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A former UFC champion is leaning toward calling it a career.
Luke Rockhold, who won the middleweight title in 2015, told ESPN on Thursday night that he is considering never fighting again.
"I have no interest in fighting right now," Rockhold said.
When asked if it was possible he might never fight again, Rockhold replied, "Very."
The 35-year-old added that he doesn't like "closing doors," meaning he was unlikely to make a traditional retirement announcement anytime soon, but made it clear a return to the UFC was not in his future plans.
In July, Rockhold suffered a second-round knock out by Jan Blachowicz in what was his light heavyweight debut. Rockhold suffered a broken jaw in that fight, he said, which required surgery and the insertion of a titanium plate. His jaw was initially wired shut for five days following surgery, Rockhold told ESPN.
Following the loss, UFC president Dana White, who urged Rockhold to retire at the UFC 239 postfight news conference, said that was the second time Rockhold had broken his jaw in a fight; however, Rockhold told ESPN it was actually his first time. When Yoel Romero knocked him out in 2017, Rockhold said his four lower front teeth "got bent in."
"I never had as much of a cut my entire career before my last two fights," he said.
Despite his time away from fighting, the former Strikeforce middleweight champion is keeping busy. In addition to his budding modeling career -- he has been the face of campaigns for Polo Ralph Lauren -- Rockhold said he'll be filming a movie in Saskatchewan, Canada, next month; starting an education company; and is in talks to compete in grappling matches. He also recently competed in steer wrestling in Whitefish, Montana, and took second place.
Rockhold (16-5) was once considered one of the best fighters in the world. He debuted in 2007 and gained notoriety in 2011, when he defeated Ronaldo Souza to win the Strikeforce middleweight title. He won the UFC 185-pound belt when he defeated Chris Weidman at UFC 194, but subsequently lost it in his next fight, in June 2016, when he was knocked out in the first round by Michael Bisping in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
Rockhold returned to form in September 2017 by stopping David Branch in the second round, but that would prove to be his most recent victory to date. His next two fights were knockout losses to Romero and Blachowicz.
In addition to the losses, Rockhold has battled numerous injuries over the years, most notably a recurring shin injury that required a skin graft, which contributed to his 511-day layoff between his past two fights.
https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id...-fight?platform=amp&__twitter_impression=true
Luke Rockhold, who won the middleweight title in 2015, told ESPN on Thursday night that he is considering never fighting again.
"I have no interest in fighting right now," Rockhold said.
When asked if it was possible he might never fight again, Rockhold replied, "Very."
The 35-year-old added that he doesn't like "closing doors," meaning he was unlikely to make a traditional retirement announcement anytime soon, but made it clear a return to the UFC was not in his future plans.
In July, Rockhold suffered a second-round knock out by Jan Blachowicz in what was his light heavyweight debut. Rockhold suffered a broken jaw in that fight, he said, which required surgery and the insertion of a titanium plate. His jaw was initially wired shut for five days following surgery, Rockhold told ESPN.
Following the loss, UFC president Dana White, who urged Rockhold to retire at the UFC 239 postfight news conference, said that was the second time Rockhold had broken his jaw in a fight; however, Rockhold told ESPN it was actually his first time. When Yoel Romero knocked him out in 2017, Rockhold said his four lower front teeth "got bent in."
"I never had as much of a cut my entire career before my last two fights," he said.
Despite his time away from fighting, the former Strikeforce middleweight champion is keeping busy. In addition to his budding modeling career -- he has been the face of campaigns for Polo Ralph Lauren -- Rockhold said he'll be filming a movie in Saskatchewan, Canada, next month; starting an education company; and is in talks to compete in grappling matches. He also recently competed in steer wrestling in Whitefish, Montana, and took second place.
Rockhold (16-5) was once considered one of the best fighters in the world. He debuted in 2007 and gained notoriety in 2011, when he defeated Ronaldo Souza to win the Strikeforce middleweight title. He won the UFC 185-pound belt when he defeated Chris Weidman at UFC 194, but subsequently lost it in his next fight, in June 2016, when he was knocked out in the first round by Michael Bisping in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
Rockhold returned to form in September 2017 by stopping David Branch in the second round, but that would prove to be his most recent victory to date. His next two fights were knockout losses to Romero and Blachowicz.
In addition to the losses, Rockhold has battled numerous injuries over the years, most notably a recurring shin injury that required a skin graft, which contributed to his 511-day layoff between his past two fights.
https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id...-fight?platform=amp&__twitter_impression=true
