Former UFC middleweight champ Luke Rockhold announced that he is a free agent. He doesn’t have a contract with the UFC. Also, he stated he asked for his freedom from the Ultimate Fighting Championship so that he could fight elsewhere.
Rockhold has a good working relationship with the organization. Thus, some sports betting Korea experts were surprised when he asked for his release from the UFC. However, he has several fights left on his contract.
The former champion paid his dues. Thus, UFC COO Hunter Campbell granted his wish. According to sports news reports, the UFC confirmed Rockhold’s release.
Rockhold is a Free Agent
Rockhold claims he trains every day and is ready for a fight whenever it comes. According to sports betting odds reports, he blamed the setback on his inability to return to training immediately following a recent ankle operation. In any case, he had recovered and was doing OK now. He had just returned to California from Florida, where he had done part of his training, and he was feeling refreshed and ready for a change.
Rockhold has stated that he may return to the combat sports world in various formats, including boxing, mixed martial arts (MMA) in the PFL, Bellator, ONE Championship, or another format. He hasn’t ruled out a return to the UFC but has stressed the need to find new and exciting challenges.
After a three-year absence, Rockhold fought again in August of this year against Paulo Costa at UFC 278. Several times during the battle, the former champion seemed like he was just seconds from being knocked out as the fight progressed into deeper seas. But he made it to the last buzzer and smeared blood on Costa as a final act of defiance.
It was Rockhold’s fourth loss in five bouts since he defeated Chris Weidman by technical knockout to win the UFC middleweight belt at UFC 194 in 2015. At UFC 221, he was knocked out by Yoel Romero in a fight for the interim middleweight championship, and at UFC 239. he was knocked out by Jan Blachowicz in a battle for the light heavyweight title.
