UFC 194: New Middleweight Champ Luke Rockhold Calls Out Vitor Belfort

The UFC crowned a new middleweight champion at UFC 194 on Saturday night, when No. 1 contender Luke Rockhold stopped Chris Weidman in Round 4 via TKO.

Following a largely dominant performance, including a prolonged ground-and-pound at the end of Round 3, referee Herb Dean stopped the fight three minutes and 12 seconds into the fourth round. Weidman's face was cut, swollen and bloody, and Rockhold was the new champ.

After the fight, when he was asked who might be next on Fox Sports Live, Rockhold said, "What I would like...why not? Vitor Belfort on a silver platter. I gotta right my wrong, what can I say?"

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"What I would like...Vitor Belfort on a silver platter" - @LukeRockhold #UFC194 (via @foxsportslive) https://t.co/xR6BouTG1R

— FS1 (@FS1) December 13, 2015"

One of Rockhold's two losses came in May 2013 by way of Belfort—who was on testosterone-replacement therapy at the time—via brutal spinning head kick and then punches from within Rockhold's guard.

That bout also happened to be Rockhold's UFC debut, and it remains his only loss in the promotion. It broke Rockhold's nine-fight winning streak, which included victories over Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, Tim Kennedy and Keith Jardine.

Since then, Belfort knocked out Dan Henderson 77 seconds into the first round before withdrawing from a title shot scheduled for May 2014, citing the Nevada State Athletic Commission's crackdown on TRT programs. The bout finally took place a full year later at UFC 187, and Belfort lost to Weidman via TKO in Round 1. 

While many dethroned champions are given an immediate rematch, Weidman defended his title just three times before losing it to Rockhold. This brief run and the lopsided nature of the fight may mean he won't be offered a rematch right away. Belfort is still a big enough name to have drawing power, and Rockhold seems motivated to deliver a show, so this matchup is viable.

Light heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier, co-hosting the discussion, said, "At what point are you going to accept that you're living in the penthouse now, and he just lost to the guy you just beat? When are you going to let it go, man?"

Rockhold replied, "Hey, I just want to rub it in...I gotta bring him down a little bit further."

Rockhold's other loss was in his second fight, a TKO in the first round via Tony Rubalcava. Since then, he has amassed 14 victories and the middleweight title. Belfort most recently fought in November, knocking Henderson out with a head kick and punches at 2:07 of Round 1.