"I'm older and I need time to put everything aside" - Luke Rockhold reveals potential time frame for return to the octagon
Luke Rockhold recently weighed in on his much-awaited UFC return in an interview with Submission Radio. The former UFC middleweight revealed he could potentially return to the octagon in the final quarter of the year.
Catch the former champion's full interview below:
After mulling around the idea for months, Luke Rockhold finally seems close to a return. With Dana White's recent comments, it appears he could be facing Sean Strickland when he next enters the octagon.
However, Rockhold recently pointed out an important factor which could result in him pulling out of his return fight.
While Luke Rockhold had anticipated making a return in front of a crowd, he will most probably have to fight in an empty UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Disappointed with the nature of the offer as a whole, Rockhold told Submission Radio:
"I mean, obviously I'm older and I need time to put everything aside in my life and just go full force. To give it my best opportunity to get in there. So, I mean October, November is probably the most likely story here at this point. Sounds like a lot of things are getting mixed back up. And might pull back, you know. Fighting in front of a crowd was a big thing for me. And I wanted to get back into a stadium and make it feel right. Going back into the Apex just doesn't sound f***ing cool. Doesn't sound like a good return so... I don't know, we'll see. I haven't got a fight date. You offer me an opponent you gotta give me a fight date."
Luke Rockhold is angry with Dana White
UFC president Dana White recently confirmed that Luke Rockhold has been offered Sean Strickland as an opponent for his return fight. However, Rockhold is apparently dissatisfied with the offer as it currently holds little weight.
Rockhold recently revealed that White did not back up his statement with a formal offer or a potential fight date. Asked about the reason for being upset with the UFC president, Rockhold told Submission Radio:
"He (Dana White) goes out and say they've offered Sean Strickland, after it wasn't really much of an offer. There wasn't a fight date, there wasn't a formal offer. He just wants to go put it out there,like, to put pressure on me, it's stupid," said Luke Rockhold.