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Luke Rockhold

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Luke Rockhold
Born (1984-10-17) October 17, 1984 (age 42)
Santa Cruz, California, U.S.
OccupationMixed martial artist
Years active2007–2022 (MMA)
Known forFormer UFC Middleweight Champion

Luke Skyler Rockhold (born October 17, 1984) is a former American mixed martial artist who is currently signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and Karate Combat. He previously competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he held the UFC Middleweight title. Prior to that, Rockhold fought in Strikeforce and was its last Middleweight Champion before the organization merged with the UFC.

Background

Born on October 17, 1984, in Santa Cruz, California, Rockhold grew up in an athletic household. He and his older brother, professional surfer Matt Rockhold, both surfed in their hometown. Their father had a career playing professional basketball in Europe, while their mother was passionate about tennis. Luke started practicing judo at age six but stopped by ten. During seventh grade, he joined the wrestling team at Soquel High School and simultaneously took jiu-jitsu classes. His ancestry includes Native American, German, Irish, and English roots.

After experimenting with wrestling at community college, Rockhold dedicated himself to Brazilian jiu-jitsu full-time. Following notable achievements in BJJ competitions, he shifted focus to mixed martial arts. In 2006, a friend invited him to train at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) located in San Jose, California.

Strikeforce

Strikeforce provided Rockhold with his initial opportunity to compete on their Strikeforce: Young Guns II event. He showcased his skills by winning via submission through strikes and earned another bout on the Strikeforce: Destruction card, again finishing his opponent by submission. At Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz, he achieved his third straight victory. Facing tougher opposition against Cory Devela at Strikeforce Challengers: Villasenor vs. Cyborg, Rockhold secured a rear-naked choke submission within 30 seconds, marking his third consecutive submission win.

At Strikeforce Challengers: Gurgel vs. Evangelista, he defeated The Ultimate Fighter 7 alumnus Jesse Taylor, improving his Strikeforce record to 5–0. In February 2010, Rockhold claimed victory over fellow TUF finalist Paul Bradley by TKO due to body knees at Strikeforce Challengers: Kaufman vs. Hashi in San Jose. This success paved the way for more prominent fights. Around this period, Rockhold was also featured as a playable character in the video game EA Sports MMA.

Rockhold was slated to face Matt Lindland at Strikeforce: San Jose but had to withdraw because of a shoulder injury. He was also booked against former contender Tim Kennedy at Strikeforce 32, though he was removed from that fight for undisclosed reasons.

Winning the middleweight title

Following an 18-month break caused by injuries, Rockhold made his return on September 10, 2011, to challenge Strikeforce Middleweight champion Ronaldo Souza. He captured the title by unanimous decision with scores of 50–45, 48–47, and 48–47. For his initial title defense, Rockhold faced Keith Jardine at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine on January 7, 2012, winning via TKO in the first round.

His second defense came on July 14, 2012, at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy, where he battled Tim Kennedy. Although he initially missed weight by half a pound, Rockhold made weight within two hours and ultimately secured a unanimous decision victory with all judges scoring it 49–46.

Rockhold was set to defend his championship against Lorenz Larkin at Strikeforce: Cormier vs. Mir on November 3, 2012; however, he withdrew due to injury and the event was canceled. While there were rumors of rescheduling the fight for January 12, 2013, Rockhold opted out of competing because of ongoing shoulder issues.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In January 2013, Zuffa discontinued Strikeforce, moving several fighters, including Rockhold, into the Ultimate Fighting Championship.<ref> Rockhold encountered multi-division contender Vitor Belfort on May 18, 2013, at UFC on FX 8, where he suffered a first-round knockout from a spinning heel kick.<ref>

Originally booked to face Tim Boetsch at UFC 166 in October 2013, Rockhold withdrew due to a knee injury and was replaced by C.B. Dollaway.<ref> He made his comeback on January 15, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 35, securing a first-round TKO victory over Costas Philippou with a body kick and earning a $50,000 Knockout of the Night award.<ref>

On April 26, 2014, Rockhold submitted Tim Boetsch in the opening round at UFC 172.<ref> Later that year, on November 8 at UFC Fight Night 55, he defeated Michael Bisping via second-round guillotine choke following a head kick, which earned him his inaugural Performance of the Night bonus.<ref>

Rockhold continued his streak by submitting former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida in the second round at UFC on Fox 15 on April 18, 2015, securing his second consecutive Performance of the Night honor.<ref>

Winning the UFC middleweight title

On December 12, 2015, at UFC 194, Rockhold challenged Chris Weidman for the UFC Middleweight Championship. He captured the title by technical knockout in the fourth round, becoming the seventh UFC middleweight champion. Both fighters were awarded Fight of the Night accolades. Rockhold later disclosed that he had been battling a staph infection and was taking antibiotics during the bout, which contributed to fatigue in the later rounds. In recognition of his accomplishment, his hometown of Santa Cruz, California designated December 18 as Luke Rockhold Day.

Post championship

A rematch with Weidman was scheduled for June 4, 2016, at UFC 199, but due to Weidman’s injury withdrawal, Michael Bisping stepped in as replacement. In an upset given Bisping’s underdog status and short notice acceptance, Rockhold lost his title via first-round knockout.

Rockhold was set to rematch Ronaldo Souza on November 27, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 101, but withdrew because of injury, resulting in cancellation of the fight.

Following nearly fifteen months away from competition due to injuries, Rockhold returned on September 16, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 116, defeating former two-time WSOF champion David Branch (fighter) by second-round TKO.

He was slated to challenge UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker (fighter) on February 10, 2018, at UFC 221. Whittaker withdrew after suffering a severe staph infection and was replaced by Yoel Romero for the Interim UFC Middleweight Championship. Romero failed to make weight and thus was ineligible for the title; however, if Rockhold had won, he would have claimed it. Romero ultimately knocked out Rockhold in the third round.

Rockhold was briefly linked to a light heavyweight contest against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 227 in August 2018 but had to withdraw due to re-injuring his leg during training.

A rematch with Chris Weidman was arranged for November 3, 2018, at UFC 230, but Rockhold pulled out because of injury and was replaced by Ronaldo Souza.

Transition to light heavyweight

In December 2018, Rockhold declared his decision to compete at light heavyweight, citing the increasingly strenuous weight cuts that led to injuries. His first fight in this division occurred on July 6, 2019, at UFC 239 against Jan Błachowicz, where he was defeated by knockout in the second round.

Events in 2021 and later

Following a two-year break from competition, Rockhold was set to face Sean Strickland at UFC 268 in November 2021 but had to pull out because of a herniated disc. Subsequently, he was scheduled to battle Paulo Costa at UFC 277 in July 2022; this matchup was postponed to August 20 at UFC 278. Rockhold lost via unanimous decision but received the Fight of the Night accolade. After this contest, he retired from mixed martial arts but showed interest in transitioning to boxing.

In January 2023, Rockhold revealed that he had reached an agreement for his release from the UFC and intended to resume his MMA career with a different promotion.

Hardcore FC Fight Show

Luke Rockhold and Tyron Woodley served as coaches for fighters on the Hardcore FC Fight Show reality series, which was filmed in the United Arab Emirates during April and May of 2024.

Global Fight League

On December 11, 2024, Rockhold signed a contract with Global Fight League. He was slated for a rematch against Chris Weidman at an undisclosed date and venue. Nevertheless, in April 2025, all GFL events were suspended indefinitely.

Professional grappling

Rockhold faced off against Nick Rodriguez at Polaris 12 on November 30, 2019, where he was defeated by unanimous decision.

He was also scheduled to compete against Craig Jones at Israel Fight Night on September 21, 2023; however, the event was cancelled.

In August 2024, Rockhold competed in the over-80kg category during the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational, losing by decision to Pat Downey in the first round.

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

BKFC president Dave Feldman announced on March 1, 2023, that Rockhold had signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. He made his debut against Mike Perry at BKFC 41 on April 29, 2023. During the bout, Rockhold retired and suffered a technical knockout loss.

Karate Combat

Rockhold made his debut in Karate Combat on April 20, 2024, at Karate Combat 45 held in Dubai. He fought against Joe Schilling in a catchweight bout set at 195 pounds and secured victory by knockout with a right hook in the third round.

Boxing

On July 16, Rockhold announced his professional boxing debut versus English MMA fighter Darren Till, headlining Misfits 22 – Ring of Thrones. The match took place on August 30 at the Manchester Arena in England for the inaugural in-house bridgerweight championship. Rockhold suffered a knockout defeat in the third round after being floored three times during the fight, including a final KO in round three.

Modeling pursuits

Rockhold secured a contract with Soul Artist Management, a New York-based agency known for representing UFC competitor Alan Jouban and playing a role in Channing Tatum's career launch. His modeling trajectory advanced swiftly, featuring editorial spreads and participation in New York Fashion Week events. Rockhold has indicated openness to temporarily stepping away from MMA to dedicate time to modeling.

Ralph Lauren cologne ambassador

In 2018, Rockhold was selected as the promotional face for Ralph Lauren's "Polo Blue" fragrance, broadening his exposure beyond the athletic domain.

The Millionaire Matchmaker television appearance

During 2015, Rockhold made a guest appearance on Bravo's The Millionaire Matchmaker, where he dated mixologist Kara. His stint ended prematurely following controversy caused by an edited scripted joke that was perceived as inappropriate.

Personal background

In late 2016, Rockhold was romantically linked with singer and actor Demi Lovato, with their first public outing at UFC 205 in New York City. The relationship concluded in January 2017.

February 2022 marked a difficult period for Rockhold when his girlfriend underwent an abortion, which led to their separation and motivated him to reassess his life choices and recommit to his UFC career.

A passionate surfer and skateboard enthusiast, Rockhold also capitalizes on his athletic physique in the fashion industry, as evidenced by his appearances at New York Fashion Week and his role as the face of Ralph Lauren's "Polo Blue" scent.

Mixed martial arts

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

  • International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation
    • 2007 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Purple Belt No-Gi Gold Medal winner
    • 2007 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Blue Belt Gold Medalist
    • 2006 IBJJF Pan American Championships Blue Belt Silver Medal recipient

Professional mixed martial arts record

|- |Loss |align=center|16–6 |Paulo Costa |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 278 | |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|16–5 |Jan Błachowicz |KO (punches) |UFC 239 | |align=center|2 |align=center|1:39 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|16–4 |Yoel Romero |KO (punches) |UFC 221 | |align=center|3 |align=center|1:48 |Perth, Western Australia, Australia | |- |Win |align=center|16–3 |David Branch |TKO (submission to punches) |UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Branch | |align=center|2 |align=center|4:04 |Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|15–3 |Michael Bisping |KO (punches) |UFC 199 | |align=center |1 |align=center |3:36 |Inglewood, California, United States | |- 

|Win |align=center |15–2 |Chris Weidman |TKO (punches) |UFC 194 | |align=center |4 |align=center |3:12 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- 
| Win | align=center |14–2 | Lyoto Machida | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC on Fox: Machida vs. Rockhold |  | align=center |2 | align=center |2:31 | Newark, New Jersey, United States |  |- 
| Win | align=center |13–2 | Michael Bisping | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Bisping |  | align=center |2 | align=center |0:57 | Sydney, Australia |  |- 
| Win | align=center |12–2 | Tim Boetsch | Submission (inverted triangle kimura) | UFC 172 |   align=center 1 align=center 2:08  Baltimore, Maryland, United States |- 
Win

| 11–2 | Costas Philippou | KO (body kick) | UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Philippou | 2014 January 15 | 1 | 2:31 | Duluth, Georgia, United States | Knockout of the Night. | - Loss | 10–2 | Vitor Belfort | KO (spinning heel kick and punches) | UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Rockhold | 2013 May 18 | 1 | 2:32 | Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil | - Win | 10–1 | Tim Kennedy | Decision (unanimous) | Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy | 2012 July 14 | 5 | 5:00 | Portland, Oregon, United States | Defended Strikeforce Middleweight Championship; set record for most consecutive title defenses (2). - Win | 9–1 | Keith Jardine | TKO (punches) | Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine | 2012 January 7 | 1 | 4:26 | Paradise, Nevada, United States | Defended Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. - Win | 8–1 | Ronaldo Souza | Decision (unanimous) | Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov | 2011 September 10 | 5 | 5:00 | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States | Won Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. - Win | 7–1 | Paul Bradley | TKO (knees to the body) | Strikeforce Challengers: Kaufman vs. Hashi | 2010 February 26 | 1 | 2:24 | San Jose, California, United States

- Win | 6–1 | Jesse Taylor | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Strikeforce Challengers: Gurgel vs. Evangelista | 2009 November 6 | 1 | 3:42 | Fresno, California, United States

- Win | 5–1 | Cory Devela | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Strikeforce Challengers: Villasenor vs. Cyborg | 2009 June 19 | 1 | 0:30 | Kent, Washington, United States

- Win | 4–1 | Buck Meredith | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz | 2009 April 11 | 1 | 4:07 | San Jose, California, United States

- Win | 3–1 | Nik Theotikos | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Strikeforce: Destruction | 2008 November 21 | 1 | 3:06 | San Jose, California, United States

- Win | 2–1 | Josh Neal | TKO (submission to punches) | Strikeforce: Young Guns II | 2008 February 1 | 1 | 1:49 | San Jose, California, United States

- Loss | 1–1 | Tony Rubalcava | TKO (punches) | Melee on the Mountain | 2007 November 6 | 1 | 2:46 | Friant, California, United States

- Win | 1–0 | Mike Martinez | Submission (armbar) | Melee on the Mountain | 2007 July 24 | 1 | 2:44 | Friant, California, United States

Bare Knuckle Record

|- |Loss |align=center|0–1 |Mike Perry |TKO (corner retirement) |BKFC 41 | |align=center|2 |align=center|1:15 |Broomfield, Colorado, United States


Karate Combat Record

|- |Win |align=center|1–0 |Joe Schilling |TKO (strikes) |Karate Combat 45 | |align=center|3 |align=center|1:43 |Dubai, United Arab Emirates


Boxing Record

No. Result Record Opponent Method Round, Time Date Location Notes
Loss |0–1 | align="left" |Darren Till KO 3 (6), 1:01 30 August 2025 Manchester Arena, Manchester, England Contested inaugural MFB bridgerweight championship

MMA

No. Event Headline Fight Date City Venue PPV Purchases
1. UFC 199 "Rockhold vs. Bisping 2" June 4, 2016 Inglewood, California, United States Kia Forum 283,000
2. UFC 221 "Romero vs. Rockhold" February 11, 2018 Perth, Western Australia, Australia Perth Arena 130,000

Bare Knuckle Boxing

No. Event Headline Fight Date City Venue PPV Purchases
1. 2023_in_Bare_Knuckle_Fighting_Championship#BKFC_41:_Colorado BKFC 41 "Perry vs. Rockhold" April 29, 2023 Broomfield, Colorado, United States 1stBank Center

Boxing

No. Date Fight Card Headliner Promotion Name Broadcast Network PPV Buys Revenue Generated
1 30 August 2025 Till vs Rockhold Ring of Thrones DAZN Upcoming

See Also

External Links

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