Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold has signed a deal with Karate Combat, joining the likes of Anthony Pettis and Benson Henderson. Rockhold’s debut is set against Joe Schilling on April 20 in Dubai. Read more about Rockhold’s career and transition to Karate Combat.
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| Luke Rockhold vs. Joe Schilling |
Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold has signed a deal with Karate Combat, as he announced on Wednesday. Rockhold is set to make his debut against MMA and kickboxing veteran Joe Schilling on April 20 in Dubai. This move puts Rockhold in the company of other former UFC champions like Anthony Pettis and Benson Henderson, who have also competed under the Karate Combat banner. Notably, Pettis and Henderson had a highly anticipated bout in Karate Combat last December. Rockhold’s return to the UFC in August 2022 after a three-year hiatus was cut short by a unanimous decision loss to middleweight contender Paulo Costa, leading to his retirement from mixed martial arts. Subsequently, Rockhold transitioned to BKFC, where he suffered a TKO defeat against former UFC fighter Mike Perry in April. Since his victory over David Branch in the UFC in 2017, Rockhold has not found success in any combat sport. During his time in the UFC, Rockhold held the middleweight belt from 2015-2016 and was considered one of the top fighters in the 185-pound division.
Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold has recently signed a contract with Karate Combat, as he announced on Wednesday. Rockhold is set to make his debut against MMA and kickboxing veteran Joe Schilling on April 20 in Dubai. This move puts Rockhold in the company of other former UFC champions like Anthony Pettis and Benson Henderson, who have also competed under the Karate Combat banner. Notably, Pettis and Henderson had a highly anticipated bout in Karate Combat last December. Rockhold’s return to the UFC in August 2022 after a three-year hiatus was cut short by a unanimous decision loss to middleweight contender Paulo Costa, leading to his retirement from mixed martial arts. Subsequently, Rockhold transitioned to BKFC, where he suffered a TKO defeat against former UFC fighter Mike Perry in April. Since his victory over David Branch in the UFC in 2017, Rockhold has not found success in any combat sport. During his time in the UFC, Rockhold held the middleweight belt from 2015-2016 and was considered one of the top fighters in the 185-pound division.
