Gallery Luke Rockhold def. Chris Weidman at UFC 194: Best photos view 27 images

Luke Rockhold has been sidelined most of 2018, but is hopeful for a return in the first quarter of 2019 – and in a new division.

Rockhold (16-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC), a former UFC middleweight champion, said his days at 185 pounds are over and he’ll be moving to light heavyweight.

Rockhold told Submission Radio in Australia that he was ready to make the move a while back, but got lured into a rematch with Chris Weidman at UFC 230 in November. Rockhold eventually pulled out of that booking with an injury – his second pullout of 2018.

“I was ready to move up, and then they enticed me with that fight to get to Madison Square Garden and I made myself believe I can do it,” Rockhold told Submission Radio. “But your body breaks down in camp. Everything just starts falling apart when my weight gets down further and further, and when the stress of the fight builds up, my body just falls apart.

“So it’s been meaning to happen for the last few years. I’ve been killing myself for many years now trying to make that weight. It makes me less of a fighter. So, I’m ready to move on and I’m ready to light these guys up.”

Rockhold lost to Yoel Romero at uFC 221 in February in Australia, his second setback in three fights. The first came when he was upset by Michael Bisping and lost the 185-pound title in his first attempted defense at UFC 199 in June 2016. In between those losses, he knocked out former two-division WSOF champion David Branch.

But these days, he’s looking at the UFC’s light heavyweight division, and apart from longtime friend and teammate Daniel Cormier, the current champion who will have his title stripped next week, Rockhold isn’t that impressed.

“You’ve got guys making waves at light heavyweight that are somewhat laughable,” he said. “Couple of middleweight washouts reaching into the top 10 within a few fights. The division is open – I’m ready to feast.

“Anthony Smith, yeah. (Thiago “Marreta”) Santos came up just recently, too. These guys, I’m just not impressed – not impressed with these guys. They’re a little sloppy in so many ways, and I see openings and I’m ready to move up. The rest of the division, there’s a couple of good guys up there – but I don’t see much. I’m ready to come up and I’m ready to shut it down.”

Rockhold said UFC 235 in March is an event he’s eyeing to make his light heavyweight debut. That will give him a chance to continue to heal up from his most recent injury.

“I’m trying to do everything I can to get back in there, and so I want to rush my way in but I want to do it right,” Rockhold said. “And I don’t want to have to fall out of this thing. So, I’m just waiting on the body to go, but I think March is a very realistic.

“I missed out in New York – what would be better than that: Las Vegas? Pretty damn good alternative. We’ll see. I’m just going to focus on myself, get healthy, and if that’s what it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”

But without question, his middleweight days are over.

“Light heavyweight is it,” he said. “Light heavyweight is the recipe. I’m coming. I’m coming for light heavyweight. This last camp, it really made me realize my body just rejects 185, and every time I get down, I fall apart. I’m a better fighter when I fight naturally. I was restricting my body (at middleweight). Everything I would eat would just – I’d blow up, so I’d have to just nibble at every damn little thing. It’s not living. I’m happier here and it feels right and I feel better than I’ve ever felt. I’m very confident moving into light heavyweight – move on, move up.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.