Dana White: Luke Rockhold vs Alexander Gustafsson targeted for UFC 227

I guess Luke Rockhold is giving up on that Bisping rubber match.

Instead, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight titleholder will make good on his promise to jump up to light heavyweight for a run at the division strap after his middleweight stint ended in disaster.

The means to that end would be a light heavyweight slugfest against two-time title contender Alexander Gustafsson, according to UFC President Dana White (via UFC Unfiltered), in a late summer showdown set for “The City of Angels.”

“In my perfect world, if everything goes perfect, and nothing ever goes perfect in this world, [it will be] Dillashaw vs Garbrandt, GSP vs Diaz would be the co-main, Gustafsson vs Rockhold and Brunson vs Antonio Carlos Jr.,” White said. “It’s very interesting.”

The aforementioned bouts — including the return of Georges St-Pierre — are planned for the upcoming UFC 227 pay-per-view (PPV) event on August 4, 2018 inside Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

Rockhold (16-4) said goodbye to the 185-pound weight class after getting murdered by Yoel Romero at UFC 221. Gustafsson (18-4), meanwhile, has not competed since planting Glover Teixeira at UFC Fight Night 109 roughly one year back.

Whether or not this bout — or any others — comes to fruition remains to be seen.