Luke Rockhold is itching to fight, and there's one man who causes a bit more irritation than the rest. 

UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping--who is currently scheduled to fight former welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre (GSP) later this year--defeated Rockhold via knockout in June 2016 at UFC 199, taking Rockhold's championship belt with him. That loss still eats at Rockhold, and it's one he wants back above all. 

Speaking with Submission Radio, Rockhold said once he returns to the cage, he wants Bisping--whether "The Count" still has the belt or not. 

"I'm going straight for Bisping's ass," Rockhold said. "He's been running his mouth; he's been talking and avoiding every fight possible. That's the fight I would pursue. Shut him up, move on, there's nothing more to be done. Bisping has run his mouth quite a bit, getting Upset of the Year. I heard he caused quite a stir in Las Vegas this weekend being a drunk idiot and running his mouth.

"The guy is out of his mind thinking he expected what he was going to do, thinking he knew what he was going to do. I'll tell you what, when a guy knows what he's going to do, how he reacts after a fight, you go watch our first fight. That's when a guy knows what he's going to do. Bisping knows he's a lucky son of a bitch, squeaking out of that fight the way he did, and he's going to run with it. That's the fight."

Currently, Rockhold is recovering from a knee injury that forced him out of a previously scheduled matchup with Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza at UFC Fight Night 101. While the knee is still not quite where Rockhold would like it to be, he has a tentative return to the cage in mind. 

"Ideally, looking at the schedule, I think July, International Fight Week, is looking pretty ideal," Rockhold said. "That's what I'm looking at. It matters about the division too. We got some funny stuff happening. It's unfortunate, and I'm just going to be looking for the right opponent when the time falls."

His opponent at that date is anybody's guess. The UFC middleweight division is in a state of flux right now, largely due to the aforementioned Bisping versus GSP matchup causing a logjam at the top of the ladder. Rockhold doesn't see the situation getting any better, and that's causing his own career some stress. 

"It's a tough pill to swallow," Rockhold said. "I don't know what to say right now. I'm not here to dance around. I'm not here to fight chumps and just do my thing. I'm coming right back for the title, and seeing this play out the way it has, it's quite frustrating. I'm not going to lie...I'm trying to be patient, trying to breathe and think this thing through.

"It's unfortunate [the UFC] took the route they took [with Bisping vs. GSP]. I understand the business and I understand what they're doing, but I don't think they're really thinking ahead. And making this fight, I think there's a lot of better options other than tying up the division and making this thing happen. I don't think Bisping's a draw. He hasn't proven to be a draw, so what's the point of putting GSP in there with him? A man that's obviously never fought a middleweight and has been out three years. I think him and Nick Diaz, I think him, Anderson Silva. I think there's a lot of other fights that make the money they need without doing what they had to do." 

Regarding the bout itself, Rockhold doesn't see it being particularly competitive. 

"I think the size will be a big factor," Rockhold said. "GSP's always walking around a lot lower, and just the style, style matchup, it's hard to see GSP winning this fight, but who knows what's going to happen." 

Should GSP triumph, however, Rockhold sees only more problems coming for the 185-pound fold. A GSP victory would make him the new champion, then he'd be in a position to pick his shots, something that would leave worthy contenders in the dark--again.

"He's [GSP is] not going to fight one of the top contenders. I guarantee that," Rockhold said. "He won't fight [number] one, he won't fight [number] two, and he won't fight [number] three. Guarantee it."

Despite the division's murky upper echelon, it is absolutely loaded with savages, leaving plenty of potential fights for Rockhold. One hot name is Yoel Romero, who has won eight straight since signing with the UFC in April 2013. Most recently, Romero knocked out former king Chris Weidman with a flying knee at UFC 205, seemingly cementing himself as the next man up for Bisping's strap. The cards didn't fall that way, however, and now Romero is a potential opponent for Rockhold's return. 

If it goes that way, Rockhold says the UFC will need to sweeten the deal. 

"You never know what's going to happen when the division plays out,  but [if] we're doing Yoel Romero, then there better be a title on the line," Rockhold said. "There's no point to it. If you're going to tie the belt up, let's do an interim title. If they want to make that fight happen, I'd love to. Other than that, we'll see how it goes." 

A final potential adversary is none other than the greatest middleweight of all time himself--Anderson Silva. Previously, Rockhold campaigned to fight "The Spider," but his request fell on deaf ears all the way around. While both fighters are at different stages in their respective careers now, Rockhold isn't losing hope that the matchup could happen down the road.

"It's funny you say that, I completely just lost hope with that fight [against Silva]," Rockhold said. "I was kind of pursuing that one, and I wasn't getting confirmation on the other side, but I would happily take that fight. I'd love to get back in there with Anderson. If that's a possibility, we'll see, we'll negotiate...We'll see if he's up for it. Judging his mindset talking after his last fight, I'm not sure what kind of fights he's looking for...It doesn't sound like he's hunting down the biggest fights." 


​Listen to Rockhold's full interview with Submission Radio, embedded below: