Jacare Souza: I'm fighting Chris Weidman next because Luke Rockhold was already knocked out

Former Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold (14-2), fresh off a dominant, second-round submission win over Lyoto Machida, is ranked No. 1 in the world at 185 pounds and has finished his last four opponents by way of knockout or tapout.

So it would make sense to have him fight Chris Weidman for the title, right?

Well, maybe not, according to Ronaldo Souza (22-3, 1 NC), who is the winner of eight straight with seven finishes. According to the No. 2-ranked Brazilian, Rockhold was knocked out by Vitor Belfort back in 2013, opening the door for a "Jacare" title fight in late 2015.

Souza elaborates to Portal Do Vale Tudo (via Bloody Elbow):

"I have seen [Weidman] fight at ADCC, he is really good on the ground. Not to mention he is a Renzo Gracie blackbelt, so he is not just anybody. Many people say he didn't convince them yet, but yes, he did. I'm here to take the belt off this great champion who is Chris Weidman. There's no doubt I'm next. I'm very confident, no matter what my ranking number is. I'm undefeated in the UFC, it has been five straight wins so far. The man ahead of me has already been knocked out and that counts a lot."

It should be noted that Rockhold holds a unanimous decision win over Souza from back in the Strikeforce days.

The only person "Jacare" needs to convince is UFC President Dana White, as Weidman -- who retained his title with a technical knockout win over "The Phenom" at UFC 187 in Las Vegas -- is willing to fight either contender, hopefully at Madison Square Garden.

Who do you, as a fan, want to see "All American" fight next?