Luke Rockhold Names Only Two Fighters He'd Return For

Luke Rockhold says there are only two fighters left in mixed martial arts who could pull him back into the sport.

The former UFC middleweight champion has made no secret of his lack of interest in signing with another MMA promotion, but he singled out two names as the exceptions that would actually get him to consider stepping back into a cage.

What Did Luke Rockhold Say About Returning to MMA?

Luke Rockhold's comments frame his MMA future in narrow terms: almost nobody left in the sport interests him enough to fight, except for two specific opponents. That's a notable stance from a fighter who has spent the last several years pulling away from the promotion that made him famous. Rockhold won UFC gold by finishing Chris Weidman in 2015 and built his reputation as one of the more dangerous grapplers to ever compete at 185 pounds, but his final UFC run ended in a lopsided 2022 loss to Paulo Costa, and he has since bounced between disciplines rather than chasing another title shot inside the Octagon.

That path has taken him to bare-knuckle boxing, where he fought Mike Perry at BKFC 41, and most recently into a freestyle wrestling matchup with Joe Pyfer at Real American Freestyle. Both moves suggest a fighter who is still competing, just not necessarily inside a traditional MMA cage against ranked opposition. Naming only two possible MMA opponents fits that pattern: Rockhold isn't closing the door entirely, he's just made it clear the list of fights that would justify a return is extremely short.

For bettors, this is a name to file away rather than act on immediately. Nothing here is a scheduled bout, so there's no line to speak of yet. But if either of the two fighters Rockhold mentioned winds up in serious talks with him, expect that matchup to draw heavy betting interest given Rockhold's name value and the layoff questions that would come with it. Markets tend to open cautious on fighters returning from extended time away from standard MMA competition, and Rockhold, now well into his late thirties, would likely see line movement tied as much to durability and ring rust as to skill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has Luke Rockhold said he would fight in MMA?

Luke Rockhold said there are only two fighters remaining in MMA who would interest him enough to return to the sport, though he did not commit to signing with any promotion.

Is Luke Rockhold still fighting?

Luke Rockhold has stayed active outside traditional MMA, competing in bare-knuckle boxing against Mike Perry at BKFC 41 and in a freestyle wrestling match against Joe Pyfer at Real American Freestyle.

When did Luke Rockhold last fight in the UFC?

Luke Rockhold's last UFC bout came against Paulo Costa in 2022, a fight he lost, and he has not competed inside the UFC since.