Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion Luke Rockhold says he would kill another former champion.
Rockhold was in Miami, Fla., for Karate Combat 40 (KC40) as a guest sensei and to make his play-by-play commentary debut. The day before the event, the former UFC fighter was kicking pads while filming some content for KC40 when former UFC Middleweight champion Alex Pereira was brought up. Rockhold buried him.
“Pereira, it’s like any day with Pereira. Give me 10 seconds on the ground. I’ll f—king kill that motherf—ker,” Rockhold said.
Luke Rockhold: “Any day with Pereira.
Give me 10 seconds on the ground. I’ll f***ing kill that motherf***er. – Former UFC Middleweight Champion @LukeRockhold on a potential matchup with @AlexPereiraUFC – full story coming to @Cagesidepress pic.twitter.com/srvaePTOJ5— Dylan Rush (@rushmma11) June 24, 2023
Indeed, Rockhold is an elite grappler, but every fight starts on the feet, and lately, Rockhold has not found much success while standing. However, it is a moot point because the 38-year-old former Strikeforce champion retired from mixed martial arts (MMA) after losing to Paulo Costa at UFC 278 and was released from the UFC.
But hey, Rockhold beat Pereira’s kick record that he set last December at KC 37.
Alex Pereira set the Karate Combat kick record on the Power Cube with a score of 90k. Luke Rockhold and @rossTURBOlevine both just broke it throwing HEAT. ? #KC40 pic.twitter.com/FmmxDgv4lY
— Karate Combat (@KarateCombat) June 24, 2023
Rockhold was last in action at BKFC 41 when he was stopped by Mike Perry after suffering a gruesome mouth injury (watch highlights).
Pereira makes his Light Heavyweight debut against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291 next month in July.