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Matt Lindland is Ready
to Lay Down “The Law” on Luke Rockhold
By Johnny Preston
When mixed martial arts enthusiasts look
back on the history of the sport fifty years from now, Matt “The
Law” Lindland will certainly come up in the conversation when the
best middleweights of this era are discussed.
His pedigree is well-known: NCAA Division 1 wrestler at the
University of Nebraska, 2000 Olympic Games Silver Medalist,
co-founder of the revered Team Quest, victories over fighters such
as Ricardo Almeida, Phil Baroni, Pat Miletich, Falaniko Vitale,
Jeremy Horn, Carlos Newton…Lindland has accomplished a lot as a
combat athlete. And having faced fighters such as Quinton “Rampage”
Jackson, Fedor Emelianenko, Vitor Belfort, current STRIKEFORCE
Middleweight Champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Lindland has carved
out a reputation as one of the toughest opponents to face in the
185-pound division. He’s a certified force in MMA.
Yet, the question remains: at 40 years old, how much does “The Law”
have left to prove? Father Time waits for no man, and especially
professional athletes.
“There’s definitely a shelf life for any athlete, especially a
combat athlete. But I’m not looking to put any limits on myself,”
says Lindland. “As long as I feel healthy and competitive, I want to
keep doing this. I’m good mentally. I’m healthy, and I’m excited to
get back in the cage.”
On Saturday, October 9th at HP Pavilion in San Jose, California,
live on SHOWTIME®, Lindland will face young Luke Rockhold in a
featured bout before the long awaited rematch between STRIKEFORCE
Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz and KJ Noons. At 7-1, and with six
straight victories in STRIKEFORCE, Rockhold, a native of Santa Cruz,
California, is seen by many to be the future of the middleweight
division.
“He’s a talented guy, very athletic,” says Lindland. “I’m going to
look at his biggest strengths and weaknesses, but I know his
coaches, and he’s got a good team. He’s going to be a tough dude to
face.”
On top of his skills, Rockhold is likely to be the crowd favorite in
San Jose, where he trains and has competed several times. Will that
affect a grizzled vet like Lindland?
“No, not at all. I don’t care where he’s from or where he trains at.
I’m going to go out there, do what I do, bring my skills, and he’s
going to do the same. I really enjoy fighting in San Jose. It’s
usually packed, as it’s the home of STRIKEFORCE. The fans come out
and support the athletes and the sport, and I’m happy to be fighting
there again. But it doesn’t matter that Luke trains down the road. I
hope he has a lot of fans out there, and I’m looking forward to
putting on a great fight in front of the San Jose fans.”
In Lindland’s mind, defeating Rockhold is another step to where he
wants to be: the top of the STRIKEFORCE middleweight heap. “I’m with
STRIKEFORCE, and I want to make it to the top of this company. I
lost to ‘Jacare,’ who’s at the top, and I want to work my way back
to a rematch with him. But it’s one fight at a time. I don’t want to
look past Rockhold – he’s a talented gentleman. But I want to be at
the top, and that means an eventual rematch with Jacare.’”
As if “The Law” needs an extra motivation, Rockhold as defeated two
of Lindland’s Team Quest teammates in Jesse Taylor and Buck
Meredith. Does that make him want to beat Rockhold that much more?
“Yeah, sure it does. Any time some guy is racking up wins against
our team, I want to go out there and beat him, of course. He’s
fought some good fighters, guys like Cory Devela and Jesse, but he
hasn’t been tested by a guy who’s been at the top, one of the best
in the sport. I’m looking forward to giving him the test.”
So, what should fans expect to see when they see “The Law” fight on
October 9th?
“Every time I fight, I feel like I bring a lot of intensity, I come
forward, I stay aggressive, I push the pace. We’re going to see more
of what I do. I’m going to test my opponent’s cardio, and put him in
positions where I feel I’m dominant.”
And what should Rockhold expect?
“He will experience one of the most miserable nights of his life.
That’s what I try to do with all my opponents: make it a horrible
experience that they don’t want to go through again. He’s not going
to want a rematch. |
