Luke Rockhold: New UFC Owners Trying To Keep Paychecks Down

Despite turning down a fight from the UFC last week due to the money being ‘bulls**t’, former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold signed on the dotted line earlier this week to step into the Octagon with perennial 185-pound contender Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza later this year.

Rockhold joined the Extra Rounds podcast yesterday (September 15, 2016), courtesy of MMA Fighting, and stated that although he loves to step into the UFC’s Octagon and scrap he still needs to see a pretty paycheck when it’s all said and done:

“I signed my contract with the UFC back before I fought Machida. I had confidence in myself to win the title and I thought that I’d find myself in a better situation but the contract fell back – before I was able to restructure it – to a place where I wasn’t really happy with it.

Seeing what I fell back to and knowing what I’ve accomplished and my credibility in the sport, I wasn’t happy with what they were offering. It’s gonna take more than that to get me to fight. I’ve got other avenues outside the sport, and I’m not gonna go fight when it’s not worth it.

I gotta get my due, I’ve gotta get my worth. No matter how much I love fight, and what I’m doing out here, I need to get f*cking paid.”

The UFC has been embroiled in quite a few contract disputes with it’s top tier talents such as UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, and now Rockhold.

The AKA product believes the sport is in a bit of a ‘transition period’ in which fighters are beginning to utilize their leverage in contract negotiations to get what they believe they are worth in terms of finances:

“I think we’re in a transition period. I think there’s definitely positive change in the sport and people are starting to realize it’s about leverage in the right situation and understanding your worth… These guys are trying to keep you down on these paychecks, keep you hungry, keep you needing more.”

The new deal seems to have pleased the former 185-pound champ, and believes the fight between him and ‘Jacare’ makes the most sense to lead him back into the title picture:

“They restructured the deal for the time being, and so we got a new contract. We got a new contract upping the money, and we got the right fight so I think this will be the best fight for me right now to get me back to the title. I think we’re clearly the best two guys in the division, so this will solidify myself to going back and getting my gold back.”

Last time out Rockhold failed to respect Michael Bisping at UFC 199 earlier this year, and paid the consequences with a stunning first round knockout loss. Bisping would take home the gold for the first time in his career, and Rockhold would be left disappointed with himself in the Octagon as he knows in his heart he has what it takes to down the British veteran.

Now Rockhold is going into his bout against Souza with respect for the man that will be standing across from him in the Octagon, and doing what he has to do to get back to the gold belt that once rested across his shoulder:

“It’s about respecting your opponent, something I didn’t do the last time out. I went out there and completely disregarded my opponent and what he brought to the table. Anything can happen in this game and I got caught.

But it doesn’t tell the tale of who the better fighter is. It’s time for me to go back and fight in a way that got me to the title. That’s being a precise, tactical fighter and respecting my opponent. Going in there and doing what I have to do.”

Rockhold will meet Souza in the main event of UFC Fight Night 101 live on FS1, from the Rod Laver Stadium in Melbourne, Australia on November 26, 2016.