Rockhold: Chimaev turned down fight, wants to compete at welterweight

Luke Rockhold agreed to headline a UFC card on Aug. 28 against Khamzat Chimaev, but Chimaev declined the fight, he told MMA reporter Ariel Helwani on Wednesday.

The former middleweight champion said he also accepted an offer to face Chimaev in a three-round bout at UFC 265 on Aug. 7. Chimaev turned down both because he wants to compete in the welterweight division, according to Rockhold.

"All respect but I thought he would fight anyone," he said.

Rockhold hasn't stepped into the cage since July 2019 but announced last summer he would continue his career.

The 36-year-old hopes to fight by the end of the summer and wants to face a top-ranked middleweight, he told Helwani.

Rockhold is riding a two-fight skid and hasn't been victorious in the Octagon since a 2017 submission of David Branch. Rockhold won the 185-pound belt against Chris Weidman in 2015 but lost it to Michael Bisping in his first title defense the following year.