Luke Rockhold said he almost feels bad for Chris Weidman ahead of their middleweight championship rematch at UFC 199. Almost.

Rockhold (15-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is quite tired of Weidman’s (12-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) attitude at this point, he said. He beat “All-American” for the UFC’s 185-pound belt at UFC 194 in December and is set to rematch the former champ at UFC 199 in his first title defense.

UFC 199 takes place June 4 at The Forum in Los Angeles. Rockhold vs. Weidman headlines the pay-per-view main card following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Rockhold, No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA middleweight rankings, believes his opponent has lost control ahead of their second meeting. The No. 2-ranked Weidman was vocal about why the rematch will go differently at this past Friday’s UFC “Unstoppable” news conference in Las Vegas, vowing to avenge his lone career defeat and regain the title.

It’s understandable why Weidman would make such bold claims in a public setting. Not only is there a need to create hype for the contest, but also any chance of mental warfare ahead of fight night could be viewed as an advantage. Rockhold, however, said Weidman’s games haven’t worked.

“Obviously not having the belt has got to him” Rockhold told reporters at a recent EA Sports media event. “I don’t know where he’s coming from, he’s just really emotional – maybe he’s on his period or something. … He doesn’t look like himself. We’ll see if this emotion helps him. But to my knowledge emotion doesn’t help you fight.

“He better check himself or this fight’s going to be over a lot sooner than he expects, maybe than even I expect. I don’t feel threatened by Chris. I really don’t see what he’s going to bring to the table to blow me away. … He’s a great fighter, but I’m the best.”

Rockhold defeated Weidman by fourth-round TKO at UFC 194 to close out a tense championship affair. The opening rounds of the fight were close, with each man having advantages. The tide turned heavily in Rockhold’s favor toward the end of the third round, though, when he almost finished the fight with a brutal flurry of blows.

Weidman was unable to fend the challenger off in the fourth round. Rockhold picked up where he left off and continued to attack until the referee intervened and a new middleweight champion was crowned for the first time since July 2013.

After the fight, both men revealed they competed in a less than optimum state, with Rockhold competing on antibiotics while Weidman was apparently nursing a broken foot. Rockhold was able to dig deeper and ultimately close out the first fight in emphatic fashion. He said the rematch wouldn’t be the same type of drawn-out affair.

“I think you’re going to see a different fight,” Rockhold said. “It’s going to be quick, it’s going to be fast, it’s going to be precise and I’m going to go in there and execute. What? Weidman’s got a broken foot? What is that going to change when he comes back with a healthy foot? His most effective thing in the whole fight was kicks, and he was kicking with both feet. Having a healthy foot isn’t going to help him be a better boxer, it’s not going to help him be a better grappler. I went in there and fought on antibiotics.”

Rockhold said he simply doesn’t understand Weidman’s headspace as UFC 199 draws nearer. Seated near former UFC champ Jon Jones, who meets Rockhold’s teammate and UFC light-heavyweight titleholder Daniel Cormier at UFC 197 on April 23, at the UFC press event, Weidman proposed an alliance with “Bones” to “take out” the pair of American Kickboxing Academy champions.

That action was a sign of weakness, Rockhold said. One he feels he can see right through and ultimately capitalize when fight night arrives.

“Teaming up with him? This is Weidman, who said Jon Jones is bad for the sport and wanted to fight Jon Jones,” Rockhold said. “Now he’s contradicting himself and saying he wants to team up with Jon Jones. The man’s lost; he’s like a lost puppy. I feel bad I don’t even want to hurt him anymore. I’m going to make this one quick and painless. It’s going to be over before he knows it.”

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