He successfully defended his title for a second time, winning the fight via unanimous decision (49–46, 49–46, and 49–46). Rockhold cut the extra weight in the allotted two-hour limit. During the weigh-ins for the bout on July 13, Rockhold came in a half-pound overweight. In his second title defense, Rockhold faced Tim Kennedy in the main event of Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Rockhold won the fight via TKO in the first round. For his first title defense, Rockhold faced Keith Jardine at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. He won the fight via unanimous decision (50–45, 48–47, and 48–47) to become the new Strikeforce Middleweight champion. Rockhold was expected to face former title contender, Tim Kennedy, at Strikeforce 32 however, for unknown reasons, Rockhold was removed from the bout.Īfter more than a year and a half hiatus from fighting due to injuries, Rockhold stepped into the cage to fight Strikeforce Middleweight champion Ronaldo Souza on September 10, 2011. Rockhold was scheduled to fight Matt Lindland at Strikeforce: San Jose but pulled out a few weeks before the fight due to a shoulder injury. In addition to the win, Rockhold was announced as a playable character for the EA Sports MMA video game. With the win, Rockhold hoped to fight against tougher and well-known fighters. The fight took place at Strikeforce Challengers: Kaufman vs. In February 2010, Rockhold defeated another Ultimate Fighter 7 finalist, Paul Bradley, and won via TKO (knees to the body). The fight improved his record to 5–0 under the Strikeforce banner. Evangelista, Rockhold defeated The Ultimate Fighter 7 contestant, Jesse Taylor. Even though he was the underdog going into the fight, he won that fight in just 30 seconds with his third rear-naked choke submission in a row. Rockhold was given a step up in competition when he fought Cory Devela at Strikeforce Challengers: Villasenor vs. Diaz, Rockhold won his third consecutive fight. The second fight took place on the Strikeforce: Destruction card, which Rockhold won via submission. Impressed with his performance, Strikeforce decided to give him another fight. Rockhold looked impressive in his debut, forcing his opponent to submit from punches. Up-and-coming promotion Strikeforce called and offered Rockhold a fight on their Strikeforce: Young Guns II card. In his second fight for the promotion, in November 2007, Rockhold was defeated by Tony Rubalcava via TKO. Rockhold dominated the fight and won via armbar submission midway through the first round. In July 2007, Rockhold made his professional debut against Mike Martinez for the Melee on the Mountain promotion. His raw talent and kicking displays immediately caught the eye of AKA head coach Javier Mendez, who touted Rockhold as a potential future champion. In 2006, a friend invited Rockhold to train at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, California. After winning a few BJJ tournaments, he decided to enter mixed martial arts. Rockhold tried wrestling for a local community college but decided to take jiu-jitsu on full-time. He is also of German, Irish and English descent. Rockhold's great grandfather was a full blood Native American. When he entered the seventh grade, he joined his school's wrestling team and stuck with the sport all throughout his time at Soquel High School while taking jiu-jitsu classes. Luke started training in judo when he was 6 years old but quit upon turning ten. His father was a professional basketball player in Europe and his mother was an avid tennis player. Growing up, Luke and his older brother, pro- surfer Matt Rockhold, surfed their local breaks together. Rockhold was born on October 17, 1984, in Santa Cruz, California from an athletic family. Rockhold is also an avid surfer, skateboarder, Īnd a professional model having modeled at the New York Fashion Week and as the face of Ralph Lauren's "Polo Blue" fragrance. A two-time world champion, Rockhold also won the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship, he defended the title twice and was the last man to hold the belt before Strikeforce was officially absorbed by the UFC in 2013. He is a former UFC Middleweight Champion. He is best known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he competed in the Light Heavyweight and Middleweight division. Luke Skyler Rockhold (born October 17, 1984) is an American retired mixed martial artist. black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Leandro Vieira and Dave Camarillo Luke Rockhold at UFC 229 press conference in October 2018ġst deg.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |