It may not be for a title, but Conor McGregor’s meeting with Nate Diaz at UFC 196 is still the talk of the MMA world right now.
The Irishman has taken the UFC by storm, and his 13-second demolition of Jose Aldo at UFC 194 will go down in history as one of the most spectacular ways in which anyone has ever won their first UFC title.
Before The Notorious returns to the octagon on Saturday night/Sunday morning, we decided to get in touch with someone who was there the night he toppled Aldo, and who knows a thing or two about what it means to be a champion.
We caught up with UFC middleweight champ Luke Rockhold at the EA SPORTS UFC 2 ‘Finish the Fight’ shoot to pick his brain about Conor McGregor ahead of UFC 196, and he didn’t disappoint.
As a champion himself, Rockhold knows exactly what separates the best from the rest, and he seems impressed with The Notorious so far. But even more than that, the American enjoyed the support McGregor was able to bring to UFC 194, where Rockhold won his title from Chris Weidman.
“It was a great atmosphere. The Irish coming out are pretty damn intense,” he says. “They’re loud, they’re fun, they make it exciting. It was a great event to be a part of and to win the title.
“I mean, 194 obviously there was a lot of hype – two big title fights. Aldo being the long-reigning champion, and McGregor with the hype he’s gained and earned.”
Rockhold’s encounter with Weidman – which will be repeated at UFC 199 – was a bruising four-rounder, a stark difference from McGregor’s 13-second defeat of Aldo.
But the American was still able to catch what little fight there was: “I actually walked back out, limped back out, sat down and then I walked right back out. The moment I sat down, it was pretty much over,” he jokes.
The middleweight champ doesn’t expect Nate Diaz to go down as quickly as Aldo, though. Still, when we asked him for a prediction, Rockhold found in favour of The Notorious: “UFC 196 is a tough call. It’s interesting to see how they’re going to match up. I know Nate is a lot bigger but I’m still going to give an advantage to McGregor.
“I think he’s just a more dynamic, sharper striker. But Nate matches up well. He uses his length well. McGregor’s never fought a guy that’s longer than him – he’s always been the longer guy.”
But McGregor’s power, he says, should be enough to see him through: “He does have more power. I think he can get inside, he can hurt Nate but Nate can take a shot well and he can box well. It should be a fun fight. I wonder how good a shape Nate’s in, so you’ve got to favour Conor, I think, as the fight goes on.”
One aspect of McGregor’s game that has gained attention in MMA circles is his work with movement guru Ido Portal, a man Rockhold clearly has respect for: “His coach is fun to watch. His movement and concepts are pretty decently accurate. There’s some movements I disagree with. But to each their own.”
“More just the capoeira-inspired movements I think are not as useful. I like to be a little more fight-specific with my movements. Some of the cartwheel-type kicking movements, I don’t agree with at all.
“But a lot of it, I am very big on fluid movement and being able to roll with certain things and not being so rigid with your movement, which is a big reason why I was able to overcome Weidman and a lot of my opponents. Weidman’s very stiff, he’s very flat-footed. And you have to be loose, light and be mobile.”
“You know, movement has always been a focus of mine, way before Conor even entered the game. I’ve always focussed on my movement way more than most anybody out there,” he says. “It’s body mechanics, dynamic movement, footwork – you see me, I just don’t preach it like Conor has done to the tenth degree.”
As for the prospect of McGregor’s movement up the weight classes, Rockhold is characteristically laid back at the idea of defending his middleweight crown against the Irishman: “I’m just going to laugh at that. Conor’s not in my size category. It’s not even worth talking about.”
Luke Rockhold was speaking behind the scenes at the EA SPORTS UFC 2 ‘Finish the Fight’ challenge event. Out on the 17th March on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, pre-order now and find out more about the launch of EA SPORTS UFC 2  at easports.com/uk/ufc
