Dana White shoots down Luke Rockhold’s ‘ridiculous’ request for interim UFC middleweight title

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion, Michael Bisping, has not competed since defending his 185-pound strap against longtime nemesis Dan Henderson at UFC 204 back in October.

And he’s likely not going to fight again until this summer.

That extended layoff, at least according to comments made by Luke Rockhold — who coughed up his crown to Bisping at UFC 194 — is enough to warrant an interim strap for those folks ready, willing, and able to fight.

Promotion president Dana White, however, disagrees.

“Luke should really wait for his next shot at something, next fight or something, because that’s kind of a ridiculous statement,” White told TSN.ca after UFC 210 on Saturday night (via Bloody Elbow). “Not only is Bisping ready and willing to defend the title, he’s waiting on GSP right now. And he also said, ‘As soon as this GSP fight is over, if I win the title again, I will defend against Romero immediately.’ So no.”

Assuming Romero isn’t busy doing this.

Bisping is expected to welcome the returning Georges St-Pierre back to the Octagon later this year, a fight that needed time to come to fruition after “The Count” opted for knee surgery while “GSP” got his drug-testing ducks in a row.

Sure, substitute straps have been made for much less, but that’s none of my business.