Latest news with #Rockhold
USA Today
08-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Luke Rockhold: Bo Nickal looked for way out at UFC on ESPN 67, 'really a p*ssy at heart'
Luke Rockhold: Bo Nickal looked for way out at UFC on ESPN 67, 'really a p*ssy at heart' Luke Rockhold thinks rising UFC contender Bo Nickal is not a real fighter. Nickal (7-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) hasn't received much sympathy from the MMA community after suffering his first-career loss to Reinier de Ridder in Saturday's UFC on ESPN 67 co-main event at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Add former UFC middleweight champion Rockhold to the list of people piling on Nickal. "This kid Bo 'Nicole' is pretty pathetic," Rockhold told Submission Radio. "Talking a big game he was, but he was looking for a way out from the first round on. The kid just needs to shut up. I think Bo just quit like a little b*tch. It was kind of pathetic to see a kid talk all this game. There's such a thing as competitors. Wrestlers can be competitors, but they cannot be fighters all the time. This kid is not a fighter. He's a competitor, and he's really a p*ssy at heart." When asked if he had any advice for Nickal, Rockhold insisted that the standout wrestler doesn't have what it takes to be an elite fighter. "Grow a pair, red-headed step child," Rockhold said. "He doesn't have it. He ain't going to have it. Even if he stuck to wrestling, he doesn't have the wherewithal on the ground to put people away. The degree at the top is different."
USA Today
19-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
T.J. Dillashaw says Luke Rockhold 'pieces up' UFC 312 version of Sean Strickland
T.J. Dillashaw is confident that Luke Rockhold could beat Sean Strickland. Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) lost a unanimous decision to middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) earlier this month in the UFC 312 headliner at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. Rockhold, who's wanted to get his hands on Strickland for a while, went off on him and accused him of quitting in the fight. Dillashaw was also rather critical of Strickland's performance against Du Plessis and likes Rockhold's chances of beating him after what he saw. 'The Sean we're watching in this fight, Luke pieces him up,' Dillashaw said on the 'JAXXON PODCAST.' 'Sean, for whatever reason, was like gun shy. He's a volume fighter and for whatever reason, he's pop shotting. He's throwing one jab at a time. He's throwing one push kick at a time. 'He is not putting combos together. He's not feinting. He's not moving his f*cking head. He's a robot. He was standing straight up, tall and throwing a jab the whole fight. I think that Sean was hopefully going to evolve coming into this fight, and I thought he looked worse than the first one.' Rockhold and Strickland were previously booked to fight at UFC 268, but their matchup was scrapped after Rockhold withdrew due to a back injury. With Rockhold no longer in the UFC, a fight between them is highly unlikely, but that hasn't stopped Rockhold from constantly berating him. Rockhold is expected to run things back with Chris Weidman under the GFL banner this year. Rockhold dethroned Weidman to become UFC middleweight champion in December 2015 after battering him for a Round 4 TKO win.
USA Today
11-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Luke Rockhold lambasts Sean Strickland for overhyping, underdelivering at UFC 312
Luke Rockhold went off on Sean Strickland for not delivering at UFC 312. Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) lost a dominant decision to middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) in this past Saturday's headliner at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. Prior to the fight, Strickland challenged Du Plessis to a stand-up only fight and vowed to give the fans a war. Rockhold believes Strickland failed to show a sense of urgency after being down from the get-go and questioned his championship grit after Du Plessis broke his nose. 'We all watched the fight. We all heard this guy talk, 'To the death, Dutchman, to the death,'' Rockhold said on 'The Ariel Helwani Show.' 'This motherf*cker talks such a big game, and then he b*tches out and basically quits in the fight after he breaks his nose. What are you worried about? The world title is on the line. That's all you want, that's all you've dreamed of, and you're more worried about fixing your f*cking nose than winning and biting down on your mouthpiece and doing what you've got to do? I mean, it shows your true character. 'That's what the cage is all about. When has he ever put his ass on the line and bit down and really went for it – through a whole process of a fight, not just the last 10 seconds of a round? He's not finishing any big fights, I'll tell you that. Just look at him out there just talking. Just talking and doing sh*t that's not even him. I'm just tired of fake people. You see everything he presents himself as, which he is not.' Rockhold and Strickland were previously booked to fight at UFC 268, but their matchup was scrapped after Rockhold withdrew due to a back injury. Although Rockhold is no longer in the UFC, he continues to campaign for the fight while expressing his disdain toward Strickland.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Luke Rockhold vows to 'ice' Chris Weidman in GFL rematch, wants to box Darren Till after
Luke Rockhold is already on the move with Global Fight League. When GFL unveiled complete rosters for each of its six teams. Rockhold was drafted as a middleweight for Team Dubai, led by his old American Kickboxing Academy coach Javier Mendez. However, Uncrowned's Ariel Helwani confirmed Monday on "The Ariel Helwani Show" that the former UFC middleweight champion has been traded to GFL's Team LA in order to put together a Chris Weidman rematch. The promotion is expected to launch in April, and Rockhold very much wants that fight. "Weidman and me, it makes the most sense, I think, and it's fun," Rockhold said. "I think there's rumors of a fight coming here to LA, and I'm healthy, man. I'm healthy and I'm training and back to it. So, Weidman, I'd love to close that door, as Dricus [du Plessis] would say. I think I already closed it [at UFC 194], but I'm going to secure that bag, get the fight." Rockhold's and Weidman's history dates back to 2015, when they met in UFC 194's co-main event as a high-profile appetizer to the much-anticipated Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor showdown. Rockhold ultimately made good on the opportunity, finishing the then-undefeated Weidman with a fourth-round barrage of strikes to capture the UFC middleweight championship in brutal fashion. Nine years later, both former champions are now under the GFL umbrella, with Weidman on Team New York. A rematch was supposed to happen at UFC 199 in 2016, but injury forced Weidman to withdraw two weeks out from fight night, resulting in Michael Bisping's historic underdog win over Rockhold. After parting ways with UFC in December, Weidman joined GFL mere days later, citing a potential Rockhold rematch as one of the reasons he was most interested in joining the promotion. If and when that fight gets booked, Rockhold expects it to end similarly to the first for Weidman. "Let's see how it goes, I like my chances this time around," Rockhold said. "I think Weidman is a little slower than I've come off [in recent fights]. I think I can keep up. Guys like Eryk Anders and who you're losing to [in the UFC], I'm not losing those fights these days. That's what I'm seeing. "People age differently. I have aged well, trust me. If I'm healthy, I'm going to all-out flow, and I'll be slicker than most anybody out there. So I know what I'm capable of, I just gotta get in shape. Obviously, my last time out I fought Joe Schilling on three weeks' notice or less [for Karate Combat this past April], and I broke my nose again, fought through it, got the knockout. So I expect to have a full training camp and be ready to go and f***ing ice this guy. Put him to sleep." Rockhold and Weidman, 40, have both fought at light heavyweight in the past despite their careers primarily taking place at middleweight. There's been no indication yet as to which weight class a GFL rematch would be held, but Rockhold favors the heavier weight class after turning 40 this past October. But GFL still must prove that it can be a player in the MMA industry. With several handfuls of notable names and former UFC champions like Rockhold and Weidman on the roster, the foundation is in place. Rockhold likes what he's seen so far and is excited to get back to the sport he made his name in. "There's money behind it," Rockhold said of GFL. "They're taking care of me thus far, and they've got a lot of potential fights that are fun. "I miss mixed martial arts. My legs were so beat up after the Paulo Costa fight [in 2022] and injuries and different things, so it was nice to take a break. I wanted to pursue some other things, but I've gotten healthier, and really, MMA is what I'm best at. I still have some fire left in me, and I'd love to test that out." Rockhold has competed three times outside of MMA since leaving the UFC following a unanimous decision loss to Costa. Rockhold first took the gloves off for a detour into bare-knuckle boxing against Mike Perry in BKFC in 2023, which Perry won via second-round knockout. Rockhold then entered the Karate Kickboxing pit and rebounded with a nasty third-round knockout of Schilling. After Rockhold followed that with a grappling loss to Pat Downey at the Craig Jones Invitational, he was offered a spot on the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul undercard. A back injury ultimately prevented Rockhold from accepting a boxing match against Viddal Riley, but he still likes the idea of competing in the sweet science. Rockhold's ideal opponent for a boxing showcase? Fellow UFC veteran Darren Till. "I hurt my back pretty bad going into that CJI thing. I had to get steroid cortisone injections before that. It's been a little bit, but I'm healthy now," Rockhold said. "I think Darren Till is f***ing great. I'd love to swing and test myself against someone like that. We'll see who else. I mean, Viddal Riley, I still like that fight, honestly. Give me eight weeks, give me 10 weeks when I'm healthy for an eight-round boxing match. I'm going to f***ing need my legs, so I just got to be healthy for it. But all these guys, I like [for potential fights]." Till has boxed twice since leaving the UFC in early 2023. He first stopped Mohammad Mutie before most recently knocking out Anthony Taylor in Round 6 of their Misfits Boxing clash in January. Rockhold believes he'd provide Till with a much stiffer challenge than Taylor did. "I can't take that guy any serious," Rockhold said of Taylor. "He's pretty bad, the way everything about what he does and how he throws punches. "I didn't really see [their fight], I just saw the knockout. Till, he's good, he's a pretty clean boxer, for sure. He's got skills. I like it, just give me some time."
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Luke Rockhold vows to 'ice' Chris Weidman in GFL rematch, wants to box Darren Till after
Luke Rockhold is already on the move with Global Fight League (GFL). When GFL unveiled complete rosters for each of its six teams. Rockhold was drafted as a middleweight for Team Dubai, led by his old American Kickboxing Academy coach Javier Mendez. However, Uncrowned's Ariel Helwani confirmed Monday on "The Ariel Helwani Show" that the former UFC middleweight champion has been traded to GFL's Team LA in order to put together a Chris Weidman rematch. The promotion is expected to launch in April, and Rockhold very much wants that fight. "Weidman and me, it makes the most sense, I think, and it's fun," Rockhold said. "I think there's rumors of a fight coming here to LA, and I'm healthy, man. I'm healthy and I'm training and back to it. So, Weidman, I'd love to close that door, as Dricus [du Plessis] would say. I think I already closed it [at UFC 194], but I'm going to secure that bag, get the fight." Rockhold and Weidman's history dates back to 2015, when they met in UFC 194's co-main event as a high-profile appetizer to the much-anticipated Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor showdown. Rockhold ultimately made good on the opportunity, finishing the then-undefeated Weidman with a fourth-round barrage of strikes to capture the UFC middleweight championship in brutal fashion. Nine years later, both former champions are now under the GFL umbrella, with Weidman on Team New York. A rematch was supposed to happen at UFC 199 in 2016, but injury forced Weidman to withdraw two weeks out from fight night, resulting in Michael Bisping's historic underdog win over Rockhold. After parting ways with UFC in December, Weidman joined GFL mere days later, citing a potential Rockhold rematch as one of the reasons he was most interested in joining the promotion. If and when that fight gets booked, Rockhold expects to end it to end similarly to the first for Weidman. "Let's see how it goes, I like my chances this time around," Rockhold said. "I think Weidman is a little slower than I've come off [in recent fights]. I think I can keep up. Guys like Eryk Anders and who you're losing to [in the UFC], I'm not losing those fights these days. That's what I'm seeing. "People age differently. I have aged well, trust me. If I'm healthy, I'm going to all-out flow, and I'll be slicker than most anybody out there. So I know what I'm capable of, I just gotta get in shape. Obviously, my last time out I fought Joe Schilling on three weeks' notice or less [for Karate Combat this past April], and I broke my nose again, fought through it, got the knockout. So I expect to have a full training camp and be ready to go and f***ing ice this guy. Put him to sleep." Rockhold and Weidman have both fought at light heavyweight in the past despite their careers primarily taking place at middleweight. There's been no indication yet as to which weight class a GFL rematch would be held at, but Rockhold favors the heavier weight class after turning 40 this past October. But GFL still must prove that it can be a player in the MMA industry. With several handfuls of notable names and former UFC champions like Rockhold and Weidman on the roster, the foundation is in place. Rockhold likes what he's seen so far and is excited to get back to the sport he made his name in. "There's money behind it," Rockhold said of GFL. "They're taking care of me thus far, and they've got a lot of potential fights that are fun. "I miss mixed martial arts. My legs were so beat up after the Paulo Costa fight [in 2022] and injuries and different things, so it was nice to take a break. I wanted to pursue some other things, but I've gotten healthier, and really, MMA is what I'm best at. I still have some fire left in me, and I'd love to test that out." Rockhold has competed three times outside of MMA since leaving the UFC following a unanimous decision loss to Costa. Rockhold first took the gloves off for a detour into bare-knuckle boxing against Mike Perry in BKFC in 2023, which Perry won via second-round knockout. Rockhold then entered the Karate Kickboxing pit and rebounded with a nasty third-round knockout of Joe Schilling. After Rockhold followed that with a grappling loss to Pat Downey at the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI), he was offered a spot on the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul undercard. A back injury ultimately prevented Rockhold from accepting a boxing match against Viddal Riley, but he still likes the idea of competing in the sweet science. Rockhold's ideal opponent for a boxing showcase? Fellow UFC veteran Darren Till. "I hurt my back pretty bad going into that CJI thing. I had to get steroid cortisone injections before that. It's been a little bit, but I'm healthy now," Rockhold said. "I think Darren Till is f***ing great. I'd love to swing and test myself against someone like that. We'll see who else. I mean, Viddal Riley, I still like that fight, honestly. Give me eight weeks, give me 10 weeks when I'm healthy for an eight-round boxing match. I'm going to f***ing need my legs, so I just got to be healthy for it. But all these guys, I like [for potential fights]." Till has boxed twice since leaving the UFC in early 2023. He first stopped Mohammad Mutie before most recently knocking out Anthony Taylor in Round 6 of their Misfits Boxing clash in January. Rockhold believes he'd provide Till with a much stiffer challenge than Taylor did. "I can't take that guy any serious," Rockhold said of Taylor. "He's pretty bad, the way everything about what he does and how he throws punches. "I didn't really see [their fight], I just saw the knockout. Till, he's good, he's a pretty clean boxer, for sure. He's got skills. I like it, just give me some time."
