Luke Rockhold is open to ‘new ventures’ in boxing.
Luke Rockhold might have called it a career with the UFC, but that doesn’t mean the 37-year-old isn’t open to exploring new avenues outside of MMA.
Rockhold hinted at and later confirmed his retirement from MMA after suffering a grueling decision loss to Paulo Costa at UFC 278, with both fighters earning a $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus for their efforts.
Rockhold is a former two-promotion champion in MMA, having held titles in Strikeforce and the UFC, and admits the possibility of dipping his toes into boxing and having some success in another sport is a prospect that excites him, although not necessarily a priority right now.
“I love physical stress, no doubt,” Rockhold, the former Strikeforce and UFC middleweight champion, told MMA Junkie in a recent interview (h/t MMA News). “I will definitely look to chase adversity and discomfort. I’m not opposed to boxing; my legs need a fucking break. So, if there’s some interesting people with the right people in the right promotion, I’d love to test myself. New ventures are always great.”
Rockhold was formerly considered one of the greatest middleweights in the world, boasting stoppage victories over Chris Weidman, Michael Bisping, and Lyoto Machida, to name a few. However, he hasn’t quite been the same since losing his middleweight title to Bisping at UFC 199, losing in subsequent fights to Yoel Romero and Jan Blachowicz before coming up short against Costa in August.