Luke Rockhold is enjoying his combat sports freedom.
UFC 278 in Aug. 2022 marked the last time Rockhold stepped foot inside the Octagon … at least for now. The former Middleweight titleholder hasn’t completely closed the door on an eventual return despite being 38 years old. If he ever does return, however, it will just have to be on terms that best benefit him.
“I think there’s something to [BKFC],” Rockhold told Just Scrap Radio. “When you watch it and see what they’re doing, there’s something so intriguing about it and I think there’s an audience and people are getting behind it.
“It’s a fair revenue split whereas the UFC is just controlling everything,” he continued. “They merged with [WWE] and they’re a $12 billion company now and they’re still suppressing everybody, putting them in s—tty hotels, and paying them $50,000 bonuses. It’s like, come on, dog. Anybody smart is gonna get out of that game and not just want to be a b—ch and be like ‘a UFC fighter,’ and attack that. Try to use their platform for something. These people just hold onto the nostalgia of being a UFC fighter like idiots like Sean Strickland, who will just be a dog slave for the rest of his life.”
Rockhold’s UFC run came to an end on the heels of a three-fight losing skid, culminating with his first Fight of the Night performance against Paulo Costa in a unanimous decision loss (watch highlights). He’s since signed with BKFC where he’ll make his bare-knuckle boxing debut against Mike Perry in the main event of BKFC 41 in Denver, Colorado this weekend (Sat., April 29, 2023). After that, there’s no telling what’s in store.
“Whatever I want,” Rockhold said of his future after the Perry fight. “That’s the beauty of being your own promotion. That’s where I’m gonna stay from now on. No more contracts. One fight, prove your worth. That’s what fighting is, man. When you’re at the top of the game and people are willing to watch you, you prove your worth every time you fight and that should be the stage of what you are and how you get paid. There’s no point of being in a long-term contract. It’s security for people that are not real fighters and a company that wants to lock you in and slave you.”
BKFC 41 airs live on pay-per-view (PPV) on Fite TV for $49.99 this Saturday night. FITE+ subscribers can get 50 percent, dropping the price to $24.99. Click here to purchase.