Luke Rockhold Opens Up About His Return To Fighting: “I Did Have An Abortion… A Big Breakup”

Rockhold went through a significant downturn in his personal life during the time off

Luke Rockhold
Credit: Luke Rockhold (via Meta)

Luke Rockhold will return to action after a three-year hiatus.

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold remained out of action since his latest outing in July 2019. Rockhold took on Jan Blachowicz in a move up to light heavyweight and was knocked out in the second round on his 205 lbs debut. He chose to step away from fighting after dropping two in a row, having gone one and three in his last four with all losses coming by way of KO.

Rockhold talked about his personal struggles ahead of making another walk to the octagon.

Luke Rockhold opens up about his return to fighting

Having started his professional career in 2007, Rockhold needed some time off from the sport after a dozen years in it. The 37-year-old was enjoying life away from competition but a tragic setback earlier in February of this year caused him to contemplate his decisions.

Speaking to MMA Junkie, Rockhold opened up about having an abortion, going through a big breakup, and making his comeback.

“I know it’s not a popular subject right now, but I did have an abortion, and I did have a big breakup.

“There was a lot committed in trying to – you know, I’m 37 and wanting that, needing that and then it all falling apart, it hurt. It definitely was a big turning point in realizing where my life was and where I’m going. Having a kid on the way and prepping for that and carrying the weight of the kid and another, it weighs on you, to where you want to put yourself in that place later in life.

“Having to make that decision, a lot of things just weren’t right. There wasn’t a lot of truth on both sides, on either side, and it just f*cked me up.”

Rockhold quit drinking to prepare for Paulo Costa

Rockhold talked about how he decided to implement major changes in his life, starting by giving up drinking. While he didn’t have an addiction problem, he admits to drinking more than his liking and has quit the habit completely ahead of his return.

“And it made me f*cking transition and change my life for the better. Ever since then really, I’ve been sober. I think Super Bowl weekend was that, and the week after was sobriety.

“I’m not saying sobriety – I’m just not drinking. Yeah, I was drinking a bit much, and I was enjoying myself a bit too much. It’s what happens. It’s just not helping. I know that I’m 37 years old, and I want to give every bit of my focus to that.

“And one glass of wine leads to another, and it’s just like my body doesn’t like it. When I’m training, my body doesn’t like alcohol, so I’m not going to drink alcohol.”

Luke Rockhold will take on Paulo Costa on August 20 at UFC 278 in his return to fighting.

Published on June 28, 2022 at 2:14 pm
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