Luke Rockhold Photo credit: Esther Lin/Showtime

By FCF Staff

Now that Luke Rockhold’s move to the UFC has been confirmed, the Strikeforce middleweight champ has begun campaigning for who he would like to face in his Octagon debut, and it’s one of the promotion’s fastest rising fighters.

The highly regarded Rockhold has reportedly told MMA Fighting that he is interested in fighting Costa Philippou at the upcoming, April 20th UFC on FOX 7 card. He also expressed his hope for Vitor Belfort to defeat Michael Bisping this Saturday in Brazil, and thus clear a “path” to champion Anderson Silva.

UFC President Dana White has already said that if Bisping defeats Belfort at the UFC on FX 7 event, he will challenge Silva next. Chris Weidman, who was forced out of a December bout with Tim Boetsch due to injury, is also in the title shot mix.

The 28 year-old Rockhold was scheduled to fight Lorenz Larkin in the fall, but a wrist injury has sidelined the 10-1 middleweight for several months now. Rockhold is coming off a unanimous decision win over Tim Kennedy in July.

Philippou (12-2), on the other hand, stepped in for the aforementioned Weidman against Boetsch, and stopped the contender in third round. The 33 year-old has now won five straight fights.