Luke Rockhold sees Joe Pyfer as UFC title threat, not Bo Nickal

Luke Rockhold believes Joe Pyfer poses a legitimate threat to win the UFC middleweight title, but he doesn't extend that same assessment to highly touted prospect Bo Nickal. Rockhold will face Pyfer on Friday at RAF 13 in Coral Gables, Florida, a matchup he views as the kind of meaningful test that drives him back to serious training. Pyfer, currently ranked in the UFC top 10 at middleweight, has built considerable momentum with four consecutive victories, including a second-round TKO over two-time champion Israel Adesanya. Nickal, despite his pedigree as a three-division NCAA wrestling champion, suffered a setback to veteran Reinier de Ridder and, while he has rebounded with back-to-back knockouts, still lags behind Pyfer's current standing in the division. Rockhold has previously criticized Nickal's demeanor, describing him as condescending, and maintains that view when comparing the two prospects. "Joe is relevant in my mind right now," Rockhold told MMA Fighting. "He's a very tough dude. He's a threat for the title, which I don't see Bo at the moment at all." For his preparation, Rockhold has been training alongside fellow former middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, who competes on the same card against Gilbert Burns in a rematch of their UFC 273 Fight of the Night encounter. Rockhold praised Chimaev's work ethic and toughness, noting his relentless approach to training and wrestling prowess will test Burns once again.