Luke Rockhold facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Luke Rockhold |
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Luke Rockhold at UFC 229 press conference in October 2018
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| Born | Luke Skyler Rockhold October 17, 1984 Santa Cruz, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) |
| Division | Middleweight (2007–2018, 2022) Light Heavyweight (2019) |
| Reach | 77 in (196 cm) |
| Style | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Fighting out of | San Jose, California, U.S. |
| Team | American Kickboxing Academy RVCA Training Center Sanford MMA |
| Trainer | Javier Mendez Henri Hooft Jason Parillo |
| Rank | 1st degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Leandro Vieira and Dave Camarillo |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 22 |
| Wins | 16 |
| By knockout | 6 |
| By submission | 8 |
| By decision | 2 |
| Losses | 6 |
| By knockout | 5 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Medal record | ||
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Representing  United States |
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| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | ||
| World No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Championship | ||
| Gold | 2007 Long Beach | -91.5kg |
| World Jiu-Jitsu Championship | ||
| Gold | 2007 Long Beach | -94.3kg |
| Pan American Jiu-Jitsu Championship | ||
| Silver | 2006 Long Beach | -88.3kg |
Luke Skyler Rockhold (born October 17, 1984) is an American athlete. He is known for his career in mixed martial arts (MMA). He used to fight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). There, he was a UFC Middleweight Champion. Luke also competed in Strikeforce. He was the last Strikeforce Middleweight Champion. Now, he is signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and Karate Combat.
Contents
About Luke Rockhold
Luke Rockhold was born on October 17, 1984. His hometown is Santa Cruz, California. He comes from a family of athletes. His older brother, Matt, is a professional surfer. Luke's dad played professional basketball in Europe. His mom was a great tennis player.
Luke started training in judo at age 6. He stopped when he was ten. In seventh grade, he joined his school's wrestling team. He continued wrestling through high school. He also took jiu-jitsu classes. Luke has German, Irish, and English ancestors.
After high school, Luke focused on jiu-jitsu. He won several tournaments. Then he decided to try mixed martial arts. In 2006, he began training at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA). This is in San Jose, California. His coach, Javier Mendez, saw his talent. Mendez believed Luke could become a champion.
Mixed Martial Arts Career
Fighting in Strikeforce
Luke Rockhold started his professional MMA career with the promotion Strikeforce. His first fight was at Strikeforce: Young Guns II. He won by making his opponent give up. Strikeforce was impressed and offered him more fights.
He won his second fight at Strikeforce: Destruction. He won his third fight at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz. Luke then fought Cory Devela at Strikeforce Challengers: Villasenor vs. Cyborg. He won in just 30 seconds. This was his third win by a rear-naked choke.
At Strikeforce Challengers: Gurgel vs. Evangelista, Luke beat Jesse Taylor. This made his Strikeforce record 5 wins and 0 losses. In 2010, he defeated Paul Bradley. He won by TKO (technical knockout). This fight was at Strikeforce Challengers: Kaufman vs. Hashi. After this win, Luke wanted to fight tougher opponents. He was also added as a character in the EA Sports MMA video game.
Becoming the Middleweight Champion
After being out for over a year due to injuries, Luke returned. He fought Strikeforce Middleweight champion Ronaldo Souza. This fight was on September 10, 2011. Luke won by a unanimous decision. He became the new Strikeforce Middleweight Champion.
For his first title defense, Luke fought Keith Jardine. This was at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine in January 2012. Luke won by TKO in the first round.
His second title defense was against Tim Kennedy. This happened at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy in July 2012. Luke won by unanimous decision. He successfully defended his title twice. He set a record for most consecutive Strikeforce Middleweight title defenses.
Luke was supposed to fight Lorenz Larkin in November 2012. But Luke had to pull out due to an injury. The event was then canceled.
Joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship
In January 2013, Strikeforce closed down. Many of its fighters moved to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Luke Rockhold was one of them.
Luke's first UFC fight was against Vitor Belfort. This was on May 18, 2013, at UFC on FX 8. He lost the fight by knockout in the first round.
He was set to fight Tim Boetsch in October 2013. But Luke got a knee injury and was replaced. Luke then fought Costas Philippou in January 2014. He won by TKO in the first round. He earned a "Knockout of the Night" bonus for this win. Luke later fought Tim Boetsch in April 2014. He won that fight by submission in the first round.
Luke faced Michael Bisping in November 2014. He won in the second round by submission. This win earned him his first "Performance of the Night" bonus.
In April 2015, Luke fought former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida. Luke won by submission in the second round. He earned his second "Performance of the Night" bonus.
Winning the UFC Middleweight Title
Luke Rockhold then challenged Chris Weidman for the UFC Middleweight Championship. This big fight was on December 12, 2015, at UFC 194. Luke won by technical knockout in the fourth round. He became the seventh middleweight champion in UFC history. Both fighters received "Fight of the Night" awards.
After the fight, Luke shared that he had been sick. He had a staph infection and was on medicine. This made him very tired during the later rounds. To celebrate his victory, his hometown of Santa Cruz, California, declared December 18 as "Luke Rockhold Day."
After the Championship
A rematch with Chris Weidman was planned for June 2016. But Weidman got injured. Michael Bisping stepped in to fight Luke instead. Luke lost his title to Bisping in the first round. Many people in MMA thought this was a big surprise. Bisping took the fight on short notice.
Luke was supposed to fight Ronaldo Souza again in November 2016. But Luke got injured and the fight was canceled.
Luke returned to fighting in September 2017. He faced David Branch at UFC Fight Night 116. Luke won by making Branch give up from punches in the second round.
In February 2018, Luke was scheduled to fight UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker. But Whittaker pulled out due to a serious infection. Yoel Romero replaced him. Romero missed weight for the fight. Luke lost to Romero by knockout in the third round.
Luke later injured his leg in training. This stopped a planned fight with Alexander Gustafsson. He also had to withdraw from a rematch with Chris Weidman in November 2018 due to another injury.
Moving to Light Heavyweight
In December 2018, Luke announced he would move up a weight class. He moved to light heavyweight. This was because it was getting harder to cut weight for middleweight fights. His light heavyweight debut was against Jan Błachowicz. This fight was on July 6, 2019, at UFC 239. Luke lost the fight by knockout in the second round.
Later Career and Retirement
After two years away, Luke was set to fight Sean Strickland in November 2021. But Luke had to pull out due to a herniated disc in his back.
Luke then fought Paulo Costa on August 20, 2022, at UFC 278. Luke lost the fight by unanimous decision. This fight earned him a "Fight of the Night" award. After this fight, Luke announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.
Even though he retired from MMA, Luke has talked about boxing. In January 2023, he shared that he was released from his UFC contract. He said he would come out of retirement to fight for another MMA organization.
Hardcore FC Fight Show
Luke Rockhold and Tyron Woodley will coach fighters. This will be for a reality TV show called Hardcore FC Fight Show. It will be filmed in the United Arab Emirates in April and May 2024.
Other Combat Sports
Professional Grappling
Luke Rockhold competed in grappling against Nick Rodriguez. This was at Polaris 12 in November 2019. He lost by a unanimous decision.
He was scheduled to face Craig Jones in a grappling match in September 2023. But the event was canceled.
Luke competed in the Craig Jones Invitational in August 2024. He lost to Pat Downey in the first round.
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship
On March 1, 2023, Luke signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). He made his debut against Mike Perry at BKFC 41. This was on April 29, 2023. He retired during the fight and lost by technical knockout.
Karate Combat
Luke Rockhold made his Karate Combat debut on April 20, 2024. He fought Joe Schilling at Karate Combat 45 in Dubai. Luke won the fight by knockout in the third round.
Global Fight League
On December 11, 2024, it was announced that Luke Rockhold signed with Global Fight League.
Other Ventures
Modeling Career
Luke Rockhold has also had a successful career as a model. He signed with Soul Artist Management. This is the same agency that worked with fellow UFC fighter Alan Jouban. Luke has appeared in professional modeling spreads. He has also modeled at New York Fashion Week.
Face of Ralph Lauren Cologne
In 2018, Luke Rockhold became the new face of Ralph Lauren's "Polo Blue" cologne.
Championships and Accomplishments
Mixed Martial Arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Middleweight Championship (One time)
- Fight of the Night (Two times) vs. Chris Weidman and Paulo Costa
- Knockout of the Night (One time) vs. Costas Philippou
- Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Michael Bisping and Lyoto Machida
- UFC.com Awards
- 2014: Ranked #6 Fighter of the Year & Ranked #4 Submission of the Year vs. Tim Boetsch
- 2015: Ranked #6 Fighter of the Year
- Strikeforce
- Strikeforce Middleweight Championship (One time; final)
- Two successful title defenses
- Tied most finishes in Strikeforce history (7)
- Most submissions in Strikeforce history (5)
- Strikeforce Middleweight Championship (One time; final)
- Sherdog.com
- 2015 All-Violence First Team
- 2014 Submission of the Year vs. Tim Boetsch
- 2014 All-Violence First Team
- Fight Matrix.com
- 2015 Upset of the Year vs. Chris Weidman
- 2015 Most Noteworthy Match of the Year vs. Chris Weidman
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation
- 2007 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Purple Belt No-Gi Gold Medalist
- 2007 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships Blue Belt Gold Medalist
- 2006 IBJJF Pan American Championships Blue Belt Silver Medalist
Mixed Martial Arts Record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 22 matches | 16 wins | 6 losses |
| By knockout | 6 | 5 |
| By submission | 8 | 0 |
| By decision | 2 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 16–6 | Paulo Costa | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 278 | August 20, 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | Returned to Middleweight. Fight of the Night. |
| Loss | 16–5 | Jan Błachowicz | KO (punches) | UFC 239 | July 6, 2019 | 2 | 1:39 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Light Heavyweight debut. |
| Loss | 16–4 | Yoel Romero | KO (punches) | UFC 221 | February 10, 2018 | 3 | 1:48 | Perth, Western Australia, Australia | For the interim UFC Middleweight Championship. Romero missed weight (187.7 lb) and was not eligible to win the title. |
| Win | 16–3 | David Branch | TKO (submission to punches) | UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Branch | September 16, 2017 | 2 | 4:04 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States | |
| Loss | 15–3 | Michael Bisping | KO (punches) | UFC 199 | June 4, 2016 | 1 | 3:36 | Inglewood, California, United States | Lost the UFC Middleweight Championship. |
| Win | 15–2 | Chris Weidman | TKO (punches) | UFC 194 | December 12, 2015 | 4 | 3:12 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Won the UFC Middleweight Championship. Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 14–2 | Lyoto Machida | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC on Fox: Machida vs. Rockhold | April 18, 2015 | 2 | 2:31 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 13–2 | Michael Bisping | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Bisping | November 8, 2014 | 2 | 0:57 | Sydney, Australia | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 12–2 | Tim Boetsch | Submission (inverted triangle kimura) | UFC 172 | April 26, 2014 | 1 | 2:08 | Baltimore, Maryland, United States | |
| Win | 11–2 | Costas Philippou | KO (body kick) | UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Philippou | January 15, 2014 | 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 | May 18, 2013 | 1 | 2:32 | Jaraguá do Sul, Brazil | |
| Win | 10–1 | Tim Kennedy | Decision (unanimous) | Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy | July 14, 2012 | 5 | 5:00 | Portland, Oregon, United States | Defended the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. Broke the record for the most consecutive Strikeforce Middleweight Championship title defenses (2). |
| Win | 9–1 | Keith Jardine | TKO (punches) | Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine | January 7, 2012 | 1 | 4:26 | Paradise, Nevada, United States | Defended the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. |
| Win | 8–1 | Ronaldo Souza | Decision (unanimous) | Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov | September 10, 2011 | 5 | 5:00 | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States | Won the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. |
| Win | 7–1 | Paul Bradley | TKO (knees to the body) | Strikeforce Challengers: Kaufman vs. Hashi | February 26, 2010 | 1 | 2:24 | San Jose, California, United States | |
| Win | 6–1 | Jesse Taylor | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Strikeforce Challengers: Gurgel vs. Evangelista | November 6, 2009 | 1 | 3:42 | Fresno, California, United States | |
| Win | 5–1 | Cory Devela | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Strikeforce Challengers: Villasenor vs. Cyborg | June 19, 2009 | 1 | 0:30 | Kent, Washington, United States | |
| Win | 4–1 | Buck Meredith | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz | April 11, 2009 | 1 | 4:07 | San Jose, California, United States | |
| Win | 3–1 | Nik Theotikos | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Strikeforce: Destruction | November 21, 2008 | 1 | 3:06 | San Jose, California, United States | |
| Win | 2–1 | Josh Neal | TKO (submission to punches) | Strikeforce: Young Guns II | February 1, 2008 | 1 | 1:49 | San Jose, California, United States | |
| Loss | 1–1 | Tony Rubalcava | TKO (punches) | Melee on the Mountain | November 6, 2007 | 1 | 2:46 | Friant, California, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Mike Martinez | Submission (armbar) | Melee on the Mountain | July 24, 2007 | 1 | 2:44 | Friant, California, United States |
Bare Knuckle Record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 1 match | 0 wins | 1 loss |
| By knockout | 0 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Mike Perry | TKO (retirement) | BKFC 41 | April 29, 2023 | 2 | 1:15 | Broomfield, Colorado, United States |
Karate Combat Record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 1 match | 1 win | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 1 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Joe Schilling | TKO (punches) | Karate Combat 45 | April 20, 2024 | 3 | 1:43 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
See also
In Spanish: Luke Rockhold para niños
- List of Strikeforce alumni
- List of male mixed martial artists
