"I've wrestled in front of 20,000, 30,000 people before."
Max Rohskopf is ready for the big leagues.
The 25-year-old lightweight is regarded by many as a promising prospect who could very well end up in the UFC roster in the future. Rohskopf (4-0) is unbeaten in his MMA career with all four wins coming by submission. He’s also a former NCAA Division-I wrestler from North Carolina State.
Rohskopf recently switched organizations from Final Fight Championship to Titan FC. He’s scheduled to debut with the promotion Friday against Paulo Silva at Titan FC 59 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
With many eyes on him and now in an organization that’s launched numerous fighters to the UFC, Rohskopf welcomes the newly added attention to his young MMA career.
“I don’t know what the numbers are, but I’ve wrestled in front of 20,000, 30,000 people before,” Rohskopf told MMA Junkie. “In Iowa, Carver-Hawkeye Arena, it’s a bunch of hillbillies telling me I’m too pretty to wrestle and (expletive), and all the eyeballs are on me because it’s a dual meet or whatever. So it’s something I’m used to and always, at least in wrestling and jiu-jitsu, I always performed better under pressure.”
Rohskopf is only two years into his professional MMA career, but says it’s about time heads start turning his way.
“It’s bout (expletive) time – I’ve been working too hard for too long,” Rohskopf said. “(I’ve had) a lot of setbacks and stuff like that, so to me it’s just about time. The expectations are there and I want to shatter those, so I’m always shooting for the stars and if I don’t reach it, it’s fine. It puts a little more pressure (on me), but the good pressure that gets me excited.”
Rohskopf doesn’t plan on losing any time soon and thinks it’s not a matter of if he’s going to make it to the UFC, but when.
“I haven’t had conversations with anyone in the UFC, but I know a lot of media members, a lot of people, a lot of friends over at Xtreme Couture, and all of my coaches here, and my management have talked to them – so I know they know about me.
“It’s just going to be a matter of when they want me. But I’m ready now, this second.”
