Luke Rockhold wants to fight Mousasi but open to stepping in for Romero or Whittaker at UFC 213

It’s been over a year since former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold last stepped foot inside the Octagon.

The No. 2 ranked contender lost the belt in a shocking upset to Michael Bisping at UFC 199and has kept a low-profile ever since.

That could be about to change, however, as Rockhold told media outlet TMZ that he’s training hard and ‘looking for a good fight’.

The American Kickboxing Academy product said he wants to fight top contender Gegard Mousasi, but the Iranian-born fighter is currently embroiled in contract negotiations with the UFC.

If that fight doesn’t come to fruition, Rockhold would like to step in for Yoel Romero or Robert Whittaker should one of them pull out of their middleweight title unification bout at UFC 213.

“Ask Mousasi, that’s what they want. I like it,” Rockhold told TMZ (h/t Dan Hiergesell of MMA Mania). “It’s just a matter of…he’s a man of principle, so I give him some credit, he’s going to wait and see the best offer. Can’t fault a man for that, but I think that’s the fight that makes sense right now.”

“I’m training. I’ll be ready. Something happens to Yoel, Whittaker, I’ll be ready to fill in too.”

Rockhold also took a dig at current champ Bisping, mocking the Brit for not defending his belt against a worthy contender. Rockhold holds a submission win over ‘The Count’ from UFC Fight Night 55 but was knocked out in last year’s championship rematch at The Forum in Inglewood, California.

“Is he gonna fight anybody in the division that’s worthwhile? I’m just gonna do my thing, I’m gonna fight when I have to fight. I’m looking for a fight. Of course I want a third fight with Michael.”

If Rockhold doesn’t get booked against Mousasi, the UFC would be wise to keep him on tap for UFC 213. The blockbuster pay-per-view, which features Romero vs. Whittaker in the co-main event, takes place next month, July 8, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.