BREAKING:- Luke Rockhold Out of His Fight Against Sean Strickland at UFC 268

UFC fans will have to wait a bit longer for Luke Rockhold’s return to the octagon. The former middleweight champion was scheduled to take on Sean Strickland in a bout at UFC 268 next month at Madison Square Garden. However, recent developments suggest he is out of the fight against Strickland after suffering a back injury. 

Rockhold conveyed the news to fans on his Instagram story. He said, “There’s no easy way to really say it, but the fight is off in New York. I ended up herniating a disc in my back. L4, L5. The docs say it’s nothing I can play with. I need to do some treatment and some recovery time. Some things just aren’t meant to be. New York, motherf***ing New York. I’m sorry to the friends and the peeps and everyone, but we’ll be back. Until next time.”

What is next for Luke Rockhold?

Luke Rockhold established himself as an elite fighter at 185-pounds where he captured UFC gold. Rockhold lost his belt to Michael Bisping at UFC 199, where he suffered a first-round knockout loss. Since the loss, Rockhold has won just one of his next three fights. 

In his most recent outing, Rockhold made his debut at light heavyweight. He took on current champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 239 in 2019 and lost via a second-round knockout.

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Later, the former champion decided to return to his natural weight class after nearly two years away from the sport. The fight with Sean Strickland would have been his first fight at middleweight since February 2018. In the build-up to the fight, both Rockhold and Strickland went back and forth on social media, making ominous threats aimed at each other. 

Unfortunately, at this point in time, the severity of Rockhold’s injury is unknown. Hence, it is unclear if the UFC will reschedule the fight between Rockhold and Strickland or find ‘Tarzan’ a short-notice replacement. 

Do you think the UFC should find Strickland a short-notice replacement or schedule the fight with Rockhold for a later date? Let us know in the comments below!