Luke Rockhold out to prove a point when he battles Chris Weidman at UFC 194

Luke Rockhold knows that after a lifetime of proving himself, he must do so once again on Saturday night.

The Californian challenges UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman in a fight that will serve as the warm-up for Conor McGregor's clash with Jose Aldo.

And Rockhold, who was the Strikeforce champion before switching promotions, is hopeful he will finally get the credit he deserves.

Chris Weidman (left) and Luke Rockhold (right) face off after a press conference at the MGM Grand

The pair will meet in the Octagon on Saturday night at UFC 194 on the undercard of Jose Aldo-Conor McGregor

'It feels good to be credited for your work and what you pride yourself on,' he said. 'For your accomplishments to be beaten down and made less than they were... I came in with a point to prove and I'm here to make another point.

'People still look at my biggest win as my last one against Lyoto Machida but they don't look at my wins against Tim Kennedy and Jacare. They were much tougher for me but I got nothing for that.

'I've got one more point to prove, one more statement to make. It's going to come Saturday night.'

Rockhold has won his last four fights since he was beaten by Vitor Belfort in 2013 and believes he has Weidman figured out.

'I'm the better middleweight,' he added. 'Fighting is about relaxation, it's about adjustments, about who has the focus, who can face adversity and work with it, flow with it. I feel I'm the man to do that.

Rockhold has won his last four fights since suffering defeat in 2013 and wants to prove himself again

Rockhold believes he has got Weidman figured out and is confident of victory on Saturday night

'We will both hit adversity in this fight and I know how to work with it. Chris is a control freak, when he doesn't have control, he tenses up and it forces him into a different fight. I'm going to stay relaxed, make the adjustments and make him pay.'

But the champion, who won the title from Anderson Silva, was quick to disagree.

'I'm very laid back,' Weidman said. 'Basically on Saturday night I'm going to give this guy a reality check. His biggest weakness isnt something physical, it's something in his head, it's his ego and that's what I'm coming for.

'I'm going to throw him around the ring, it's going to be a fun night.

'I think this is the toughest division in the UFC and I'm lucky enough to be in it. Where I'm at against the best guys in the world, it really doesn't matter who I'm going against; Machida, Vitor, now Luke.

'It's always a battle against myself. I'm just wokring hard every day and stay focussed. If i take control of that, nobody is beating me.'