5 Reasons why Luke Rockhold shouldn't box Jake Paul
Luke Rockhold's last appearance as a fighter was at UFC 278 where he faced Paulo Costa in the co-main event of the PPV. Despite mounting a spirited and gutsy effort, the former UFC middleweight champion was unable to punctuate his return to the octagon with a win.
Instead, he lost for the third consecutive time before announcing his retirement from MMA. Since then, the former 185'er has entertained the idea of a comeback. Fellow American Kickboxing Academy export Daniel Cormier advised him against returning to combat sports.
Unfortunately, 'DC's' advice fell on deaf ears as Luke Rockhold recently expressed interest in challenging Jake Paul to a boxing match. While the former middleweight titleholder seeks a lucrative fight with 'The Problem Child', this list covers five reasons why he should reconsider.
#5. Luke Rockhold should face Jake Paul in MMA
In early January, Jake Paul stunned the MMA world by announcing that he had signed a contract with the PFL. While he is yet to have a scheduled opponent, he has already started sharpening his other skills through grappling and wrestling. While Anthony Pettis has offered to welcome him to MMA, someone else should.
Ex-UFC champ Luke Rockhold ( @LukeRockhold ) announces free agency: ‘I want to go and f*** some people up’.
Eyes PFL, ONE, Bellator and Boxing as potential options for the future.
[per MMAHour]
#UFC #MMA https://t.co/HwXXKj57II
'The Problem Child' has long been criticized for consistently facing smaller opponents like Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren. Thus, instead of 'Showtime', he should fight Luke Rockhold instead, who more than matches his physical dimensions and weight.
Given that Rockhold recently secured a release from his UFC contract, the PFL would be wise to sign him for his name value alone. This could set up an MMA bout between him and Paul.
#4. Luke Rockhold doesn't have the best chin
After Luke Rockhold defeated Chris Weidman to capture the UFC middleweight title, many fans were under the assumption that the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist would embark on a long reign. In the post-Anderson Silva era of the UFC, he was the supposed next big thing.
Those predictions, however, never came to pass. Luke Rockhold lost his title in his subsequent bout. The real culprit behind his underwhelming post-title performances seems to be his inability to absorb damage. He was knocked out by Michael Bisping of all people.
2 years ago today: Yoel Romero tried to send Luke Rockhold’s head to the moon https://t.co/6VNQfg5C2r
'The Count' has never been known to be a powerful puncher. He was even dismissed as pillow-fisted for most of his career. The Californian was also the recipient of back-to-back knockouts against Yoel Romero and Jan Błachowicz. His chin has greatly diminished.
A boxing match would do him no good as he would only suffer greater punishment. He is no longer equipped to absorb too many blows to the head. Thus, a boxing match with a heavy-handed puncher like Jake Paul, who has more boxing experience, would be inadvisable.
#3. Luke Rockhold's strength has never been his boxing
During the peak of his MMA career, Luke Rockhold's striking hinged on the strength of his kicks. The former middleweight champion possessed some of the most brutal body kicks in the sport. He has a significant amount of power in all of his kicks and he varies his targets from the legs and midsection to the head.
His greatest strength has always been his Brazilian jiu-jitsu expertise. On the mat, Luke Rockhold is an offensive dynamo who is as dangerous as they come. His boxing, however, has always been his weak point.
6. Michael Bisping-Luke Rockhold (UFC 199)
One of the most satisfying ko’s of my MMA watching life https://t.co/xJVqk5hiDv
While he benefits from his southpaw stance, the former middleweight champion has a habit of stepping in too deep as he throws straight lefts. Furthermore, he also has a tendency to drop his rear hand after exiting from exchanges. This was worsened by his refusal to tuck his chin.
Due to his defensive issues, he's ill-equipped for a boxing match. His chances of winning one against Jake Paul are low. Instead, he is better suited for an MMA bout.
#2. A loss would damage his reputation and legacy
Luke Rockhold talks a big game. There is no reason why he shouldn't when one considers his accomplishments in MMA and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He is a former middleweight champion of Strikeforce and the UFC as well as a two-time IBJJF gold medalist.
The unfortunate part of the former champion's legacy is that he lost four of his last five fights before he retired from MMA. This has led many fans to dismiss the overall strength of his accomplishments and how dominant he looked at the peak of his career.
Luke Rockhold wants to box Jake Paul 🥊 https://t.co/Ub4nPuiWvF
If he faces Jake Paul in the boxing ring, he'd very likely lose. After all, will he succeed where a superior puncher with boxing experience like Anderson Silva failed? Losing against Roy Jones Jr. or Mike Tyson or any other respected boxer, retired or otherwise, is one thing.
But if he loses to 'The Problem Child', it will be an embarrassing loss that will not only damage his legacy, but it will cause many to question the legitimacy of MMA fighters.
#1. Jake Paul needs to fight a boxer
The interest in seeing Jake Paul face mixed martial artists in a boxing ring has waned. While the initial allure of watching 'The Problem Child' clash with real fighters was strong, that's no longer the case. He has defeated every MMA fighter he's come across, including Anderson Silva.
"I know I'm gonna knock him out. This fight will not go any more than four rounds."
@tommytntfury gives his prediction for his fight against @jakepaul - and comments on the speculation Jake broke the news of Molly Mae having their baby on social media before them.
@piersmorgan https://t.co/KlVTKyF22T
While 'The Spider' is almost 50 years old, he is still a lifelong martial artist with boxing experience and the physical dimensions to match 'The Problem Child. The novelty has worn off. The next time Jake Paul steps inside the squared circle, fans don't want to see him box another mixed martial artist.
The resounding opinion is that if he wants to continue facing MMA fighters, he should do so in MMA. But if he wants to continue boxing, he should finally step up and cross swords with a boxer. He appears to be intent on doing so as he is now scheduled to fight Tommy Fury on the 26th of this month.