Luke Rockhold News

Tom Taylor - September 25, 2017

Earlier this month, in the main event of the UFC’s latest trip to Pittsburgh, former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold made a triumphant return to the cage, emerging from a hiatus of more than a year to clobber former World Series of Fighting champ David Branch to a second-round stoppage. With this win, Rockhold reiterated his status as one of the world’s premier middleweights. That said, he generated quite a bit of excitement post-fight by suggesting that his future might just be in the light heavyweight division. The main thing that is currently stopping him from moving up, he explained, is that his friend and training partner Daniel Cormier currently sits atop the division.

Tom Taylor - September 19, 2017

Luke Rockhold is one of the best middleweights on earth. Last Saturday, he reminded the world of this fact, returning from a hiatus of more than a year to stop David Branch with a swarm of second-round ground strikes. According to former fighter and current UFC on Fox analyst Kenny Florian, however, Rockhold needs to start being a little more careful. Speaking on his podcast with Jon Anik, Florian explained that the blueprint for beating Rockhold was set by Michael Bisping, who knocked him out in June of 2016. The analyst explained that Bisping exposed some flaws in Rockhold’s game that were still visible in his fight with Branch – flaws that could be exploited if he’s not careful.

Russell Ess - September 18, 2017

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold is coming off an impressive victory that place over the weekend. Rockhold was featured in the main event of UFC Fight Night 116 against former WSOF middleweight and light heavyweight champion David Branch. Rockhold earned a second-round TKO with Branch submitting to powerful strikes. Rockhold held a dominant position taking Branch’s back and flattened him out and unloaded with a barrage of punches.

Chris Taylor - September 17, 2017

Current UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping will look to defend his title for a second time when he squares off with former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre in the main event of UFC 217 on November 4 in New York. The fight (GSP vs. Bisping) has been highly criticized by fellow middleweight fighters who believe that the French Canadian should not have received an immediate title shot in a division where he has no prior wins.

Chris Taylor - September 17, 2017

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold returned to the win column in the main event of last night’s UFC Fight Night 116 event in Pittsburgh by scoring a second-round stoppage victory over David Branch. Branch had an excellent opening round against Rockhold, but Luke turned the tide in round two where he would eventually force the former World Series of Fighting champion to tap-out due to strikes.

Chris Taylor - September 16, 2017

A key middleweight scrap between former title holder Luke Rockhold and perennial contender David Branch headlined tonight’s UFC Fight Night 116 card in Pittsburgh. Round one begins and Branch starts off quickly with a combination. Rockhold fires off a kick to the body followed by a low kick. Branch presses forward and pushes Luke against the cage. The fighters engage in the clinch and then break. Branch storms after Rockhold with a flurry of punches. He is connecting. Rockhold is in trouble but manages to clinch up. Branch with a takedown but Luke is able to stand back up. The fighters clinch again and Rockhold lands a knee. Branch fires off a knee of his own. They break and Rockhold lands an inside leg kick. Branch charges forward and lands a right hand. He presses Luke back against the cage and works some shots to the body. Rockhold switches the position and unloads a knee. The fighters break and Branch goes to the body with a jab. Rockhold with a low kick. Rockhold appears to poke Branch in the eye. David charges forward and lands a right. Luke grabs a hold of the former World Series of Fighting champion and drags him to the floor. Ten seconds remain. Round one comes to an end with Rockhold on top.

Justin Golightly - September 16, 2017

The UFC’s middleweight division has been in a weird, chaotic state ever since Luke Rockhold was knocked out by the hands of Michael Bisping. Some fighters like Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza went on strike, Yoel Romero vowed to not go back his home in Cuba until he got a title shot, and Gegard Mousasi left the UFC altogether. Luke Rockhold has expressed his frustrations in the past about how things were going, which is why he wants to keep the wheels of the division going. No matter who wins at UFC 217 between Bisping and Georges St-Pierre, the champ is supposed to fight Robert Whittaker. If that doesn’t happen, then Rockhold will. “Robert Whittaker has proved himself top dog and I believe he and I are the two best guys in the middleweight division. So, [the winner of Michael Bisping and Georges St-Pierre] should definitely fight him. But if not, I will. I’ll fight any man at the top and Whittaker is seemingly that guy. I was impressed. First time up in the division, it was a strong, composed showing. I’ve been watching him come along since and he’s growing nicely. Whittaker’s a really tough kid.”

Tom Taylor - September 14, 2017

When it was announced that Jon Jones had failed a drug test administered on the eve his of UFC 214 knockout of Daniel Cormier, it called his win into question. When Jon Jones’ B sample came back and confirmed he’d indeed ingested the banned substance Turinabol, it sucked the legitimacy out of his win – at least in the eyes of the sanctioning California State Athletic Commission. Shortly after the results of Jones’ B sample were released, the CSAC overturned his win over Cormier, rendering it a no-contest. From there, the UFC reinstated the former champ Cormier as the reigning champion.

Tom Taylor - September 12, 2017

On November 4, in the main event of UFC 217, former UFC welterweight king Georges St-Pierre is scheduled to make his long-anticipated return to the Octagon. His opponent will be UFC middleweight king Michael Bisping. At least, that’s the plan. In the opinion of former champion Luke Rockhold, St-Pierre’s actually showing up on fight night is unlikely. Rockhold shared his doubts about St-Pierre on a recent episode of MMAJunkie Radio, also assuring that if the Canadian bails on UFC 217, he’ll happily step in to replace him.

Tom Taylor - August 15, 2017

This September 16, in the main event of the UFC’s return to Pittsburgh, PA, former Strikeforce and UFC middleweight champ Luke Rockhold will return from a long hiatus opposite former two-division World Series of Fighting champion David Branch. Speaking to Duane Finley of FloCombat.com, Rockhold shared his thoughts on this upcoming scrap with Branch. Apparently, he’s not a huge fan of the former WSOF titleholder.

Tom Taylor - August 13, 2017

Late last month, in the main event of UFC 214, then UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier stepped into the cage with his arch-enemy, former champ Jon Jones. Unfortunately for Cormier and his fans, Jones came out on top this night, sealing the dealing with a thudding shin to the head in the third-round. Just like that, he’d reclaimed the light heavyweight throne, while Cormier’s title reign had screeched to a grim end. Unsurprisingly, the ever-passionate Daniel Cormier did not take this loss well. Immediately after the fight, during an ill-advised interview with Joe Rogan, he broke down in tears, indicating clearly that he was both concussed and heartbroken.

Tom Taylor - August 9, 2017

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold is not a fan of the way Michael Bisping has been comporting himself as the reigning champ. In fact, he believes Bisping should be stripped of the UFC middleweight belt, as his only defense thus far has come against an aging Dan Henderson, and his next defense will pit him against former welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre. Rockhold made the case for the UFC’s stripping of Bisping in a recent interview with ESPN:

bjpenndotcom - August 4, 2017

The score is tied 1-1 between Luke Rockhold and UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping. In the pair’s first meeting, Rockhold picked up a submission win over his rival in a highly anticipated grudge match. Bisping vowed revenge, however his opportunity wouldn’t come for several years. When it did, it was in the form of a short notice fill-in fight in a bid for Rockhold’s middleweight title. Despite that, Bisping rose to the occasion, defying the odds as he defeated Rockhold via KO in the first round to win the middleweight championship.

Tom Taylor - August 3, 2017

It has now been more than a year since Cain Velasquez’s last fight, a July 2016 mauling of the ever-dangerous Travis Browne. This, of course, is not for lack of trying. The former heavyweight champ was briefly scheduled for a December rematch with Fabricio Werdum, but unfortunately withdrew from this fight with the latest in the long string of injuries that has marred his recent career. For a time, it sounded as though it could be awhile before the oft-injured Velasquez stepped back into the cage. Apparently, however, he might be back in action quite soon.

Russell Ess - July 24, 2017

The middleweight division that seemed so chaotic just a short time ago seems shaking itself out. With Michael Bisping vs Georges St-Pierre no longer a hot topic for Dana White and Robert Whittaker now the interim middleweight champion, it seems pretty clear who Bisping will fight next. Now, a couple of the contenders may be figuring things out for themselves as former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and Yoel Romero, who just lost to Whittaker in the interim title fight by unanimous decision, were going after each other on Twitter.

Chris Taylor - July 22, 2017

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold will make his highly anticipated return to the octagon this September when he meets David Branch in the main event of UFC Fight Night Pittsburgh. UFC officials just broke the news during tonight’s UFC on FOX 25 broadcast.

bjpenndotcom - July 21, 2017

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold has been absent from the Octagon for over a year now following his 1st round KO loss at the hands of Michael Bisping at UFC 196, where he lost the UFC middleweight title. After recovering from an injury that forced him out of his UFC Melbourne scrap with Jacare Souza, Rockhold all signs pointed to the former champ fighting Gegard Mousasi in a pivotal middleweight fight, however Mousasi went on to sign with Bellator MMA.

Chris Taylor - July 1, 2017

Luke Rockhold plans on “making some noise” in his octagon return Luke Rockhold has not stepped foot inside the octagon since losing his UFC middleweight championship to Michael Bisping at UFC 199 twelve months ago in Los Angeles, California.