COSTA MESA, Calif. ā Luke Rockhold has some very personal reasons for resuming his fighting career.
Rockhold (16-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC), a former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion, is scheduled to step back in the octagon for the first time since July 2019 when he takes on Paulo Costa (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) on Aug. 20 at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City.
A case of burnout caused Rockhold to step away for the better part of three years following a knockout loss to Jan Blachowicz. He was content with how his life was going until February of this year when a significant relationship dissolved in a painful way, causing him to reevaluate key elements.
āI know itās not a popular subject right now, but I did have an abortion, and I did have a big breakup,ā Rockhold told MMA Junkie. āThere was a lot committed in trying to ā you know, Iām 37 and wanting that, needing that and then it all falling apart, it hurt. It definitely was a big turning point in realizing where my life was and where Iām going. Having a kid on the way and prepping for that and carrying the weight of the kid and another, it weighs on you, to where you want to put yourself in that place later in life. Having to make that decision, a lot of things just werenāt right. There wasnāt a lot of truth on both sides, on either side, and it just f*cked me up.
āAnd it made me f*cking transition and change my life for the better. Ever since then really, Iāve been sober. I think Super Bowl weekend was that, and the week after was sobriety.
āSo, I want what I want, and I want it all. That was that. I want this f*cking thing, and every part of me wants this, and Iām not going to do anything thatās going to compromise that come that day. Iāll do more than Paulo Costa, and Iāll do more leading up to that point, and Iāll do more in the cage. And Iāll keep doing more after.ā
Rockhold clarified that his turn to sobriety wasnāt the product of an unhealthy drinking habit. He made the decision to cut alcohol purely because he knows that, at his age, he needs to be extremely disciplined to ensure he gives himself the best chance of victory at UFC 278.
āIām not saying sobriety ā Iām just not drinking,ā Rockhold said. āYeah, I was drinking a bit much, and I was enjoying myself a bit too much. Itās what happens. Itās just not helping. I know that Iām 37 years old, and I want to give every bit of my focus to that. And one glass of wine leads to another, and itās just like my body doesnāt like it. When Iām training, my body doesnāt like alcohol, so Iām not going to drink alcohol.ā
Rockhold originally was scheduled to fight Costa on July 30 at UFC 277. The Brazilian requested a delay, however, and the date was shifted back three weeks. The change wouldāve frustrated a lot of fighters, but given Rockhold already has been out of action for more than three years, he took it in stride.
āEverything is a blessing in disguise,ā Rockhold said. āIt gives me more time to prep. I took that hiatus, that leave of absence, and you burn out. Everyone can burn out in this sport. In any sport, but especially in fighting. Coming into the gym every day and fighting people, sometimes you just hit a wall. Fifteen years in the sport, 14 years ā I needed to take a break. Take two or three years away. I have that hunger. I have that will. I want to watch my sparring. I want to watch my opponents. My last few fights, I wasnāt even fcking watching film. I wasnāt watching myself. I wasnāt eager to get home and turn on fcking Fight Pass and do my homework. Iām f*cking hungry, and I want it, and my body feels great.ā
Despite no wins on his resume since September 2017, Rockhold said he enters UFC 278 with extreme confidence. Heās leaving no stone unturned in his preparation, and heās been splitting training camp between coach Jason Parillo in Southern California, American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, and Sanford MMA in Florida.
Although Costa has proven to be a heavy hitter at 185 pounds, Rockhold said he thinks he can force his opponent into his style of fight and find a clear path to victory.
āThereās an easy fight, and thereās a hard fight,ā Rockhold said. āI really, truly think I can make this fight look easy. If I go out there and fight present ā not focused on anything else and just letting myself go and I get that flow state ā Iām going to smoke this fool. Heās too tit-for-tat. Heās too bulky. He looks for breaks, and if I just take myself and execute, Iām going to finish him. He wants to go kick for kick from the outside ā he canāt reach me from the outside. And heās f*cked if we go to the ground.ā
Too bad he didnāt stop drinking before killing that kid. Lol@ everything is a blessing in disguise.
Yeah, not exactly following that part, he makes it sound like he himself had the abortion so he can eliminate a distraction. Luke has never been a wordsmith so Iām sure a little is lost in translation
Somehow , hes being tested by the Uni
People love a comeback story, it would be so easy for Luke to make a final babyface runā¦.and somehow he still manages to fuck it up by being intensely unlikable.
that Ego Man , That EGO
Looking forward to Costa wrecking him.
Wtf is he even talking about? Dude is so fucking weird, does he have aspergers?
He hasnāt changed one bit. Heās still so dismissive about his opponent I am predicting another hilarious k.o. loss.
Heās probably been like that his whole life. So I doubt thatās changing.
for sure
I thought it was he was expecting a baby and the girl had the abortion behind his back and broke up with him
Luke Warm. I like it.
Conceive,
Believe,
Achieve.
it is
this
I think heās retarded or something.
I suspect āreevaluating his lifeā is going to be a cyclical pattern for years to come. He will be due for another reevaluation after Costa shatters his ribs.
