Luke Rockhold holds a Strikeforce championship, yet may be one of the most overlooked fighters in mixed martial arts. While sporting an 8-1 record and holding a rather large title belt over his shoulder is impressive enough, the speed at which his title reign has headed towards irrelevancy is just as remarkable.
Rockhold was crowned the Strikeforce middleweight champion when he was able to defeat the tough Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza this past September on the Strikeforce World Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov card. Now he is holding a belt that may not be worth its weight. His next opponent is UFC castoff Keith Jardine, who is also 3-6-1 over his last ten fights. Needless to say, Jardine is a far cry from the type of truly deserving title contender that most champions face in combat sports. But as he stays employed as one of the only two male champions of the Strikeforce organization, there is little more that Rockhold can do than face whomever is placed in front of him, no matter how undeserving that contender might be.
Experts and fans alike are currently clamoring for Gilbert Melendez to relinquish the Strikeforce lightweight title and move over to the biggest stage of the sport, which has become the UFC. With so many different highly-ranked and highly-skilled competitors who could stand across the cage from him, it would be hard to make a fight that wouldn’t be interesting and exciting. Yet, the same voices are not clamoring for the same to be done for Rockhold. Worse still, rumors are swirling that the UFC has even gone to the length of bringing over Tim Kennedy, who was expected to be waiting in the wings as Rockhold’s first challenger. If the UFC is more interested in the top contender than the current champion, what does that say about Rockhold’s place in the organization?
Maybe it is the fact that Rockhold has only been a MMA fighter for a little less than five years. He started his career in back in 2007, where he went 1-1 before being brought into Strikeforce. In 2008 his tear began, as he ran through the Strikeforce Challengers circuit. In two years he defeated six different opponents, none of whom were able to make it out of the first round. Four of these opponents were forced to submit by rear naked choke, while the other two submitted to strikes.
A shoulder injury pulled Rockhold out of action for nearly 18 months; however that layoff didn’t stop him from sliding into the title picture. Now he sits atop of the Strikeforce middleweight division. But from the looks of it, there isn’t much to sit on top of. He, along with Melendez, should be moved over to the UFC. He’s already proven himself in this organization, and nothing is really left at this point.
If exciting fights with high amounts of action are the premise behind many of the fights organized by UFC matchmakers, then Rockhold would fit right in. His track record of stopping opponents quick and painfully would have the fans screaming and anxiously awaiting his next fight. While he admittedly would not be an immediate contender for the UFC’s middleweight championship like his lightweight counterpart Melendez would be, he could still be a great fighter that could win his way to that position. Why shouldn’t they place him against fighters like Brian Stann, Chris Leben, or even Yushin Okami? Each of these would be stellar fights that could easily steal the show.
2012 is going to be an interesting year for seeing exactly what Zuffa has planned for the sport. Rockhold, along with a number of other key fighters, would be a great addition to mixed martial arts’ premier organization. It would be a shame if they remained in Strikeforce, under dimmer lights, in front of smaller crowds, and facing less relevant opposition. It’s just a matter of time before this situation reaches a breaking point, and something has to be done. Hopefully, for the sake of Rockhold and fighters like him, that point is reached sooner than later.
I think this is one of those cases where Rockhold could benefit from staying put in Strikeforce. Middleweight has a fair amount of fighters outside of the UFC, including Jorge Santiago, Lawler, Manhoef, Marquardt (who I'm sure would love the chance to get back into Zuffa's good graces) and others. Tim Kennedy, as I understand it, has not yet joined the UFC yet, and Rockhold really wants that fight. Unlike Melendez, who has been a Top 10 mainstay for years, Rockhold has a number of fights to win before he is viewed as an elite fighter. Rockhold could get more seasoning in five-round fights, and exposure, being featured prominently on Showtime, in the main event. If he can fight on a regular schedule, he can add a few names to his list of victims, and by the time he is ready to move to the UFC, there can be real buzz for his debut. He might even get to where Nick Diaz got, and step directly into a title shot.
Raphael, When you say "Jardine is a far cry from the type of truly deserving title contender that most champions face in combat sports" you're not considering the B and C level promotions of the world, and the bottom line is that's what Strikeforce is.
The reason Rockhold is stuck in Strikeforce has nothing to do with potential or marketability. He is a casualty of Showtime's contract negotiations with Zuffa.