Luke Rockhold is scheduled to compete against Craig Jones in a grappling match.
On April 29, Rockhold fought outside the UFC for the first time in a decade. Unfortunately for him, things didn’t go as planned. At BKFC 41, Mike Perry made the 38-year-old verbally submit in a bare-knuckle bout after rearranging his teeth.
Five months after losing against Perry, Rockhold will return to action and continue exploring opportunities outside the UFC. Similar to his BKFC bout, most fans and analysts wouldn’t have guessed what would be next for the California native.
On September 21, a combat sports promotion called Israel Fight Night will host an event inside the Pais Arena in Jerusalem, Israel. The show featuring multiple disciplines, including MMA and kickboxing, will also showcase Luke Rockhold competing in a grappling match against world-class BJJ competitor Craig Jones.
Israel Fight Night made the official announcement on Instagram by saying:
“Bringing you amazing fights that will knock you out! The biggest MMA event of the year israel vs Abroad real soon here. So here are the stars that will appear in the very difficult central battles that are waiting for them: Luke Rockhold *VS* Craig Jones (Grappling) 💪 👊Louis Sakas *VS* Johnny Case (Kickboxing) 💪 destined for passion *VS* Albert Morales (MMA)”
Craig Jones reacts to grappling match against Luke Rockhold being announced
Craig Jones last competed on June 29, defeating Felipe Pena in the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 4 main event. Luke Rockhold isn’t nearly as talented of a grappler as Pena, but the former UFC middleweight champion gives Jones an opportunity to grow his fanbase.
Once the grappling matchup was announced, Jones shared a cropped photo on Instagram of him and Rockhold with the caption saying:
“Never in the history of combat sports have 2 dime pieces of this caliber locked horns. I’ve often been told I need Jesus in my life, what an opportunity to hit Jerusalem in search of him.”
Jones has various competition accomplishments in submission grappling, making him one of the most well-known BJJ practitioners on the planet. Rockhold gets respect for accepting the challenge, but there aren’t many scenarios where he beats the leader of B Team Jiu-Jitsu.
