Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold has explained his return to fighting.
The former titleholder has been out of action since his bout with Paulo Costa last August. The fight against ‘The Eraser’ marked Rockhold’s first fight in over three years, and it was a spectacle. In the contest, the two middleweights traded massive shots for three rounds.
However, it was the Brazilian who got the nod by unanimous decision. Following the defeat, Rockhold announced his retirement in the cage to the applause of the crowd. The former champion’s friend and current commentator, Daniel Cormier, likened the moment to a storybook ending.
Less than a year on from that, Luke Rockhold is now out of retirement. Not only that, but the former UFC star is taking up a new sport, bare-knuckle boxing. Rockhold signed with BKFC earlier this month and is expected to headline a pay-per-view main event against Mike Perry in April.
Ahead of his return, the former UFC champion discussed why he ended his retirement in an interview with Morning Kombat. Rockhold explained that for him, fighting makes him feel alive and that it makes life worth living.
Luke Rockhold explains why he’s fighting Mike Perry
“Fighting makes you feel alive, you know.” Luke Rockhold explained in the interview with Morning Kombat discussing his return. “When you put yourself, and you’re putting something on the line and it’s real, and it makes your heart beat, it makes your blood pulse, it makes every bit of you focus in that moment. And you have to be as present as you possibly can.”
He continued, “It makes life worth living for me. It’s f*cking fighting, and I love it, and I’m going to do it. As long as my head is clear, my eyes are good, I’m sharp as can be. I haven’t lost any bit of myself in this game I feel… I feel f*cking healthy upstairs and downstairs and feel ready to go, I love it.”
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