Luke Rockhold has teased a potential move up to light heavyweight for years. Next week at UFC 239, however, he will finally make the change in weight class.
The former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion Rockhold (16-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) will return from a career-long 511-day layoff when he meets Jan Blachowicz (23-8 MMA, 6-5 UFC) in a divisional debut that will bring a fresh coat of paint to the American’s career.
Even without a fight in the weight class, Rockhold has already made noise with the upper echelon and has been listed as a potential future opponent by champion Jon Jones (24-1 MMA, 18-1 UFC).
During the longest break of his career, Rockhold has taken the time to make the proper adjustments to fight at 205 pounds. He said, “Coming up to light heavyweight, I’ve never felt so free.”
Rockhold was followed during a portion of his camp for TravisMathew’s “Life on Tour” series, and the video above offers and inside look at his preparation and mindset going into UFC 239.
UFC 239 takes place July 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Rockhold vs. Blachowicz is part of the main card, which airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
For more on UFC 239, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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