Luke Rockhold, a former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion, endured a devastating second-round knockout loss to Darren Till at Misfits Boxing 22 on August 30, 2025, at AO Arena in Manchester, England. At 40, the California fighter admitted the defeat, one of his career’s worst, has him considering retirement. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show on September 3, 2025, Rockhold discussed his health concerns and storied career, suggesting he may step away from fighting.
A Brutal Knockout
The fight ended in the third round when Till landed a crushing left hand, folding Rockhold backward “like a lawn chair” at 1:08. The knockout earned Till the inaugural Misfits bridgerweight title, leaving Rockhold dazed in his boxing debut.
“It’s not a pretty one, for sure,” Rockhold said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “I haven’t taken shots like that. That’s one of the worst I’ve had, for sure. This is boxing, you’re loading up and you’re sitting down on big shots, there’s no other avenues to change the trajectory of the fight. I was thinking about kicking for a second in the second round. It’s tough.”
Rockhold opened up about his age.
“I am 40 years old, and I can’t be taking shots like that,” he said. “I want a future for myself, and I’ve got a lot of good things in the works and so that’s pretty much—It’s around about that time. So there’s not much left to do. I’ve done a lot in this sport. I’ve won my championships. I’ve done Karate Combat, I’ve done bare-knuckle, I’ve done boxing, jiu-jitsu at the toughest level. I can compete with the best of the best, but I think it’s time to put the competition shoes on hold.”
He reflected on preparation.
“I did feel good, but there’s certain things I could have prepared better. I could have took a warm-up fight. You walk in and fight a guy that’s seasoned and has had a few fights in boxing and was a boxer, like I said, I’m 40 years old and there’s no time to waste. I was trying to get to those ‘big fights’ who are posing as fighters.”
Rockhold plans to stay active outside the ring.
“Like I said, I’m still going to chase myself,” he said. “I’m still going to challenge myself. There’s all kinds of different things and training will always be a part of martial arts, it will always be a part of my life. It’s a way of life. Competition doesn’t always have to be—the actual fighting competition has to be there, but there’s all these different forms. I love to challenge myself in so many ways. I like to surf, I like to skate, I still like to in jiu-jitsu.”
He’s turning to modeling, acting, and business, including his role as a fashion ambassador for brands like Ralph Lauren.
Outside the UFC, Rockhold fought in BKFC, losing to Mike Perry via TKO (round 2, 1:15, April 29, 2023) at BKFC 41 in Broomfield, Colorado, due to a verbal submission after Perry’s body shots damaged his teeth. In jiu-jitsu, he competed at the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) on August 16, 2024, in Las Vegas, losing to Pat Downey via unanimous decision in the over 80kg division first round, with tensions nearly escalating to a fistfight. His professional boxing record is 0-1.
