MMA Fighting - Luke Rockhold: Give Me Someone Exciting For Comeback Fight or ‘F--- Off and Let Me Go'

Episode Date: July 15, 2021

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold speaks with MMA Fighting's Mike Heck about his comeback trail, why he hasn't booked a fight yet, names that had been discussed, having a newfound respect for Kevin Holland, what happened with the reported Khamzat Chimaev fight offer, his frustrations overall with not getting an opponent to sign the dotted line, his thoughts on the UFC 264 main event between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, his partnership with VersusGame, and more. Follow Mike Heck: @MikeHeck_JR Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgH Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLi Visit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvM Like MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z Follow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUI Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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All right, let us say hello to the former UFC middleweight champion, Luke Rockhold. Kind enough to join us. He's part of something pretty cool as far as ways to engage with fans. I believe he even helped put some fans in position to win some money this past Saturday at UFC 264. We'll get that information right now with Mr. Luke Rockhold himself. Luke, how are you, man? Good to see you, too. I'm, uh, well, working hard with, uh, no one, no dance partner. So we're still here. All right. We'll get into that in a moment, but, uh, it is great to have you here. First off, yourself, I know Daniel Cormier is, is involved with this as well, as well in the UFC that you're teaming up with versus game.

You're hosting a variety of games. I think you may have been doing something during UFC 264. Is that true? And if so, what did you do? What, what is the role that you have? this um versus gaming you know it's a interesting platform it's got a lot of like great people behind it it's just fun it's like you give people an opportunity to be right about something it's you know it's um yeah it's it's basically just like you creating a platform creating different games within games not just like the fight itself but like you know just fun stuff in between and outside of fights it can go it can go any realm any sport and it's just it's cool it's a little interactive way for the fans to and make some money and I can all have some fun with it.

Yeah, and everybody likes to be right and they can get paid and being right. So that's like double-edged short right there. And I know like fantasy sports and betting on fights has become massive over the last few years and it's growing more and more now in the MMA. And what like specifically, if you can maybe throw on an example or two, makes this different? Like what sort of makes this stick out compared to some of those other sites and makes this more exciting rather than just say,

here's 20 bucks to throw on this fighter to win this fight? I'd say just the variety. And I think it's basically off people you like and your spec, you want to play their games. So it's like, you know, if you want to play off my platform, I'm going to create different games that would be fun for you to interactively play with, not just some bookie, like setting the tone and not setting the odds against you. You know what I mean?

We're setting the odds for you rather than something. of the odds against you play you play the house you play this this gambling game the odds are always set in their favor this is why it's interesting because it's just it's just we're giving you an opportunity to be right and there's no odds that are stacked against you in any way shape or form it's just going to be you know a clear straight up opportunity to make your money and have fun with it too yeah the options seem to be endless and of course all eyes were on dust and pori and connor mcgregor this past saturday the main event the trilogy fight at least it was supposed to be the final chapter between these two guys.

Did you watch the fight? Did you watch 264? And if so, what did you think of the whole thing? Yeah, I did. I gave that. My bet was the over-under on three rounds. I assumed, I can't give my exact opinion, but I was assuming it would be go earlier than that.

So like it did. I mean, no one could predict a freaking, Connor breaking his ankle. I'm not even sure where it snapped. snap right at the ankle. They said it was a clean break of his tibia. Tibia, oh, like, right above. Yeah.

It was actually snap up. Yeah. I mean, it was, I was surprised that Connor would, like, you know, waste that. Maybe he jumped to the Ghee team because it was already, like, hurt his leg beforehand. And so something was wrong, and we went to that angle. But, you know, Dustin came in and wrestled and then put him on his back, and Connor didn't, you know, he's got to learn how to get up. So that's the game.

but you never know, like, he can come back and reset, but he didn't. And his ankle broke, the tibby broke. That's the fight game, man. People, you can't predict anything like that. That's what happens. Yeah, it was just kind of a brutal thing to watch. And, you know, there's all these different angles. I know coach Eric Nixick put out a video.

He said that his mom texted him at 7 o'clock Monday morning and said, hey, Eric, I think I know how Connor broke his leg. Like, he threw a kick when he got back to his feet in the final seconds, the first round and Porre blocked it with his elbow and then he stepped back after they both miss punches and that's when the ankle broke. So it's just so weird because we don't really know, but there's all these different examples where it could have happened. So I don't know what you kind of got from that. I think, I mean, there's no way it's like, it's braids, tibia breaks, just from the elbow like that from that little kick I saw. I saw the little. A little blurb of it,

but obviously it was checked hard and it was ready to go and then it broke through. I mean, it's kind of like why I held back on my kicks. My first kick with Yolo Ramero, a fractured my leg. And so my leg was cracked. I knew it was compromised, and I had to work around it. I tried to, I couldn't kick more as like any minute I knew. I knew I was being affected, but my leg was falling apart. I knew something was wrong, but, yeah, I don't know.

I kept trying to kick a little bit, but obviously something happened before with Porreux, acknowledging that and I think he checked him really hard and I think it was fractured and then it was just that that elbow kick the little thing kind of like just put it over the top. While I have you here, like can I just get your take on the aftermath of the whole situation because there's two sides of the fence. There's people who feel like Connor was out of line with the things that he's been saying. Then there's like Rhonda Rousey came out and said, you know, Connor's just, he's being brilliant. He's planting the seeds for the fourth fight. Like he's hurt and he breaks his leg, but he's on the ground. He's already planting seeds for the next fight.

what did you think of the aftermath the post-fight stuff all the comments so forth and so on um fucking it's Connor man he's a he's a he's a promoting genius you know and there's and the world is there's a lot of fucking people that want to want to see him win a lot of people want to see him lose he's doing it right whatever he's doing and doing something right so i mean good on fair enough when you saw like the hype for this event and you know it's been almost two years to the since we've last seen you compete. And you talked about earlier how you're just sitting here, you're getting ready, you're getting in shape,

you're getting prepared for a fight, but you don't have a dance partner. When you watch an event like that, do you feel the FOMO at all? Like, I know you're looking to get back in there as soon as possible. Does that fight week enhance that feeling to come back even more? It feels good to see that the world come back, you know, and filling up in the arena and getting that energy back into the game.

It's like really, you know, that's what the sparks, you know, us that want to thrive under that, that spotlight you know and that's that's what it's all about fighting on that fighting in a you know empty arena it just doesn't sound as cool and doesn't feel like the same way like every you're watching fights to the pandemic and it's just like there's nothing there you can't even feel it and now it's it's it's definitely a different feeling and and everything is coming back to to full fruition and it's it's more exciting to come back especially when you're just getting healthy too finally getting my health back getting my freedom of movement and um

All of it, yeah, it all adds up to it. I'm fucking ready. How would you, I guess you compare, like, the way you feel now? What was that? Say that over time? I'm sorry. I'm going to make me feel good and ready about it, too. You know what I mean?

It's like, not just the, it's the dance partner, too. I need a fucking right, the right dance partner. There you go. And in terms of, like, how you feel physically? Like, how good do you feel? Like, if you can compare it to, like, other points in your career when, you know, I mean, you were winning world titles and things like that. Is this like, can you say this is, like, one of the best times you felt physically?

as an MMA fighter or have you felt better at other times? I mean, I'm 36 years old. I mean, my body hurts a little bit here and there for sure, not like it used to be, but athletically and technically and mentally, yes. I feel fucking, I feel sharp. I feel ready. I feel like I can, like, I've been able to, like, be more present. Sometimes throughout the careers, you allow the pressure and the different things to kind of wait on you.

And right now I just feel so clear-headed and just in, a good space where I'm ready to come back and I can assert myself and I can do what I know I can do then give me the fucking dance partner to prove that or not whatever I don't care of I mean it's like I'm going to go out there I'm going to do I'm going to do what I do and so let me prove myself right or let people want to fucking try to prove me wrong but someone's got to step up and fucking do it what do you mean by like I know from there's been previous reports and it hasn't been from like a lack of effort on your part from the things that I have read to get back in there. But there's one report about Hamzaa Chamaa turning out a fight. Now he's fighting Li Jing Liang. What happened there

from your perspective? Was there an actual offer for you to fight Hamzat? But then you just realized he wanted to stay at 170. Was it as simple as that? Can you talk about that from your perspective? Well, I was looking at 85 pounders in the middle. Like, you know, that at top 10 rank guys. I want a guy's solid guys. I mean, you're out hall went the other way. different guy. I know our management talked with Kevin Holland. He actually reached out to me. He's the only guy who reached out to me personally. He said, who thought, Doc, he'd DM the other guy jumped in. I was like, I don't know. Your manager talked and didn't sound like that was the direction they want to go. He's like, no, no, no, let me handle my business and it all step up,

will do my thing. My guy has, you know, respect that from him. He's a man. I was worried he's the only guy that I could assume that wanted something that's interesting. So we'll see. If that comes later to fruition but um i know jackramanson didn't want it i know a lot of guys is a lot of guys in the division just in that top rank didn't want it they threw chamoisov at me just out of nowhere because i didn't see it coming i didn't really think about it and i was like fuck i just kind of got got a little interested about it the kid kids been talking up a big game thing and beat everybody and anybody in any time and like to take the hype i heard good things from the inside too i heard the it's real tough. So let's see. Let's see what it's all about. I love that. Like taking that

or he can prove himself right. But they offered me a date. They offered me like August 7th. And I was like, I was just a little press for time. And I was like, but I was like, okay. Okay. I was like, let's fucking, you know, do it. And then they, then they wanted to push it back to a main event on August 28th. And I got really excited. I was like, fuck, let's go. 100%. I thought it was done because they kept giving me like multiple dates. And then he just went silent. I guess he wants to stay at 170. something like that has there

since then has there been other other fights presented to you at all but it just hasn't been that appealing to you or is it just it's been crickets at this point uh no nothing nothing there since

I think everything's they're waiting on uh they're waiting on this fight they're obviously done get over with Connor and for you it was a big thing So once you get past that, this week, hopefully we get some more traction. Hopefully something pops up.

Hopefully someone sacks up. So right now you're in the same spot. You've been in for the last several months. You're waiting for a fight. You're skateboarding, your training. You're sparring with freaking Michael Bisbing, something no one ever thought we'd ever see and just waiting for that phone to ring. So you're in the same spot, man.

Like, life has changed immensely for you since you've last far, right? Oh, yeah. It's huge. It's great. Life is great, man. I'm fucking, I'm enjoying it. I think everything's meant to be. Everything will happen when it's time.

So I just roll with it. Do you feel like your fight's going to be with somebody outside of the top 15 at this point, with the way things are scheduled and booked and the way things look right now, the landscape of this division? I mean, if it's, if it's Chimae, I've used outside of 15. I ain't going to take anything that doesn't excite me. I'm not just going to step up and fight some, it not excites me. It doesn't psych my fans. It's like there's no point to them doing that.

I've been strike force champ. UFC world champ, I don't need to come back and fight some bum that doesn't fucking get me excited rather just not come back. If you want me to fight, give me something that excites me, give me something that excites my fans, my people, and all of us. That's like, otherwise fuck off and let me go because I ain't going to fucking do that. Is Shama of the top of the list right now? Like if you had a choice with what's realistic?

It's fun. Someone's exciting. That's like, I mean, if they are outside the top 10, they got to be fucking, you know, they've got to be something that gives me like some interest. Somebody's got fucking personality. Someone's got hype. Someone's got fucking, someone that gets me up,

gets me out of fucking bed. I'm not going to wake up for some fucking chunk, but doesn't do anything for me and get out of bed and work my ass off. I'm fucking 36 years old. I've achieved those heights and it's like, I want something that gets me excited. I believe that I'm still one of the best guys in the world,

and I came from the number two spot in the world. I lost a world title fight to you O.O. Romero. None of these motherfuckers in the top ten would fight Euro-Romero. You know? even in his heyday. I've fucking lost a world title fight and I stepped away from the division. I'm not coming back and fighting some dumb.

Are you surprised that you haven't booked anything? Like when people heard that you were coming back, like we thought this is a no-brainer. Like anybody you got offered your name, I would think they would say yes and jump on it because former world champion, you got a following. Ranked and everyone's fucking things they're like entitled

to this fucking position and their ranking. It's all fucking bullshit. they don't really mean that much anyways in the grand team of thing it's no meaning anything fuck off you want to talk about ranking I'm still fuck what I come back

I'm still number two fuck off fucking what fuck is a ranking I just like I want someone who's got fucking you know who makes sense who gets me excited like I said it's not just about the ranking

but you know a little bit so if hall i mean i think those fights are coming up in the fall so you're willing to wait to see how like the holl and fight goes honestly i think a lot of these guys are gonna fucking run away from five position because i know that when i'm on i'm on but i think i'm gonna fall on and just start training hard start working for it and then you know one of those fights are going to fall apart and one of these guys just gonna have i'm gonna step in and they're going to have to sack up because I think where the game works. How has the, how's the golf game been?

It's getting better and better. You definitely, like, like, from the MMA fighters that I've seen swing the sticks, you definitely have the more, I guess, pure, more professional swing. Like, like, look at DC's swing. Like, we've seen it. He's been successful in almost everything he does. But, like, if you and DC had, like, a golf match, like, what would be, like, the spread? Like five, ten strokes or more on your side?

Like, how would that go? Five strokes? Come on. Have you seen his swing? Sometimes the swing doesn't matter, man. Putting the ball in the hole. Yeah, sometimes it doesn't matter. D.C. and every blind squirrel can find a nut, for sure.

I love getting out there with D.C. He's trying. He's trying hard. But, you know, I'm thinking like 1520 maybe. Oh, that bad, huh? Wow. I'm like, I'm in the, you know, if I would try and I'm in the mid-80s. All right.

That's pretty good. 70s. Back in the day when I was to golf more. But I can get low 80s pretty, pretty consistently. Is he in the three, the triple digits consistently? Or is he in the 90s now? Has he gotten that point? Depends on if we're giving them four-foot puts, you know.

Okay. If we're giving the gimmies? Four-foot putts and molligans that we're just not counting on. Take, take another one, D. Take another Mully, my man. Get back out there. Oh, man. Well, Luke, listen, I appreciate you give me some time today.

You seem to be taking things in stride as best as you can. I can tell you're ready to get back in there. You're not just going to jump back in there for anything. You want the right fight and the right dance partner, and I can see where you're coming from. But if you're watching right out, you can join Luke in his, whatever game he's going to be putting together on the versus game app for upcoming UFC events. I know UFC 25 is coming up on August 7th. What do you got? You got a game coming

up that you could plug? Who's it? Who's the U.S. U.S. what, the August 7th? I'm excited for the football season, come back around. Oh, yeah. Those all sounds a little fun little, and I got some insight on a lot of things, so we can diversify a bit through that. Who's the next UFC fight? This weekend is Islam Machachev and Tiago Moises, but the next pay-per-view is August 7th. That's Derek Lewis and Cyril Gahn for the interim heavyweight title yeah interim heavyweight title don't get me started on that one oh go ahead get started we get started why I want because I'm gonna secure a good fight

okay nothing makes a lot of sense right now but that I'm just gonna I'll see you later I'll go well join Luke on versus game and you can You could play him and see what he thinks of the interim title fight and other games he can be putting together for the football season. True or false? Tampa Bay wins the Super Bowl again this coming season. All signs point to, yes, I would assume right now. It looks pretty good for him. We'll see.

Boston boys. That's right. He saw it hurt a little bit. I just rang with your boy Julian this morning. You did? Yeah. How's he doing post-retirement? he's uh he's doing some things he's got a lot of things in the works he's working yeah he's good

he's yeah i mean he's he's that one he won't see him in tampa bay so i don't want to break your heart listen it is what it is you know sometimes like you get to a certain age look like you're 36 i'm older than you so i mean sometimes you just uh kind of deal with your priorities and put them in different places and you know it hurt to see tom go but guys win in ring still and he's going to be back at Foxborough later on this season and he'll probably kick our asses and you're just going to do it. It's not looking good for you guys this year. Oh, come on. Cam Newton, dude? No faith in Cam? That's all you need to say. Thanks, man. See you later, man.

Catch you on my mind. Later. You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network.