Luke Rockhold News

Tom Taylor - September 27, 2018

For a time, it sounded as though former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold was headed north to the UFC light heavyweight division. Ultimately, however, Rockhold was booked for a rematch with Chris Weidman, the very man he took the middleweight title from in 2015. The pair’s rematch will go down at UFC 230 this November 3 in New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

Tom Taylor - September 17, 2018

In December of 2015, former Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold stepped into the cage with Chris Weidman in hopes of stealing the UFC middleweight title. After three wild rounds of fighting, Rockhold succeeded on his mission, stopping Weidman with a volley of fourth-round strikes and capturing the UFC middleweight belt. On November 3, on the main card of UFC 230, Luke Rockhold and Chris Weidman will step into the cage for a second time. If Weidman is able to defeat Rockhold, thereby evening the score with him, it’s conceivable the pair could be booked for a tie-breaking trilogy fight in the near future.

Tom Taylor - August 17, 2018

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold has recently been linked to a rematch with Chris Weidman, who he defeated back in 2015. While negotiations for this middleweight bout are ongoing, Rockhold says he still plans to move to the 205-pound light heavyweight division in the near future. The reason he hasn’t made the move yet, he says, is that his friend and training partner Daniel Cormier is still the UFC light heavyweight champion. Rockhold, who of course wants to capture light heavyweight gold for himself, says he might wait until Cormier retires to move up to this new weight class.

Tom Taylor - August 17, 2018

Former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold believes fighters who fail drug tests — particularly those who fail multiple drug tests — should face harsher punishments from the UFC and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Speaking with MMAjunkie recently, Luke Rockhold discussed former UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones, who has recently been teasing a comeback, and former heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar, who has recently been linked to a fight with heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier. In his eyes, both of these men should be facing lengthy suspensions for their recent failed drug tests.

Drake Riggs - July 23, 2018

UFC 230 looks to be getting another high-level middleweight affair. And it’s safe to say that no one really saw it coming. Former middleweight champions of the UFC, Luke Rockhold, and Chris Weidman were to initially have their rematch at UFC 199 in 2016. Unfortunately for Weidman, he would get injured out of the bout thus costing him his chance at regaining the gold.

Drake Riggs - July 19, 2018

At UFC 226, Daniel Cormier’s longtime American Kickboxing Academy teammate Luke Rockhold was about as close to the post-fight aftermath that one could be without actually being in it. The aftermatch following Cormier’s big title win over Stipe Miocic was, of course, that of his encounter with former UFC champion and WWE star Brock Lesnar.

Drake Riggs - May 22, 2018

Luke Rockhold reinjured his leg in training late last week and is now definitely not fighting Alexander Gustafsson this summer. I’m told he’s hoping to return in October, at the earliest. Here’s a video he provided to me of his shin getting stitched up. (Warning: GRAPHIC) pic.twitter.com/CDQseH7nUN — Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 22, 2018

Chris Taylor - May 6, 2018

Bitter rivals Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping continue to beef on social media Former UFC middleweight champions and bitter rivals Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping continued to trade barbs on social media over the weekend.

Tom Taylor - April 20, 2018

Tomorrow night, on the main card of the UFC’s anticipated stop in Atlantic City, New Jersey, former two-division World Series of Fighting champion David Branch will take on surging middleweight knockout artist Thiago Santos. This bout will serve as Branch’s chance to rebound from a tough loss to former UFC champ Luke Rockhold — a loss he actually feels like he needed. “I was unraveling a little bit,” Branch told MMAJunkie, discussing his mentality around the time of his bout with Rockhold. “Sometimes it’s a little toxic to not lose in that long. That’s a long time. Having that champion mentality, it just let me know that I need to start over again like I did when I was over there [in WSOF]. It’s a process. I was just trying to replace something that was more ego-driven and me being a champion, I was just coming over here and wanted to be a champion again, just like I was the champ. I just forgot about the process.”

Tom Taylor - April 12, 2018

Recently, there as been some discussion about a potential light heavyweight showdown between perennial light heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson and former UFC middleweight champ Luke Rockhold. While Rockhold is definitely interested in this fight, he’d prefer to wait until after his friend and training partner, UFC light heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier, battles Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight belt at UFC 226 this July.

Tom Taylor - March 14, 2018

Former UFC middleweight champions Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold – who have fought twice previously – have had plenty to say to each other on social media of late. Rockhold fired the first shot in this latest skirmish, and Bisping was quick to respond.

Drake Riggs - March 13, 2018

Former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion, Luke Rockhold has made it pretty clear who he’s interested in fighting next and has plenty of confidence that he’ll get the job done if he gets it. That fight being the trilogy fight between him and fellow former UFC champion, Michael “the Count” Bisping. In all of Bisping’s career, he has only rematched two people and he’s won them both. One of those was against Rockhold, who defeated Bisping the first time they met at UFC Fight Night 55 in 2014 by second-round submission.

Justin Golightly - March 10, 2018

Ever since Luke Rockhold teased that he was going to be moving up to the light heavyweight division, there has been one man waiting to welcome him to the division. Alexander Gustafsson was quick to stand in the doorway to Rockhold’s entrance into the new weight class. The former UFC middleweight champion is happy to oblige Gustafsson whenever they can step into the Octagon, but it looks like he already landed a pretty big blow. @LukeRockhold . Heard u coming for me.. Can’t ask for more .chinny as middle weight. KO’d as a LHW. Fool yourself to believe its the weight cut.

Justin Golightly - March 8, 2018

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold’s days in his division are numbered. He has been very vocal about his imminent move to light heavyweight, as his friend and teammate Daniel Cormier moves up to heavyweight before he ends his career. As vocal as he’s been about going to 205, one man has been just as talkative about welcoming him to the division: Alexander Gustafsson. Well, be careful what you wish for, because he’s coming for that ass. “I don’t see me coming back [to middleweight], man. The weight cut is too much on me. As you get older, your bones get bigger. The last couple cuts have been pretty brutal on me. I had trouble regulating my body temperature and all that shit. It’s not fun. It’s not a fun cut anymore. I’m a different fighter at 205-pounds. That weight cut is taking a lot out of me. We had to make weight and stress out through the staging process like the old days [at UFC 221].

Drake Riggs - March 7, 2018

A trilogy fight between former UFC middleweight champions, Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping isn’t even official and the two are talking like it is. And who knows, it very well may be some time soon. Both guys obviously have interest in it and it’s obviously one that Rockhold, who lost in their last encounter, would love to get back. And Rockhold doesn’t happen to be lacking any confidence when it comes to another fight with “the Count”. When speaking with FloCombat recently, he went so far as to say he would even retire if he were to lose to Bisping again.

Tom Taylor - March 7, 2018

Former Strikeforce and UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold recently expressed interest in a trilogy fight with fellow former UFC middleweight champ Michael Bisping – perhaps even in the 205-pound light heavyweight division. Unfortunately for Rockhold, it sounds like it’s going to take a solid offer to convince Bisping to accept this fight. “I respect everybody, but he sounds mentally challenged while talking,” Bisping said on a recent edition of his podcast Believe You Me (h/t MMAJunkie). “He doesn’t scare me one little bit. He never has. He didn’t the first time [we fought], he didn’t the second time, and he absolutely wouldn’t a third time. So I’m definitely willing to take a fight with Luke Rockhold if the UFC gives me the right deal.”

Justin Golightly - March 3, 2018

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold can add another notch on his long list of accomplishments. While he isn’t a stranger to being featured on magazine covers and doing some photo shoots thanks to his Soul Artist Management, this latest one blows them all out of the water. Rockhold is now the face of Polo Blue cologne by Ralph Lauren. “I’m a big believer in just living outside your comfort zone. You find out so much more about yourself when you push yourself further in life. You have to take risks to get rewards. Nobody achieves anything great in life without putting themselves out there. Press and push further and you’ll achieve amazing things in life.”

Tom Taylor - February 27, 2018

Over the last few weeks, there’s been widespread debate as to who former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping should fight in his yet unscheduled retirement fight. For a time it sounded as though he might retire opposite a fellow legend in Vitor Belfort or Rashad Evans. Bisping also eyed a retirement bout opposite former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.