L. Rockhold intends to remain away from MMA. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @lukerockhold
the american Luke Rockhold He was among the MMA elite for many years. Between the Strikeforce and UFC titles, the athlete today finds himself in a complicated situation in his career. Coming from three defeats in his last five appearances, as well as an unsuccessful debut in the light heavyweight division, the fighter revealed that he is not thinking about fighting again at the moment. In an interview with 'MMA Fighting', the former middleweight champion (under 83,9kg) spoke about his future in the sport.
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“Right now, I’m happy not fighting. It makes me happy to have my focus on other things”, said the fighter.
Currently, Luke has been seen appearing in the catalogs of major fashion companies, which, financially, seems to benefit the athlete more than exchanging forces in the Octagon. Regarding MMA, Rockhold explained that a career as a professional is exhausting, and that he lost the pleasure he felt when involved in mixed martial arts.
“Fighting demands a lot from us. I was there. I've been at the top of the sport. I just don't have the same passion, the hunger for it, right now. I’m excited to take other directions in life,” said the former champion.
Rockhold took the opportunity to send a message to his fans, who may be disappointed after his decision to move away from mixed martial arts. However, the fighter does not completely exclude the possibility of returning to the Octagon in the future.
“I know I have a lot of fans. I'm sorry I'm not fighting, but you never know. Maybe someday I’ll go back, but it’s not what I want right now,” she said.
According to the North American, in the current circumstances, the fact of being able to earn more money performing another function than fighting was essential to the decision. For the athlete, climbing into the octagon doesn't make sense when considering the financial side.
“I can make more money outside of the octagon, so why not? Not having to deal with Ultimate's politics when it comes to fighting is great. This makes me happy”, concluded Luke.
At 35 years old, Rockhold has reached the level dreamed of by many athletes in the sport. Between 2011 and 2012, the fighter held the Strikeforce middleweight title until moving to Ultimate in 2013.
It took two years for the North American to become UFC champion, winning the belt by beating Chris Weidman in a match valid for UFC 194. The athlete lost his number one spot six months later, in the match against Michael Bisping, at UFC 199, when he was knocked out in the first round.
In 2018, the athlete tried to recover the belt, in a fight against Yoel romero valid for the interim title. The athlete was once again beaten in a brutal knockout by the Cuban, who didn't get the belt because he didn't make weight.
This year, Luke chose to venture into the light heavyweight division, but was frustrated by the physical strength of Jan Blachowicz. The North American was beaten in the second round, after he felt the weight of the Polish hand.
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