going to take a little while to get used to hearing.

But with the gold now around his waist after a unanimous decision victory over former champ Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza, it’s something Rockhold can definitely adjust to.

The American Kickboxing Academy fighter talks to MMAWeekly.com about the win, what it feels like to be champion, and his prediction about he and his teammates going 4-0 at Strikeforce on Saturday night.

He also learns that former title contender Tim Kennedy has already asked for the the next title shot, and he gladly accepts.

Check out this exclusive one on one video with new Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold:

It's a damn shame about Jacare. He would of won a 3 round fight, but this was a championship fight. Need more than two rounds to win those. He's better and it showed, while he could last that is. Rockhold breathed to a win cause he did very little still in the end and if I scored off best damaging shots. Jacare was alone in those scores for the most part.

Right call on the win though for Luke, but 50-45 is an embarrassment.

MW has zero longevity as it stands in SF right now. A 3 man division is not a division. Unsustainable.

And people thought Jacare would be the one to dethrone Anderson

Luke winning actually gives MW, at least at the title level, a reprieve. Jacare wins and then there is nothing, we at least have a couple fights lined up now.

and if Yancy could ever get his ass in the cage that would be nice.

I didn't have Jacare winning through 3, and I think 50-45 is not totally unreasonable.

Ali wrote:

And people thought Jacare would be the one to dethrone Anderson

eh, I think people thought he is as dangerous as any ufc guy. I thought that. I haven't seen too many Jacare would beat Spider sentiments.

First two rounds were jacare, Luke did zero but miss a ton of punches the first two, and ate the best punches of the entire five rounds in those two rounds. 50-45 is as unreasonable and ignorant of a score as you can really have there.

Ali wrote:

And people thought Jacare would be the one to dethrone Anderson

I thought people were crazy to rank him in the top 3. I had him at 6.

I actually gave Jacare the 1st and 3rd with Luke the rest.

freakzilla wrote:

Ali wrote:

And people thought Jacare would be the one to dethrone Anderson

I thought people were crazy to rank him in the top 3. I had him at 6.

so a difference of 3 spots makes one crazy?

Jacare was done in the third.

captain organic wrote:

freakzilla wrote:

Ali wrote:

And people thought Jacare would be the one to dethrone Anderson

I thought people were crazy to rank him in the top 3. I had him at 6.

so a difference of 3 spots makes one crazy?

Big difference between 3 and 6. People were ranking him ahead of Vitor, Okami and Marquardt.

freakzilla wrote:

I actually gave Jacare the 1st and 3rd with Luke the rest.

I gave Jacare the first. All it was, was a continued takedown attempt, but Jacare controlled the action in that regard. But did he do any actual damage? Not really, nothing big, that's for sure.

I thought Luke clearly won the 2nd, I imagine all the judges thought the same.

3rd, I gave luke, even though Jacare wobbled luke. but that was a single shot, otherwise I thought Luke controlled the rnd. If I were to give Jacare another rnd, it would be the 3rd.

I scored it 49-46, prob agree 48-47 is a better score then 50-45, but I don't see a shut out by Luke as a god awful score.

Luke beats Tim.

freakzilla wrote:

captain organic wrote:

freakzilla wrote:

Ali wrote:

And people thought Jacare would be the one to dethrone Anderson

I thought people were crazy to rank him in the top 3. I had him at 6.

so a difference of 3 spots makes one crazy?

Big difference between 3 and 6. People were ranking him ahead of Vitor, Okami and Marquardt.

What have Nate and Okami accomplished that clearly place them ahead of Jacare?

Actually beating top 10 fighters.

freakzilla wrote:

Actually beating top 10 fighters.

u mean mythical top 10 fighters? Not sure if Nate has any true top 10 wins, unless Maia was somehow on a ranking. and Omaki's only possible top 10 is Nate. Circular argument.

Join the discussion of some's ranking commentary is like stepping in dog shit in the middle of the night.

GDPofDRC wrote:

Join the discussion of some's ranking commentary is like stepping in dog shit in the middle of the night.

u need an editor this morning.

U hung over?

captain organic wrote:

freakzilla wrote:

Actually beating top 10 fighters.

u mean mythical top 10 fighters? Not sure if Nate has any true top 10 wins, unless Maia was somehow on a ranking. and Omaki's only possible top 10 is Nate. Circular argument.

Okami's best 3 wins are-

Nate Marquardt, Mark Munoz and Alan Belcher.

Marquardt's best 3 wins are-

Demian Maia, Martin Kampmann and Dan Miller

Jacare's best 3 wins are-

Tim Kennedy, Jason Miller and Robbie Lawler

Jacare has the weakest resume when it comes to wins and he just lost to a guy that wasn't even top 30.

captain organic wrote:

GDPofDRC wrote:

Join the discussion of some's ranking commentary is like stepping in dog shit in the middle of the night.

u need an editor this morning.

U hung over?

Maybe a whole lot yaeh a little

but it's about football time....

Big Blue at 4. I got time yet.

freakzilla wrote:

captain organic wrote:

freakzilla wrote:

Actually beating top 10 fighters.

u mean mythical top 10 fighters? Not sure if Nate has any true top 10 wins, unless Maia was somehow on a ranking. and Omaki's only possible top 10 is Nate. Circular argument.

Okami's best 3 wins are-

Nate Marquardt, Mark Munoz and Alan Belcher.

Marquardt's best 3 wins are-

Demian Maia, Martin Kampmann and Dan Miller

Jacare's best 3 wins are-

Tim Kennedy, Jason Miller and Robbie Lawler

Jacare has the weakest resume when it comes to wins and he just lost to a guy that wasn't even top 30.

how are Maia Kamp and Miller better then kennedy, mayhem and Lawler?

And Luke's rankings are skewed cause he has been out for so long. everyone knew he was talented, 8-1 with 8 1st rnd finishes, he trains with a great camp, actually had a ton of time to train and improve since last we saw him, and looked great last night.

Do not get too hung up on subjective rankings.

captain organic wrote:

freakzilla wrote:

captain organic wrote:

freakzilla wrote:

Actually beating top 10 fighters.

u mean mythical top 10 fighters? Not sure if Nate has any true top 10 wins, unless Maia was somehow on a ranking. and Omaki's only possible top 10 is Nate. Circular argument.

Okami's best 3 wins are-

Nate Marquardt, Mark Munoz and Alan Belcher.

Marquardt's best 3 wins are-

Demian Maia, Martin Kampmann and Dan Miller

Jacare's best 3 wins are-

Tim Kennedy, Jason Miller and Robbie Lawler

Jacare has the weakest resume when it comes to wins and he just lost to a guy that wasn't even top 30.

how are Maia Kamp and Miller better then kennedy, mayhem and Lawler?

And Luke's rankings are skewed cause he has been out for so long. everyone knew he was talented, 8-1 with 8 1st rnd finishes, he trains with a great camp, actually had a ton of time to train and improve since last we saw him, and looked great last night.

Do not get too hung up on subjective rankings.

Lol, his best win was Jesse Taylor.

my head feels like a vat of melted black licorice