Luke Rockhold found inspiration in Israel Adesanya‘s knockout win over Alex Pereira in UFC 287.
Former UFC middleweight champion, Luke Rockhold, found inspiration in Israel Adesanya’s win over Alex Pereira at UFC 287. Adesanya knocked out Pereira in the second round of the main event to reclaim the 185-pound championship.
To add context to the victory, Adesanya had been stopped by Pereira at UFC 281 and defeated twice by ‘Poatan’ in kickboxing. However, Adesanya’s determination to win despite the odds was something that inspired Rockhold.
“Look what Izzy did. Everyone counting him out, everyone doing that, and he stepped forward and did his thing,” Rockhold stated during an interview with Submission Radio.
Rockhold also expressed his admiration for individuals who proactively prove others wrong, rather than sitting back and making excuses. He spoke boldly and expressed his love for “spitting in those motherf*ckers’ faces.”
Although Rockhold retired from MMA after his loss to Paulo Costa at UFC 278, he announced that he had negotiated a release from his UFC contract in January. He signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship in March and is set to make his debut against Mike Perry on April 29.
Rockhold’s admiration for Adesanya stems from a mutual admiration they share. He believes that he inspired Adesanya when he was younger and, conversely, Adesanya’s determination inspires him now.
Given Rockhold’s recent move to BKFC, fans can expect another gangster among the bare-knuckle fighters.