Ex-UFC champ Luke Rockhold hints that next career move imminent after BKFC 41 loss

Former UFC champ Luke Rockhold says he’s loving free agency and could be finding a new home soon.

[autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] may be finding a new home soon.

Rockhold, who commentated at Karate Combat 40 alongside UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten this past Saturday in Miami, has enjoyed the perks of life outside the UFC. The former Strikeforce and UFC middleweight champion parted ways with the UFC in 2022 after asking for his release, and he most recently competed in April when he suffered a second-round TKO loss to Mike Perry at BKFC 41.

After the fight, Rockhold confirmed that he wasn’t done fighting, although what would come next remained uncertain. Now Rockhold has a better idea.

“It’s the best,” Rockhold told Cageside Press of free agency. “You get the best of all worlds. I can fight wherever I want, and whatever appeals to me the most is where I’m gonna go. The opponent, the stage, the situation, and of course, the payday. But this is looking good.”

When asked about potentially signing with Karate Combat, 38-year-old Rockhold said there have been some discussions.

“We talked. You never know,” Rockhold said. “Talk is talk. Talk is talk, but I like to walk the walk. We’re talking. We’re not walking yet, but maybe we can get to run soon. We’re setting kick records, you know what I mean? Coming off the couch. Easy.”

Rockhold briefly retired after losing a Fight of the Night decision to Paulo Costa at UFC 278 in August 2022. However, his decision didn’t last long when he came out of retirement to face Perry in a bare-knuckle boxing match, which didn’t go his way.

The BKFC contract Rockhold signed gives him the freedom to do MMA, boxing, grappling or any combat sport other than bare-knuckle boxing.

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Video: Biggest takeaways from BKFC 41 smash hit in Denver

BKFC 41, which featured a surprise appearance from Conor McGregor, had the combat sports world buzzing.

The UFC was in action this past Saturday, but so, too, was Bare Knuckle FC – and it made by far the bigger splash.

BKFC 41 near Denver featured a main event of Mike Perry vs. former UFC and Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold, plus a co-main event of former UFC and Bellator champ Eddie Alvarez vs. Chad Mendes. The card also featured Ben Rothwell, Bec Rawlings – and Conor McGregor was there as a fan, then faced off with Perry after he beat Rockhold. What is happening here?! Maybe this was the start of a BKFC takeover.

In all seriousness, what were the biggest takeaways from BKFC 41?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Danny Segura, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Dan Tom weighed in with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode below.

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“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch this week’s episode in the video above.

Spinning Back Clique: BKFC 41 and Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz’s arrest, Song Yadong’s arrival, more

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique” live stream covering the biggest topics in combat sports, like BKFC 41, Nate Diaz and UFC 288.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Danny Segura and Dan Tom will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • The UFC was in action this past Saturday, but so, too, was BKFC – and it made by far the bigger splash. BKFC 41 near Denver featured a main event of [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] vs. former UFC and Strikeforce champion [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag], plus a co-main event of former UFC and Bellator champ [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag]. The card also featured Ben Rothwell, Bec Rawlings – and [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] was there as a fan, then faced off with Perry! What is happening here?! Was this the start of the BKFC takeover?
  • [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] has been in the news. He turned himself in to police in New Orleans, was booked and released and now awaits the next process after an arrest that stemmed from footage of him choking a man unconscious. Diaz’s side said the man was a fellow fighter who came at Diaz, and Diaz merely acted in self defense. What are our thoughts on the scuffle.
  • Not to be forgotten, UFC Fight Night 223 went down in Las Vegas. It wasn’t a crazy card on paper, but in the main event, [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] planted his flag as a bantamweight title contender with a dominant fifth-round finish of Ricky Simon. What’s Yadong’s position in the division, and at 25, what’s his timeline for when he might fight for a UFC title?
  • The UFC’s middleweight title picture seemed clear enough: Ex-champ [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] has been booked, and presumably the winner would be teed up for [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]. But now Aeesanya, born in Africa, but living in New Zealand, has beef with Du Plessis, a South Africa native who still lives and trains there. Is Adsanya vs. Du Plessis the way to go now because of the heat it can pull from their new rivalry?
  • UFC 288 goes down Saturday in New Jersey, and while it won’t be in the running for the best numbered card of all time, it’s solid from top to bottom and the main event is loaded with intrigue. Bantamweight champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] will put his title on the line against former two-division champ [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag], who is coming out of retirement. It’s tight with the oddsmakers, but who has more to gain or lose?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch this week’s episode in the video above.

Luke Rockhold shows tooth damage after BKFC 41 loss and vows he’s not done

Luke Rockhold’s face has all the damage of a brutal BKFC 41 debut loss to Mike Perry.

[autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag]’s face has all the damage of a brutal BKFC 41 debut loss to Mike Perry on Saturday.

Rockhold, a former UFC and Strikeforce champion, suffered a second-round TKO loss to Perry at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. The fight was stopped when he ate a stiff shot, then removed his mouth piece, convincing the referee to wave off the action.

BKFC president David Feldman revealed Rockhold’s “teeth got cracked” at the post-fight press conference, and Rockhold verified as much on Sunday when he posted a video statement to Instagram showing all the aftermath on his face.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Crq5L8ktU2m

“Well f*ck,” Rockhold said in the video. “What can I say? You can check bareknuckle off the list. Some crazy sh*t. Those little knuckles got me, square on the front two (teeth). Maybe a beard. Maybe a better mouthpiece. It was a good fight. It’s a shame that it ended that way. Motherf*cker Mike, you tough bastard. Congrats. I’m not done. Some gloves would be nice, though.”

Rockhold did not speak further on what the future holds for him. The 38-year-old parted ways with the UFC in 2022 after he asked for his release, then joined BKFC and lost his debut to Perry.

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BKFC 41 results: Mike Perry cracks Luke Rockhold for second-round TKO stoppage

Luke Rockhold couldn’t continue after Mike Perry landed big punches in the main event at BKFC 41 in Colorado.

[autotag]Mike Perry [/autotag] continues to cruise in bareknuckle competition.

Perry, who entered with two fights of bareknuckle experience, welcomed former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] for his debut. The fight served as the main event of BKFC 41 at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. It was intense while it lasted, but Perry stood tall with his hand raised by TKO at 1:15 of the second round.

Perry came out aggressive, keeping Rockhold on his back foot. Rockhold used his reach advantage to keep Perry out of range, and clinched when he got close enough. A punch from Perry went south pausing the fight momentarily.

When the action resumed, Rockhold landed a sharp left hand to wobble Perry. Rockhold darted in to capitalize, but Perry evaded the follow-up punches and clinched. A moment later, Perry stung Rockhold to return the favor.

The action remained intense in the second round as Perry pressed ahead. Rockhold was on his bike and tripped as he tried to circle away. Perry kept marching forward, landing hard punches. After Perry landed again, and the fighters were separated from a clinch, Rockhold indicated to referee Dan Miragliotta that he could not continue as he pointed to his bloody mouth.

It’s unclear if Rockhold sustained a structural injury, but the result is a TKO victory for Perry in the second round.

During his post-fight interview, Perry called for [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag], who was in attendance ringside, to come into the ring for a faceoff. McGregor obliged, entering the ring with a BKFC title over his shoulder.

After exchanging words with McGregor in a surprisingly respectful moment, Perry called out Donald Cerrone for a rematch from their UFC days. Perry said after he beats Cerrone, maybe he would have the chance to fight McGregor.

Perry has now won all three of his bareknuckle boxing bouts under the BKFC banner. He won his debut against Julian Lane at BKFC KnuckleMania 2 last February, and followed up with a decision win over Michael Page at BKFC 27 last August.

Rockhold was competing for the first time since his UFC exit. His final fight with the promotion was a Fight of the Night unanimous decision loss to Paulo Costa at UFC 278. The former champ decided to try out bareknuckle boxing, but couldn’t get out of the second round against Perry.

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Twitter reacts to Mike Perry’s TKO of Luke Rockhold, faceoff with Conor McGregor at BKFC 41

The combat sports world lost its mind when Conor McGregor faced off with Mike Perry after his TKO of Luke Rockhold at BKFC 41 debut.

[autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] played spoiler to [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag]’s post-UFC venture when he emerged victorious in Saturday’s BKFC 41 main event.

Perry continued to shine in the world of bare knuckle boxing when he picked up arguably the biggest win of his combat sports career with a second-round TKO of former UFC champion Rockhold in their middleweight headliner, which took place at 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colo.

After the fight, former two-division UFC champ Conor McGregor stepped in the ring for an unexpected faceoff with Perry.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Perry beating Rockhold at BKFC 41.

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BKFC 41 results and live stream

Check out the live results for BKFC 41, headlined by Mike Perry vs. Luke Rockhold, as well as a preliminary card stream here.

BKFC 41 takes place Saturday at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. and some big names from the world of MMA will square off – without gloves.

The main card begins at 9 p.m. ET and is available for purchase on FITE TV. Three prelim bouts will be live-streamed for free, beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

The event is headlined by former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] makes his bareknuckle debut as he battles fan-favorite [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag].

In the co-main event, former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] fights former UFC featherweight title challenger [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag].

BKFC champion [autotag]Christine Ferea[/autotag] puts her title on the line against former UFC and Bellator fighter [autotag]Bec Rawlings[/autotag]. Also, former UFC heavyweights [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] and [autotag]Josh Copeland[/autotag] throw down on the main card.

Check out the full results below, as well as a live and free stream of the prelims above.

Mike Perry def. Luke Rockhold at BKFC 41: Best photos

Check out these photos from Mike Perry’s TKO victory over former UFC champion Luke Rockhold at BKFC 41.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]’s TKO victory over former UFC champion [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] at BKFC 41, which took place at 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. (Photos courtesy of BKFC)

BKFC 41 video: Luke Rockhold, Mike Perry shadowbox before getting nose-to-nose during faceoff

Check out the faceoff between Luke Rockhold and Mike Perry ahead of their BKFC 41 main event bout.

The BKFC 41 weigh-in took place Friday, and former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] and [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] continued their sometimes playful, sometimes intense build.

The pair of UFC veterans came face-to-face one last time ahead of their main event bout which takes place at 1STBANK Center in Denver. The Main card streams on on FITE TV with a $49.99 price point.

After stepping on the scale, Rockhold, who is making his bareknuckle debut,  shadowboxed with Perry before getting nose-to-nose for an intense staredown with BKFC president David Feldman close by to ensure the fighters reserve their real punches for the ring.

Check out the faceoff with Perry and Rockhold above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for BKFC 41.

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Video: BKFC 41: Mike Perry vs. Luke Rockhold weigh-in live stream

Watch the BKFC 41: Mike Perry vs. Luke Rockhold weigh-in live stream at 8 p.m. ET.

The BKFC 41 weigh-in takes place Friday, and you can watch a live stream right here on MMA Junkie at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT).

A pair of bouts between UFC veterans headline the card. In the main event, [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] welcomes [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] to the bareknuckle boxing world in a middleweight bout, while [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] and [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] duke it out in the co-main event at 155 pounds.

BKFC 41 takes place Saturday at 1STBANK Center in Denver. The main card streams on FITE TV with a $49.99 price point.

Before the fights happen, you can watch the ceremonial weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for BKFC 41.

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