5 Things You Might Not Know About Luke Rockhold

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Luke Rockhold (16-4) is a pugilist signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. For his next outing, the former middleweight champion will make his light heavyweight debut against Jan Blachowicz on the main card of UFC 239. That event takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 6.

In the buildup to contest, here are five things that you might not know about Rockhold.

He likes surfing

The 34-year-old hails from Santa Cruz, which sits on the northern edge of California’s Monterrey Bay. Growing up by the sea, Rockhold spent much of his time riding the waves with his older brother and pro surfer, Matt. “As far as recreational surfers go, Luke’s one of the best,” Matt said in an interview.

The 6’ 3’’ combatant finds the activity to be the ideal escape from the rigors of the fight game. He has even claimed that surfing has proven beneficial in helping him with his notoriously gruelling cuts to middleweight.

He is a model

The California native’s Hollywood good looks have resulted in him having a second career as a model. Rockhold has found success working for a variety of brands, most notably as the face of Ralph Lauren’s ‘Polo Blue’ fragrance. He has also modelled at York Fashion Week.

He calls San Jose home

Rockhold is a long-time team member of the esteemed American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, California. The aspiring combatant first ventured into the facility back in 2006, when he was invited by a friend to train there. Head coach Javier Mendez was immediately impressed by his future champion’s raw ability. The following year, Rockhold made his professional mixed martial arts debut.

Although he has had stints training in South Florida, Rockhold continues to call AKA home. And it is there that he has been preparing for his forthcoming bout at UFC 239, alongside the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier.

He comes from a sporty family

The fighter and his pro surfer brother are not the only athletes in the family. Rockhold’s mother was a talented tennis player and his father was a former basketball player who forged a successful career in Europe. Considering his athletic heritage, it is not surprising that Rockhold was a sporty youngster who enjoyed competing. In addition to surfing, he practiced judo as a child. Later he branched out into wrestling before transitioning to Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

He is no stranger to gold

Rockhold has held belts in two major organizations. He won his first title while turning out for his previous employer, the now defunct Strikeforce promotion. The then surging prospect was 7-1 when he faced revered grappler Ronaldo Souza in September 2011. Many were of the opinion that the multiple-time Brazilian BJJ champion would prove too much for Rockhold. However, after five rounds of compelling action, the judges all favored the American. He defended his belt two times prior to joining the ranks of the UFC in 2013.

In his sixth appearance with the Las Vegas-based promotion, Rockhold finally got the chance to challenge for the middleweight strap at UFC 194 in December 2015. His opponent was the then champion Chris Weidman. In the fourth frame, Rockhold eventually seized the victory via a brutal barrage of ground and pound. He would lose the belt in his next fight, however, as he was knocked out by Michael Bisping at UFC 199 in June 2016.