Like just about everyone who has challenged for a title through the course of combat sports history, Luke Rockhold is confident he has what it takes to upend the champion.

In Rockhold’s case, it’s steeped in the belief his training partners will have him prepared to not only beat middleweight titleholder Chris Weidman in December – but turn the champ into his proverbial little brother.

“Me and Weidman are above the rest (of the middleweight division), and I think I’m going to be like his big brother for his whole career after this fight,” Rockhold said. “He’s going to be JV, I’m going to be varsity. I’m going to freakin’ roll the division. That’s the way I see it … get more chicks, West Coast vs. East Coast, (we’re) always going to reign above. What can I say?”

Rockhold (14-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) fights Weidman (13-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) in the UFC 194 co-main event on Dec. 12 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Rockhold, a former Strikeforce middleweight champion who trains at the esteemed American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., believes he’ll be the latest AKA fighter to bring a belt to the team. Heavyweight Cain Velasquez is a two-time UFC champion whose next fight is a rematch with new champ Fabricio Werdum in an attempt to get his title back. And Daniel Cormier is the UFC’s light heavyweight champion; he defends his belt for the first time at UFC 192 next month in Houston.

Both Velasquez and Cormier are elite wrestlers, and that’s where Rockhold believes he’ll have an edge against Weidman – especially if Weidman thinks that’s where his own edge is going to be.

“I don’t see what Weidman is going to bring to the table that I don’t see every day on a higher level,” Rockhold said. “Cain is a much better wrestler. ‘DC’ is far beyond anything you’re going to see in the sport, wrestling-wise. Athletically, and speed, he’s going to bring all that and more than Weidman can. I train with the best team, and I think that’s going to be a huge difference. Weidman trains with good guys, but I train with elite guys. That’s going to show come fight time.

“If that’s Weidman’s specialty that he believes he has over me, he’s in for a surprise. He’s slow, he’s a little uncoordinated with the kicks, and he’s a little clumsy. I’m going to take this fight and bring it back home, another belt back to AKA.”

Check out the rest of Rockhold’s interview in the video above.

For more on UFC 194, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.