Discover Luke Rockhold’s surprising move to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) as he prepares to face off against Craig Jones in Jerusalem. Get all the details on this exciting matchup and the upcoming Israel Fight League 1 event.
Luke Rockhold’s Unexpected Transition to BJJ
MMA veteran Luke Rockhold is making a surprising career move by stepping into the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). The former UFC middleweight champion has recently announced that he will be competing against Craig Jones in a BJJ match in Jerusalem this September.
Rockhold’s decision to switch to BJJ comes after his retirement from MMA following a loss to Paulo Costa at UFC 278 in August 2022. This fight marked the end of his UFC contract, and he had to wait for over two years to compete in it. Prior to that, Rockhold suffered a second-round knockout loss to Jan Blachowicz in 2019, preceded by a knockout loss to Yoel Romero and a TKO win over David Branch.
The turning point in Rockhold’s career came in 2016 when he faced Michael Bisping . Bisping, who took the fight on short notice, defeated Rockhold and claimed the UFC middleweight title, ending Rockhold’s reign as champion. After parting ways with the UFC, the 38-year-old fighter ventured into the world of bare knuckle boxing, where he faced Mike Perry at BKFC 41 in April. Unfortunately, the bout ended prematurely in the second round due to Rockhold’s teeth getting damaged.
Although Rockhold won’t have to worry about his teeth in his upcoming BJJ match in Jerusalem, he will undoubtedly face a tough challenge. Craig Jones, a black belt under Lachlan Giles, is widely regarded as one of the best submission grapplers in the world. With two ADCC silver medals to his name, Jones has also achieved success as a Polaris middleweight champion and a Submission Underground Absolute champion. He currently serves as the grappling instructor for City Kickboxing and trains UFC champions Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski.
The highly anticipated Israel Fight League 1 is scheduled to take place on September 21. In addition to the Rockhold vs. Jones matchup, the event will feature a main event between Bellator and UFC veterans Noad Lahat and Albert Morales. Other exciting fights on the card include Johnny Case vs. Loay Sakas and Darrell Horcher vs. Harel Cohen.
Stay tuned for more updates on Luke Rockhold’s transition to BJJ and his upcoming match against Craig Jones in Jerusalem!
