"You have your up days and your down days" - Josh Thomson chimes in on the controversy behind Luke Rockhold's preparation ahead of his comeback fight against Paulo Costa
Luke Rockhold is set to return after three years away from the sport to fight a very dangerous Paulo Costa at UFC 278. According to Michael Bisping, Rockhold's preparation for the fight leaves something to be desired.
Bisping and Rockhold had an intense rivalry for years, but seem to get along now for the most part. For his comeback, Rockhold has even spent a good amount of time with Bisping's former coach, Jason Parillo. Now 'The Count' is speaking up on what he's been hearing from inside Rockhold's training camp.
During BT Sports' UFC 278 Preview Show, Bisping said:
“He’s been training, but there’s been good days and bad days. He hasn’t been consistently pushing himself throughout it. One of the things that Jason says is obviously he’s looking good here and there, but he hasn’t been sparring enough. Sparring is key… I think Rockhold needs to spar. I think he needs to blow off some of those cobwebs.”
On the latest episode of Weighing In, former UFC fighter Josh Thomson pushed back against the idea that Luke Rockhold hasn't been training hard enough. He pointed out that Rockhold trains at other gyms where he does spar, and his work with Parillo is focused mainly on tightening up technique. Thomson said:
"Anyone during fight camp, you have your up days, you have your down days. It's like your d***, sometimes it's up, sometimes it's down. This is how this s*** works in life. But the bottom line is he has been training, he's done some sparring at Sanford MMA, some sparring at AKA ... He's putting in all the work."
Watch Josh Thomson discuss Luke Rockhold's training for UFC 278 below:
Luke Rockhold is not happy that Dana White is teaming up with the Nelk Boys
This is the era of YouTube celebrities, and while Dana White's musical tastes may be firmly trapped in the 90s, he has done a good job of tapping into the Influencer market via the Nelk Boys and their popular Full Send brand.
The decision to integrate the hard-partying Nelk Boys into the UFC's media machine doesn't sit well with Luke Rockhold, who may be too old to get their appeal. The 37-year old told Shak MMA:
"Incorporating Full Send into the UFC is just the dumbest thing ever. I see these guys around here and I’m like ‘Why the f**k are these degenerate kids a part of our f**king company?’ Why is Dana White – because he’s trying to bite into popular culture? Popular culture is going down the drain and it’s bringing the whole world down the drain. People just need to wake up."
Watch Luke Rockhold rip into the Nelk Boys below:
Newer fans who have never heard a Rockhold interview may be a bit shocked at his negativity, but he's often critical of the UFC and Dana White. In another interview he referred to the UFC as a mafia and accused the promotion of being cheap for only offering $50,000 bonuses instead of $200,000.
It's something that's been going on since the UFC bought rival promotion Strikeforce in 2011, where Luke Rockhold was middleweight champion. Despite Rockhold winning the UFC middleweight belt in 2015, he's never gotten along with UFC executives.
Dana White is sick of hearing Luke Rockhold talking "s***" and had a stern message for the former UFC middleweight champ. https://t.co/PqXwjqTlC7