Jake O'Brien Possibly Out Against Mousasi - Ricco Rodriguez In?

Gegard Mousasi has often talked of fighting at heavyweight. Ricco Rodriguez has often talked of moving down to light-heavyweight. Now they might meet in the middle. Although Jake O'Brien was apparently only one kilogram over (2.2 lb) the 93 kg (205 lb) weight limit, Rodriguez is now saying via twitter that DREAM is now offering him Mousasi.

Only hours before Rodriguez's tweet, MMAFighting.com asked the question to the former UFC heavyweight champion if he would be interested in taking a fight if offered one at this late stage.

"You know, who knows. If Jake O'Brien doesn't make weight, who knows? Maybe me and Gegard will fight. I did everything, I canceled other fights to come here, to get this opportunity with DREAM. I'm not going to mess it up, I believe that the loyalty I showed with DREAM will give me an opportunity to step up. I just don't see them coming up with something at the last minute. But the reality is that they tried to find opponents for me. They tried to contact everybody they knew and every person turned it down."

Rodriguez is currently too heavy to make the 205 lb limit and with less than 24 hours before the event the bout would have to be fought at a catch weight. This would make the idea of the light-heavyweight tournament seem void but at least we would be left with more than six bouts.

"My goal now is to not be in the heavyweight division much longer and to make the cut to 205. Right now, [my weight] is at 230 because I thought I was fighting Overeem so I was bulking up but my walking around weight is around 220. If they told me to fight Gegard, I would have fought him but because I was fighting Overeem I was bulking back up."

If the fight does go ahead then the flight to Japan and his preparedness will have certainly paid off.

"I'm not getting the opportunity to train for three months to prepare for a fight like all the other guys. My job now is to stay in top physical condition so that when I get the opportunity, I'll be ready to fight. I know that people won't take me seriously until I execute a big fight in a big show. Then they'll take me seriously. That's what I'm doing. I'm waiting. I'm patient. I'm playing the game. When the time comes, I will prevail.

"My weight being a problem in the past and other things, I want people to see that I am very serious about fighting. My goal is to retire at 35 and end on a good note," Rodriguez stated. He is currently 32, turning 33 in August.

There has been no public comment from FEG and requests for comment have not been responded to.