Luke Rockhold, a former UFC middleweight champion, isn’t sure about returning to MMA. In an August 24, 2025, interview with MMA Fighting, he shared his focus on boxing after the Global Fight League (GFL) shut down. Set to face Darren Till at Misfits Boxing 22 on August 30, 2025, Rockhold sees more money in boxing than in the octagon.
Rockhold believes beating Till could lead to big boxing matches with better pay. He said a UFC return would need a title shot and a large paycheck, given his investments keep him stable. The GFL’s failure, which he saw coming due to its risky spending, has pushed him toward boxing as a smarter move.
Boxing’s Bigger Draw
Rockhold believes a win over Till could lead to high-profile boxing matches with serious money.
“I don’t have to do anything,” he told MMA Fighting. “I do well. I’ve got a lot of good investments, I’ve got some money. I’m not rich by any means so it’s get rich or die trying. That’s what life is. That’s what the game is. But I love fighting. We all know what’s on the table. Beat a guy like Darren, you put yourself in the running for the big fights. There’s big, big, fights right here.”
He added, “To pass up those big fights [after] winning this, why the f*ck would I go back to MMA? There would have to be a big opportunity and a big reason. There would have to be title implications and there would have to be big money.”
Rockhold was slated to compete in the GFL, a new MMA league promising huge paychecks. He received monthly payments but doubted its future from the start.
“I was getting paid,” he said. “I was taking nice paychecks monthly. I kind of knew, we as my management team talked and this thing wasn’t really going to come to fruition. You’re talking seven-figure paychecks for people that have never been UFC champions. Multiples. That’s not a sustainable business. You can’t keep that up. I used it as motivation to train and get paid and to stay in shape for these opportunities. I kind of expected what was to happen.”
Rockhold and his team were always wary of the GFL.
“There wasn’t one conversation I had with my managers that wasn’t skeptical,” he said. “Just enjoy the money, do this, do that. I didn’t even really want to do interviews because I just knew it was bullshit. They had that big launch thing with the draft, they tried to get me on there. I was like this is not it. People were hopeful. People saw these big, big paychecks. They just wanted to believe it was real but people need to have more reality.”
The GFL’s debut events, planned for May 24-25, 2025, in Los Angeles, were canceled in April 2025 due to a main investor failing to deliver funds. The GFL’s cancellation, confirmed by the California State Athletic Commission, left its future uncertain, with fighters like Kevin Lee suing the promotion.
Rockhold reflected on the GFL’s troubles, saying:
“It’s a tough business for sure. The more opportunities is always better for sure. GFL, you just need someone more who’s got their shit together. You can’t be too ambitious. You can’t come out of the gates throwing money around like that when the market’s not doing well.”
At Misfits Boxing 22 in Manchester, Rockhold faces Darren Till for the inaugural Misfits bridgerweight title. Till, with two boxing wins in 2025, took shots at Rockhold’s ego, referencing his UFC 199 loss to Bisping. Rockhold, in his pro boxing debut, aims to prove his skills. A win could lead to fights with names like Jake Paul, whom he’s had words with before.
Luke Rockhold began jiu-jitsu at six and wrestled in high school. He turned pro in MMA in 2007, winning the Strikeforce middleweight title in 2011 against Ronaldo Souza. Joining the UFC in 2013, he went 6-5, capturing the middleweight title in 2015 against Chris Weidman at UFC 194. His 16-6 record includes wins over Lyoto Machida and David Branch, but losses to Michael Bisping, Yoel Romero, and Paulo Costa at UFC 278 in 2022, his last MMA fight.
