Luke Rockhold doesn’t have much respect for his next opponent.

UFC 278 played host to the final mixed martial arts (MMA) fight of Rockhold’s career (at least for a few months). The former UFC and Strikeforce Middleweight champion isn’t coming back to the sport he made his name in just yet, but he is ending his short-lived retirement on April 29, 2023, at BKFC 41.

Rockhold’s return as a bare-knuckle boxer will see him battle a fellow UFC veteran, Mike “Platinum” Perry, who fought as a Welterweight during his MMA career. Always a rather wild personality, to put it mildly, Perry hasn’t managed to gain any fanfare from Rockhold for his past antics.

“I’m confident in my abilities to put this kid away,” Rockhold told MMA Junkie. “I don’t think he understands the danger that’s coming and that’s the thing that works to his advantage, too. He doesn’t understand danger he’s so f—king dumb. It makes him effective, but also, I think it’s gonna lead me to an opening that I can f—king put this kid away. I’m big and I hit hard. I don’t think you’re ready.

“I’m not an 80-year-old man you can knock the f—k out, you f—king piece of s—t,” he continued. “I kind of forgot about that one, but I was reminded how pathetic you are. I’m gonna make you more pathetic come April 29.”

2020 ended roughly for Perry after a unanimous decision win over Mickey Gall in June. One month later, “Platinum” found himself involved in a bar fight, assaulting an allegedly older man on camera. The 31-year-old went on to close out his UFC run with back-to-back losses to Tim Means and Daniel Rodriguez before finding new life in bare-knuckle boxing.

Author: Staff

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