Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold is set to face grappling star Craig Jones in a Brazilian jiu-jitsu contest at an Israel Fight Night event in Jerusalem, marking Rockhold’s return to grappling competition after retirement from MMA.
Luke Rockhold, former UFC middleweight champion, has a new challenge before him outside of the MMA realm. He is slated to compete against renowned grappling star Craig Jones in a Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition. The match is set to take place at the Israel Fight Night event in Jerusalem on September 21st. The announcement of the upcoming battle was made by Jones through his Instagram account.
Jones humorously expressed his excitement over the bout: “Never in the history of combat sports have 2 dime pieces of this caliber locked horns. I’ve often been told I need Jesus in my life, what an opportunity to hit Jerusalem in search of him.” While the exact rules and details concerning the match have not yet been revealed, both competitors are expected to bring their A-game to the event.
Rockhold stepped back from MMA following a third consecutive defeat, losing to Paulo Costa at UFC 278 in August last year. Post-retirement, he signed up for a fight against Mike Perry at BKFC 41 in the ensuing April and was defeated via TKO in a brutal match which resulted in Rockhold losing a tooth. Despite this setback, Rockhold’s clash with Jones signifies a return to grappling competition, having previously contested against Jones’ teammate Nick Rodriguez at a Polaris event in 2019, where he experienced a loss by decision.
Jones, a native of Australia, is renowned worldwide as one of the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners. He has trained numerous top-notch fighters and is currently the grappling coach for UFC champions Alexander Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya. Additionally, Israel Fight Night 1 will feature several other former UFC fighters, including Noad Lahat, Albert Morales, and Johnny Case.