Former UFC middleweight champ Luke Rockhold has had a stellar career, albeit relatively low-volume due to multiple niggling injuries. At his best he won ten of his first dozen fights within the first round.

STATS

Name: Luke Rockhold

Weight: 185lb/84kg/13.2st

Height: Six-foot-three

Reach: 77in (195.6cm)

Stance: Southpaw 

Years active:12

Record: 16-5

BMI: 23

INJURIES

1: AC Shoulder Injury

Before he challenged then champion Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza for the Strikeforce 185lb belt in September 2011, Rockhold spent 19 months out of the cage after separating his left shoulder. He was set to face Matt Lindland, but the shoulder injury occurred during camp. Then by trying to rush back to face Tim Kennedy, he reinjured it forcing the extended layoff.

2: Right Hand Injury

After dismantling UFC veteran Keith Jardine in his first title defense at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs Jardine in January 2012, Luke was suspended for six months due to an injury to his right hand incurred during the fight. However, he was able to get cleared early by the doctor allowing him to face Tim Kennedy in July.

3: Wrist Injury

Rockhold was scheduled to face undefeated middleweight Lorenz Larkin at the last-ever Strikeforce event; However, the American Kickboxing Academy star was forced to pull out of his third title defense after sustaining an injury to his wrist in training camp. There was speculation Rockhold had reinjured the same wrist that took him out of an earlier Larkin fight on a canceled Strikeforce event a few months prior.

4: Knee injury

Scheduled to fight Tim Boetsch at UFC 166 Rockhold was forced to pull out due to a knee injury. He returned to the ring three months later.

5: Leg injury

After defeating Chris Weidman at UFC 194 to become middleweight champion, Rockhold lost his title at UFC 199 in a shock defeat to Michael Bisping. Since that loss niggling leg injuries have restricted Rockhold to just three fights in the octagon in the last three years, two of those being losses. Rockhold has moved up to light heavyweight stating that ever more difficult weight cuts have led to too many injuries in training.