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Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold has expressed his intention to return to the octagon soon. The 36 year old hasn't entered the cage since a brutal knockout loss to current light heavyweight king Jan Blachowicz back in 2019.
After a failed venture to 205-pounds and perhaps some thought of retiring, Luke Rockhold is keen for at least one more bout at middleweight. Despite not winning a fight since 2017, the American says he wants to fight the best.
Speaking with ESPN's Brett Okamoto, Luke Rockhold stated -
"You know, it's like someone they wanna give me if they're gonna present something that's credible. Otherwise, you know, it's what I've done most of my career is pick names, you know. Pick, throw, and come to an agreement. So that's pretty much where it's been, just trying to find good names, fun names. Get me excited, get the fans excited, get you guys excited on your end." Luke Rockhold said.
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But what options does Luke Rockhold have? Here are five potential opponents if he is to return to the UFC soon.
#5 Luke Rockhold vs. Khamzat Chimaev
This one is perhaps quite left-field but for some reason I can see it happening. Luke Rockhold is after a big name and a challenge upon his return. Khamzat Chimaev offers both of those things.
'The Chechen Wolf' has transformed from an unknown entity into one of the most talked about names in MMA over the past year. Chimaev established his name in the UFC immediately, after two wins on Fight Island over John Phillips and Rhys McKee within the space of 10 days marked a new UFC record for the fastest consecutive wins in modern UFC history.
A brutal knockout win against veteran middleweight Gerald Meerschaert less than two months later made a statement to the 185 and 170-pound divisions. Given the knockouts Luke Rockhold has suffered, he may want to stay away from Chimaev...
Numerous attempts to book a blockbuster fight against Leon Edwards fell through after Chimaev suffered from Covid-19. The long-lasting effects of the virus seemed like they could halt the young star's MMA career altogether.
But now, Chimaev appears to be close to a full recovery and is back to his usual entertaining self on social media. it seems a fight between the 27 year old and Neil Magny is inevitable, but should that fall through, a matchup with Luke Rockhold would add a big name to his record.
For Luke Rockhold, a bout with Chimaev would certainly bring him the big name he's after. Not many other fights would bring as many eyes to his return as this. It's quite a far-fetched matchup but you never know!
#4 Luke Rockhold vs. Jack Hermansson
Perhaps the highest-ranked opponent Luke Rockhold could conceivably face on his return is Jack Hermansson, purely based on availability.
The Swedish-born Norwegian has been a contender in the division for some time. After a defeat against Thiago Santos in 2017. 'The Joker' built an impressive four-fight winning streak that included wins over Gerald Meerschaert and David Branch, and a main event victory over Jacare Souza.
Jared Cannonier broke his streak, but Hermansson rebounded in 2020 with a remarkable first-round submission win against Kelvin Gastelum on Fight Island.
Perhaps a win over Marvin Vettori would have secured Hermansson his first UFC title opportunity. In the end, Vettori took the decision win in their 'Fight of the Night' and will face Israel Adesanya at UFC 263. However, Hermansson returned to the win column against Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC Vegas 27 last weekend.
Hermansson has made it clear he wants to fight a top-six contender in his next fight. However, with Paulo Costa and Cannonier set to fight in August and Darren Till slated to fight Derek Brunson in the same month, Hermansson could be waiting a while for that opportunity.
It's possible the UFC could go to the 32 year old with a fight against Luke Rockhold during the summer, before granting him one of the four contenders fighting in August towards the end of the year.
#3 Luke Rockhold vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
One man in desperate need of a win is Edmen Shahbazyan. The future star has struggled against the division's top contenders. Perhaps a matchup against veteran Luke Rockhold could bring his career back on track.
Shahbazyan is about as exciting a prospect as the UFC has ever had. He’s managed by Ronda Rousey’s One Fight Management and has established his name at the age of just 23. He boasts nine knockouts, collected four victories in his first four walks to the octagon, and he’s already main evented a UFC card.
Being chosen to headline a Fight Night showed how highly regarded Shahbazyan is. He main-evented UFC Vegas 5 last August against Derek Brunson in what was a challenging step-up in competition. The part-Armenian middleweight fell to Brunson in the third round. His first appearance in 2021 has provided another setback to his middleweight rise.
Against Jack Hermansson at UFC Vegas 27, Edmen Shahbazyan fell to a second consecutive defeat. It was the kind of matchup we'd have expected Shahbazyan to move onto should he have beaten Derek Brunson in 2020. To be matched up against someone of Hermansson's quality after his last fight had the potential to be a blessing or a curse. It proved to be the latter.
The UFC will be keen to steer a hot prospect like Shahbazyan back onto the right path. A matchup with Luke Rockhold will give him a likely downgrade in opponent quality but still a recognizable and respected name that will add to his resume. For Luke Rockhold, a win over Shahbazyan would prove he can still compete against the fresh new faces of the modern middleweight division.
#2 Luke Rockhold vs. Kelvin Gastelum
It seems surprising a matchup between Luke Rockhold and Kelvin Gastelum hasn't happened yet. Given Gastelum's form in recent years, a fight against a veteran like Luke Rockhold, who remains a big name in the sport, could be beneficial.
It's crazy to think Kelvin Gastelum isn't even 30-years-old yet, it feels like he's been around for ages. His relative youth is great news for us fans. It means we've got a host of Kelvin Gastelum classics still to come.
Despite breaking onto the UFC scene in impactful fashion and going onto fight for the interim UFC middleweight title, Gastelum has struggled across the last few years and has found himself sliding further down the 185-pound rankings. But despite his recent results, Gastelum's career so far has proven his ability inside the octagon and it would be surprising if we don't see him rise back to the top soon.
After an incredible 'Fight of the Year' with Israel Adesanya at the start of 2019, the 29 year old fell to two more consecutive losses against Darren Till, who was debuting at middleweight, and Jack Hermansson, who secured a shocking first-round submission victory.
A win over Ian Heinisch at UFC 258 in February brought Kelvin Gastelum back into the win column, but a main event defeat to Robert Whittaker at UFC Vegas 24 stalled Gastelum's resurgence once again.
For Gastelum, a matchup with Luke Rockhold would represent an opportunity to return to the win column against a name that still carries weight in the division. For Luke Rockhold, it grants him his wish to fight one of the most exciting middleweight names.
#1 Luke Rockhold vs. Kevin Holland
Perhaps the most popular idea for Luke Rockhold's return opponent is Kevin Holland.
'Trailblazer' is an entertainer and he’s a top striker in the middleweight division. Part of his entertaining style is his talking; perhaps against Brunson he did too much of it. His last two fights have been largely the same. Headlining UFC Vegas 22 and 23, Holland was taken down and picked apart by Derek Brunson and Marvin Vettori. His five-fight win streak in 2020 seems a long while ago now...
Despite his recent results, Kevin Holland is just 28 years old. He has more than enough time to make the necessary adjustments to his skillset and make another run at becoming a middleweight contender. Many will have been quick to forget Kevin Holland’s remarkable 2020. His 5-0 year was not a fluke, it was because Holland has immense talent.
Luke Rockhold himself has spoken about a potential matchup with 'Big Mouth'. Speaking with Helen Yee, the former champion said -
"I want someone that excites me, someone that’s fun that’s interesting, you can go back and forth with, and the fans get excited about. He’s a character. I appreciate his (Kevin Holland’s) character. I think it’d be fun stylistically." Luke Rockhold said.
Luke Rockhold's words will come as a surprise to Kevin Holland, after 'Trailblazer' told Yee he doesn't think his name is big enough -
"I just don't think my name's big enough right now. You know it's like when I was like whatever number I was before I lost my two last lovemaking sessions, I would've been that candidate. But right now I'm not that candidate. Luke's an OG, he's a vet. He deserves to be fighting top 10 when he comes back. I see people online saying that whatever fight you can get but just hold on. Hold your horses, my man. You'll get a top 10 real soon. I promise you that."
With Luke Rockhold seemingly down to face Holland, this fight seems the likeliest to happen as it stands.
