The fans and the fighters demanded it, and on November 8 in Sydney, Australia.
The UFC FIGHT PASS main event will be a five-round clash of middleweight contenders, as Luke Rockhold meets heated rival Michael Bisping.
The number five ranked Rockhold, a former Strikeforce champion, is coming off back-to-back finishes of Costas Philippou and Tim Boetsch, and he is promising another quick end when he faces Manchester, England's Bisping, a perennial contender who got back in the win column with an impressive August stoppage of Cung Le in Macao.
EVENT DETAILS: SAT 8 NOV 2014 11:30AM
Jake Matthews:
Jake Matthews has only been in the UFC octagon for 13 minutes and 16 seconds but he already feels he belongs.
“It won’t be long before I’m top 10. I can just feel it,” Matthews said as he prepared for his lightweight showdown against Brazil’s Vagner Rocha at UFC Fight Night in Sydney on November 7.
“I feel I belong at the UFC level and beyond. What I learnt in the Ultimate Fighter house ... I’ve increased my skill level and I know what to do.
“When you get to this level and everyone’s a black belt and everyone’s a good wrestler and a good striker, you have to be ready.
“I know all the UFC fighters in the lightweight division and I think I’m one of the most well rounded fighters.”
Epping’s Matthews, dubbed “The Celtic Kid”, understands he faces a supreme test against “Ceara”.
Rocha submitted Cody McKenzie in Round 2 of UFC Fight Night in New Orleans in 2011, but had defeats either side of that bout against Jonathan Brookins and the highly ranked Donald Cerrone.
“He’s fought in the UFC before, so that’s why it’s a step up,” Matthews said.
“He’s had three fights — won one and lost a couple — so he has experience but I’m super confident. I see it being a first-round finish with this guy. I’m a lot bigger, I’m a lot stronger and he’s coming off an injury and he hasn’t fought in over a year, so he’ll have a bit of cage rust.
