Luke Rockhold Planning MMA Return
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Luke Rockhold is not finished in MMA.
Rockhold, whose most recent fight was a bare knuckle boxing bout in April, has not competed in the UFC since last summer. But his sojourn away from the cage will only be temporary, as Rockhold, 38, is preparing a return to MMA.
“I’m not going to finish my career bare knuckle boxing,” says Rockhold. “MMA, that’s my life passion. I’m working right now to get back in the game.”
Rockhold vowed that his TKO loss to Mike Perry at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, where he removed his ill-fitting mouthpiece in the second round, will not be the final image of his career.
“It was a one-and-done kind of thing,” says Rockhold. “It wasn’t what I was expecting. They reached out to me and offered me an interesting opponent and a very interesting number. I’m always down to challenge myself and try something new–it was one of those experiences I wanted to try and test myself through.
“I found out a lot about that sport. It’s an intense brawl. It’s not like a technical, smart fight. It’s not about landing the best punches–it’s the dirty things that compromise you and dictate the pace of those fights. I’ve always been a technical guy and I always like to fight to my strengths. That’s what I plan on doing on my next time out–and staying in my line of work and how I like to fight.”
Rockhold will be visible while preparing for his return to the cage. He joined OnlyFans, which is a unique platform to see his behind-the-scenes training footage, photos, and potentially new content where he discusses his career.
“I’ve got a pretty cool OnlyFans TV space,” says Rockhold. “It’s a network, it’s an avenue, so to be part of it and show my makeup and all the different aspects of what I do, it’s a chance to share that with people.”
“I’ve never been shy about who I am or what I do, and I can share that on OnlyFans. I like to help people, entertain people, and give them a better outlook. There’s an opportunity to cover my past ventures and reviews of fights, which we’ve talked about. And a focus on bettering myself and staying on top of my game.”
Now 38, Rockhold is attempting to break a three-fight losing streak. His most recent bout was a year ago at UFC 278 against Paulo Costa, where he broke his nose in the opening round yet still fought valiantly and finished the fight.
A former UFC middleweight champion, Rockhold (16-6) still brings value to a promotion. Whether that is the UFC, PFL, or Bellator, where a bout against Johnny Eblen would be fascinating, Rockhold is preparing for a return in 2024.
“I had a little tear in my elbow, so I’m working through that, and I’ve got some treatments going, but I’ve got things moving and in the works,” says Rockhold. “It might be a grappling match to warm up and get myself back in the game while my elbow heals, but a fight will happen.”
Grappling is a discipline where Rockhold has excelled throughout his career, and it will serve as a perfect segue way to his MMA return.
“I still feel like I’m one of the best grapplers in the world when I put myself to it,” says Rockhold. “I can compete and beat anybody in the grappling space. It keeps me on the grind while I can’t throw the punches I want with my right arm.
“There’s boxing opportunities, too. I’ve come to love boxing. I wouldn’t hate a chance to box and silence some of these kids who think they can box. Bare knuckle boxing is out, but there is fighting, boxing, jiu jitsu. I’m going to finish this off right–and on my terms.”
Rockhold plans to document his return on OnlyFans, providing a glimpse at his journey that people would not otherwise be privy to seeing.
“I’m grateful for the people coming along with me for the ride,” says Rockhold. “Thanks to OnlyFans, I have this new platform. Let’s f------ go.”
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Vicente Luque defeats Rafael dos Anjos, wants Dustin Poirier next
Vicente Luque defeated Rafael dos Anjos by unanimous decision on Saturday, employing excellent wrestling to win the fight.
In the aftermath, Luque called out Dustin Poirier for a fight. While that makes a great, high-profile opponent for Luque, the fight does not make sense for Poirier. Also, Luque fights at welterweight, so a better fit for Poirier would be Rafael Fiziev.
Fiziev lost to Justin Gaethje by majority decision this past March. He would make for an extremely tough opponent for Poirier, but a victory against Fiziev would go a lot further in his ongoing pursuit of the lightweight title than one over Luque.
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Cody Garbrandt out of UFC 292, new opponent needed for Mario Bautista
During Saturday night’s UFC broadcast on ESPN, it was announced that Cody Garbrandt was injured while training and will not be able to compete next week at UFC 292.
Garbrandt’s absence opens a void. He was scheduled to fight Mario Bautista, who has ripped off four straight wins in the Octagon.
A former UFC bantamweight champion, Garbrandt (13-5) has lost five of his last seven. Although Garbrandt was coming off a victory, this looked like a showcase bout for Bautista (12-2).
The plan is to replace Garbrandt, keeping Bautista on the card.
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Derrick Lewis signs 8-fight deal with the UFC
According to UFC officials, the 38-year-old Lewis signed an eight-fight deal that should keep him with the organization through the end of his fighting career.
Lewis, who looked superb at UFC 291 when he drilled Marcos Rogerio de Lima with a flying knee, picked a perfect time for that performance. The victory added to his knockout total in the Octagon, which, at 14, is the most in UFC history. Lewis (27-11, 1 NC) would have been a great fit for the PFL, especially in Francis Ngannou’s debut bout. But the UFC, where Lewis has competed since 2014, will be where he finishes his career before taking his place in the UFC Hall of Fame.
Currently the UFC’s no. 10-ranked heavyweight, Lewis is not likely to contend for the heavyweight title. He will, however, play a valuable role as the division’s gatekeeper.
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
