Issue 116
July 2014
We follow the former Strikeforce middleweight champ leading up to his slick UFC 172 submission win over Tim Boetsch.
APRIL 2014
FRIDAY 11TH
Rockhold helps out top UFC lightweight prospect Khabib Nurmagomedov in his last day of fight camp before his UFC on Fox 11 fight against Rafael Dos Anjos. “Man is a beast, expect a dominant victory at next weeks #UFConFOX,” he posts online.
WEDNESDAY 16TH
It’s the day of a mid-week UFC Fight Night and Luke takes time away from training to enjoy the night’s action. With a late-evening session approaching, the UFC middleweight watches the main event impatiently as Tim Kennedy and Michael Bisping go the distance in a five-round affair. Kennedy is awarded the decision – a result which Rockhold agrees with.
FRIDAY 18TH
It’s the last official day of fight camp for the former Strikeforce title holder. The 11-2 athlete claims he’s “healthy and better (than ever)” and promises his fans an “amazing show” when he faces Tim Boetsch at UFC 172 on Saturday April 26th.
SATURDAY 19TH
Switching focus from his own approaching fight, Luke cheers on his AKA teammate Khabib as the Russian defeats his opponent in dominant fashion, earning a unanimous decision victory. “Congrats to brother from a different mother-land @TeamKhabib on an another amazing performance! #FutureChamp,” he tweets.
TUESDAY 22ND
The AKA fighter is in Baltimore, Maryland, where his fight will take place later in the week. There is an awkward yet somewhat comical moment when his opponent, Tim Boetsch, visits the same gym where Luke is busy cutting weight.
FRIDAY 25TH
It’s the final day of the weight-cut as the official weigh-ins take place at the Baltimore Arena. Luke manages to shed the last 15lb in the final 15 hours before the weigh-ins take place, hitting the scale at 185.5lb.
SATURDAY 26TH
The night of the fight has finally arrived. When the bout begins, Tim charges for a takedown but is quickly snagged in an inverted triangle by Luke. Taking time with his technique, Rockhold manages to pull off the kimura submission after just two minutes. It’s a quick and convincing win, although the victor does suffer a toe injury.
MONDAY 28TH
Still enjoying the buzz from his UFC win, the 12-2 fighter/surfing enthusiast goes to watch the Texas Rangers play against the Oakland Athletics, along with UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks.
