Luke Rockhold may not return to bare-knuckle fighting after his BKFC 41 loss to Mike Perry due to a brutal mouth injury.
Luke Rockhold may not return to bare-knuckle fighting after his BKFC 41 loss to Mike Perry, although he is not retired. The former UFC middleweight champion suffered a brutal mouth injury during his fight with Perry in the main event of Saturday’s pay-per-view card, leading him to say he could “check bare knuckle off the list.”
Rockhold gave Perry credit for the teeth-shattering shots to his mouth during their two rounds together and expressed disappointment at the fight’s abrupt ending. A better mouthpiece or beard might have helped extend his night, he suggested. Referee Dan Miragliotta called off the match at 1:15 in the second round after Rockhold signaled that something was wrong with his mouth; his lower lip appeared to be badly cut. BKFC President David Feldman later explained that Rockhold couldn’t continue due to significant damage to his teeth.
This loss marked a setback in Rockhold’s post-UFC career, which began after he was released from the promotion on a 1-4 skid that ended with a decision loss to Paulo Costa at UFC 278. During that period, Rockhold took a three-year hiatus from the sport to consider his future following a knockout loss to Jan Blachowicz at UFC 239. Despite his latest loss, Rockhold maintains that he is not done with fighting, but would like some protection for his hands in future bouts.