The UFC has announced that former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold will take on Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza in the main event of UFC Fight Night 101 from Melbourne, Australia: A former champion will begin his road back to the top while a top contender seeks redemption as the UFC returns to Melbourne, Australia on Saturday,
The UFC has announced that former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold will take on Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza in the main event of UFC Fight Night 101 from Melbourne, Australia:
A former champion will begin his road back to the top while a top contender seeks redemption as the UFC returns to Melbourne, Australia on Saturday, November 26 (Sunday local time) with a five-round middleweight main event pitting Luke Rockhold against Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at Rod Laver Stadium.
FOX Sports 1 will televise the event, which sees the UFC return to Melbourne for the first time since the historic UFC 193 event in November of 2015.
The former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion, and currently the No. 1-ranked contender at 185 pounds, Rockhold is eager to erase the memory of his UFC 199 loss to Michael Bisping and get his shot at a rubber match with “The Count” as soon as possible. But first, the Californian has unfinished business with Brazil’s Souza, a ground wizard with potent punching power who believes he is a completely different fighter from the one who lost his Strikeforce title to Rockhold in 2011. Now, fresh off a stirring first-round knockout of Vitor Belfort in May, the No. 3-ranked Souza can make his own case for a title shot with a win over Rockhold.
Rockhold is coming off a first round knockout loss to current title-holder Michael Bisping at UFC 199, in which he dropped his newly acquired title to the British veteran.
Souza comes off a first round thrashing of No. 5-ranked Vitor Belfort at UFC 198 this past June. With a win over a former champion in Rockhold, the Brazilian may finally get his opportunity at UFC gold.
UFC Fight Night 101 takes place live on FS1, from the Rod Laver Stadium in Melbourne, Australia on November 26, 2016.
What’s up Nation, got a question for you guys. Would you get kicked upside the head for a bucket of coins? Not just coins, but pennies? Well, if you’re a mixed martial artist that’s pretty much what your job description is, especially when you’re on the local circuit. But the whole idea is that once you’ve paid your dues and trudged through the horribleness that are local shows, you’ll eventually be granted the golden ticket and set off for bigger and better things in a top promotion like the UFC. The thing about that, it’s far from the reality of the situation.
What’s up Nation, got a question for you guys. Would you get kicked upside the head for a bucket of coins? Not just coins, but pennies? Well, if you’re a mixed martial artist that’s pretty much what your job description is, especially when you’re on the local circuit. But the whole idea is that once you’ve paid your dues and trudged through the horribleness that are local shows, you’ll eventually be granted the golden ticket and set off for bigger and better things in a top promotion like the UFC. The thing about that, it’s far from the reality of the situation.
Luke Rockhold, former middleweight champion, talented all around fighter and a marketable commodity for the UFC has recently gone on record saying that the money he’s getting from the UFC is “bullshit.”
Yeah…so it seems like even one of the top stars in the UFC is having trouble getting those greenbacks. So one now has to wonder how long can the UFC can play this tightfisted approach to paying their talent. In the last few months we’ve seen Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, and Brock Lesnar all get paid upwards of two million dollars each, something that seemed farfetched just a year ago. A lot of that has to do with how many tickets these guys can sell. But you still have to wonder if the UFC is making the smart choice by paying a fighter like Luke Rockhold $250K a fight (money that any one of us could appreciate) to get his brains bashed in for the entertainment of savages (and I say that with all due respect) is the right move, especially with Bellator waiting in the wings to scoop up any talent they can get.
The bottom line is that though the UFC is the biggest promotion in the world they’re going to have to employ a new strategy in regards to fighter pay if they hope to keep fighters under contract. Yeah, every fighter competes at their own risk, but when you’re the champion of a division you at least deserve to see a major increase in dollars. After all, what the hell is the point of “prize fighting” if there’s no prize part.
So what do you think, is Luke Rockhold right for asking for increased pay?
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
There’s a lot to be said of the current payscale within the UFC. Ignore the fact the controversial Reebok deal screws most of the roster, we are talking about the contracts, the base payment of an individual who fights in the octagon. As the sport moves forward in to the new era of ‘money fights,’
There’s a lot to be said of the current payscale within the UFC. Ignore the fact the controversial Reebok deal screws most of the roster, we are talking about the contracts, the base payment of an individual who fights in the octagon. As the sport moves forward in to the new era of ‘money fights,’ will the mid to lower tier athletes suffer further? We already know that the real big bucks are reserved for a select few, and it doesn’t come easy to them by any means.
Take UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor for instance. ‘The Notorious’ not only fought his way through the promotion, he also carved a path in self promotion. Selling fights like few others can, McGregor has evolved in to a money making machine. While he benefits with record breaking pay checks with every pay-per-view that passes, your more ‘average’ fighters continue on salaries that often leaves them struggling to cover costs. UFC lightweight Paul Felder recently opened a GoFundMe page to help cover the part of the costs of his training camp.
Luke Rockhold
Then we have former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold. ‘Rocky’ recently said he’d possibly take up a career in modelling due to the better rate of pay in comparison to fighting. You could argue there are a million different ways to get rich, and as mentioned fighting is currently not a simple route. That said, in the wake of all the recent talk of a fighters union being formed, should there be a better base rate of pay involved that covers risk to life and at the minimum a fighter’s training costs?
According to Rockhold, via BloodyElbow.com, his recent offer from the UFC is ‘bullshit.’
“Look, a lot of people are asking ‘when are you going to fight?’ I might have a bout agreement in the mail, but the money is bullshit,” Rockhold said on snapchat (HT: MMA Digest). “When the money is right, I’ll be ready to fight.”
Change?
Following the recent talk of fighter treatment and the rise of numerous fighters associations, will this issue be resolved? Quite probably not, at least not in the immediate future. These things take time, and for Luke Rockhold that might mean either a trip in to free agency and possibly even Bellator, or a stint as a male model making cash without getting beat up in an octagon. The debate about whether an athlete fights for love or money keeps coming around, here’s my question–can’t they do both?
While former UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold awaits the proper opponent for his first fight back in the Octagon since losing his title to Michael Bisping in his last fight, Luke Rockhold revealed that he has been entertaining high-dollar offers from the modeling world.
Rockhold spoke of his potential to make seven-figure dollar paydays that would match or exceed his hefty UFC fight purses through offers stemming from Fashion Week in New York during an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour.
“I definitely want to fight, and I want to get back to that title and get my shot. So, it’s about making the right move next, and making it worth my while. I’m not going to just go out there and put my body on the line when I can get paid that much more in this world [modeling]. So, if they make it worth my while, I’d love to come back. This is what I love to do — I love to fight. But, it’s got to make sense.”
While former UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold awaits the proper opponent for his first fight back in the Octagon since losing his title to Michael Bisping in his last fight, Luke Rockhold revealed that he has been entertaining high-dollar offers from the modeling world.
Rockhold spoke of his potential to make seven-figure dollar paydays that would match or exceed his hefty UFC fight purses through offers stemming from Fashion Week in New York during an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour.
“I definitely want to fight, and I want to get back to that title and get my shot. So, it’s about making the right move next, and making it worth my while. I’m not going to just go out there and put my body on the line when I can get paid that much more in this world [modeling]. So, if they make it worth my while, I’d love to come back. This is what I love to do — I love to fight. But, it’s got to make sense.”
You know it’s a slow week in MMA when a former UFC champion is talking about modeling in the news. But that’s just what former middleweight boss Luke Rockhold is doing. After he was knocked out in shocking fashion in his short-notice title fight against Michael Bisping at June’s UFC 199, Rockhold was quick to
You know it’s a slow week in MMA when a former UFC champion is talking about modeling in the news.
But that’s just what former middleweight boss Luke Rockhold is doing. After he was knocked out in shocking fashion in his short-notice title fight against Michael Bisping at June’s UFC 199, Rockhold was quick to claim that Bisping got lucky and that he deserved an immediate rematch given that he had already submitted “The Count” in November 2014.
However, during an appearance on this week’s The MMA Hour, Rockhold’s stance on that rematch seems to have calmed down a bit, as the notoriously handsome middleweight could be enjoying the fame and attention fighting brings him in other ways. Rockhold was recently revealed to be dating pop star Demi Lovato, and now he’s got another opportunity in the works.
Apparently the former champ has a modeling gig that pays significantly more than fighting does, so while he wants to avenge his loss to Bisping and reclaim his title, he says it has to ‘make sense’ for him to put his health on the line for less money:
“I definitely want to fight, and I want to get back to that title and get my shot. So, it’s about making the right move next, and making it worth my while. I’m not going to just go out there and put my body on the line when I can get paid that much more in this world [modeling]. So, if they make it worth my while, I’d love to come back. This is what I love to do — I love to fight. But, it’s got to make sense.”
Rockhold made it clear that he has a good report with his employers at the UFC, and that he also has several fights remaining on his contract with them. He knows they are notorious for using hard-line negotiating tactics with fighters, and he accepts that as part of the fight game. But he said he has other avenues to make money himself, so he has the rarely-available opportunity to take time off as a fighter:
“I have a good relationship with the UFC for sure. It’s just, they’re always going to…it’s business, they’re going to make things to their advantage, of course. Try to take advantage of certain things and put you in a place and do what they can. That’s business, that’s how it is. And guess what, I’ve got my own business on the side and I can stand my ground too. I can take some time off.”
Sitting pretty at No. 3 on the official pound-for-pound rankings less than three months ago, there was talk that Rockhold was already the most accomplished middleweight of all time. That came crashing down against Bisping, however, a fight where Rockhold had an injured MCL that has since required some gruesome treatments to get on the path towards healing right. With that and other nagging injuries playing into his decision, Rockhold again described a scenario where he’d be paid more to instead let his body heal rather than continually bet it up:
“I’m a fighter at heart, but I’m here to get paid, so if there’s more potential [in modeling], I’ll take it. And we’re talking big numbers, so I could laugh and let my body heal and wait for the time’s right to come back and fight when it makes sense.”
With fighter pay at the center of a hotbed of issues constantly being discussed about the UFC and MMA as a whole, it’s understandable that a top-ranked former champion wants to be paid what he’s worth, especially with potentially lucrative business opportunities awaiting him outside the cage.
However, it’s going to be tough to negotiate a big payday when you just got knocked out by a fighter most regarded as a mid-level contender for most of his career, and owning a wishy-washy stance on fighting the best in the world may not be the best path to getting the belt back.
Rockhold reiterated that in a somewhat surprising context when asked if he wanted to fight at November’s supposedly blockbuster UFC 205 from New York (which currently has no fights booked), proclaiming that he might, but not if it were to interfere with any of his new modeling obligations:
“But at the same time, if I’m going to go put my body [on the line], and put off deals in [the modeling] world, it’s got to make sense in my world. If I’m going to put down deals that are worth more than I’m fighting for and I’m avoiding a shoot or something I need to do, it just doesn’t make sense. I’m going to go beat my body down and put myself through hell. I love the reward at the end, but the reward’s got to be worth it.”
Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman is coming fresh off neck surgery, after sustaining the unfortunate injury in preparation for a rematch with Luke Rockhold at UFC 199, and is ready to once again take center Octagon in the 185-pound division he once ruled with an iron fist. Weidman lost his middleweight throne to Rockhold in
Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman is coming fresh off neck surgery, after sustaining the unfortunate injury in preparation for a rematch with Luke Rockhold at UFC 199, and is ready to once again take center Octagon in the 185-pound division he once ruled with an iron fist.
Weidman lost his middleweight throne to Rockhold in the co-main event of UFC 194 last December, and ever since then the 185-pound division has been in a funk.
Rockhold would go on to lose his newly acquired title in dramatic fashion to the now-champ Michael Bisping at UFC 199 with a stunning first round knockout, setting up a title bout between Bisping and longtime rival Dan Henderson at UFC 204.
‘The All American’ Weidman recently joined The MMA Hour to give his thoughts on the No. 13-ranked Henderson getting a shot at the gold before he or Rockhold:
“I think it’s kind of stupid but I also don’t like complaining about something that’s already done, so it is what it is. Because it’s a done deal you focus on the facts and– it’s a cool thing for Dan Henderson, who’s 46-years-old, he has a chance to retire winning the belt.
You gotta be happy for him. I can’t complain too much, I was complaining when it mattered because I just didn’t think he deserves the shot at all.
And it’s just not the precedent for the future of the sport, it’s not good. It takes away from working your way to fighting for the title. I could go through his stats, his losses in the past recently, and I just don’t think he deserves it.
I don’t think he can argue that he deserves it, but he’s getting it so all the best to him.”
Weidman would go on to state that it is weird seeing Bisping hold the title, as he never viewed ‘The Count’ as ‘championship material’ and calling Bisping’s reign as champion an embarrassing one:
“Definitely. That is weird. There’s a chance he’s beating Dan Henderson but I don’t think there’s much of a chance he’s beating anyone else in the top five,” Weidman said.
“It’s definitely surreal to walk around and people ask who the champion is in my weight class and I say Michael Bisping. It’s a little embarrassing.
All power to him he went out there on short notice and beat Luke Rockhold and knocked him out in the first round, all power to him. But I just don’t think he is the best champion– he’s not like — I never thought he was championship material to be honest with you.
It was far fetched for him to get a title shot ever again, he happened to be at the right place right time when I got injured, and he had the opportunity to step up and fight for the belt and he made it work.
But before that he was in the UFC for how long, and he never fought for the belt? So now for him to fight for the belt and become champion out of nowhere is definitely a weird thing.”
May 23, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Chris Wiedman (red gloves) celebrates after knocking out Vitor Belfort (not pictured) during their middleweight championship bout during UFC 187 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Weidman won via first round TKO. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
In regards to his Octagon return coming off injury Weidman says he has yet to hear a word from the UFC regarding his return to action, but still holds out hope for a big name fight at Madison Square Garden:
“Nope haven’t heard a word. I’ve reached out, haven’t heard anything. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’d like to have the biggest fight I can possibly have at Madison Square Garden, it’s been a dream of mine to fight at MSG.
I would like a fight that everyone can get excited about, a fight that everybody really wants to see. And I don’t really know who gives that to me, I think the redemption on Luke Rockhold would probably be the biggest in my eyes and I think maybe the fight I want.
Maybe a Jacare or Yoel Romero, and you have some of the other old timers with the big names– Anderson Silva and other guys like that. I don’t know who it’s going to be honestly, I’m just gonna put it in the UFC’s hands whoever they decide they decide to give me they’ll give me.
But if I had the fight to pick it’d be Luke because I want that — I think we’re the two best in the division and I would like to fight the best guy, and especially a guy who beat me. I wanna get that one back, especially in front of my home crowd at MSG. That’d be a great one.”
When asked if he’d be okay with the fight only being only a three round fight, as opposed to a five round main event, Weidman had this to say:
“Obviously when I always visualize me fighting at MSG I was champion and defending my belt, and in the main event. But things have changed, so I’m not expecting anything.
I’d love to be the main event, that’s what I want to happen, but I don’t know what’s going to happen it depends.”
The UFC is set to make it’s Madison Square Garden debut on November 12, 2016, a perfect timetable the highly-anticipated return of Weidman. The question remains, however, who will be standing across the cage from the former middleweight king when it’s time for him to return to his old stomping grounds?
‘The All American’ Weidman recently joined The MMA Hour to give his thoughts on the No. 13-ranked Henderson getting a shot at the gold before he or Rockhold:
The UFC is set to make it’s Madison Square Garden debut on November 12, 2016, a perfect timetable the highly-anticipated return of Weidman. The question remains, however, who will be standing across the cage from the former middleweight king when it’s time for him to return to his old stomping grounds?