In the 1990s, when asked to describe a stereotypical cage fighter, most would have leaned towards a description of somebody like Tank Abbott.
Nowadays, with the sport of mixed martial arts having evolved into a forum for elite professional athletes and stepping over the threshold into the realm of mainstream, fighters look less like bar brawlers than ever before.
And Luke Rockhold is one such fighter who looks just as at home competing against the toughest middleweights on the planet as he would on the cover of an Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue.
After dropping his 185lb title to Michael Bisping in June, Rockhold has opted to make profitable use of his God-given good looks by venturing into the world of modelling.
The 31-year-old is intent on not rushing into a fight that doesn’t make business sense and, while waiting for the perfect offer to come in, he is quite happy to get paid to look attractive.
“I definitely want to fight, and I want to get back to that title and get my shot,” Rockhold said in an interview on the MMA Hour. “So, it’s about making the right move next, and making it worth my while. I’m not going to just go out there and put my body on the line when I can get paid that much more in this world [modelling]. So, if they make it worth my while, I’d love to come back. This is what I love to do — I love to fight. But, it’s got to make sense.”
Rockhold isn’t the first fighter who has relied on his appearance in his off-time from competing as UFC welterweight Alan Jouban has also enjoyed success as a model, securing a deal with Versace last year.
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And Rockhold sees modelling as the perfect side project but maintains that fighting will always be his one true love.
“I’m a fighter at heart, but I’m here to get paid, so if there’s more potential [in modelling], I’ll take it,” Rockhold continued. “And we’re talking big numbers, so I could laugh and let my body heal and wait for the time’s right to come back and fight when it makes sense.”
Most oddsmakers expected Rockhold to defend his middleweight title against Bisping in the summer but the Brit came good with the upset and Rockhold insists that he is in the process of picking himself up from that devastating loss, which came via first round knockout at UFC 199.
“You got to get over it,” he said. “That’s the sport. I let my guard down, I prepared foolishly and I went in there with a bad mindset and I paid for it. I’ll pick myself up, I’ll rebuild myself as I always have and I’ll do what I need to do. I know what I’m capable of I just need to go out and fight with the mindset that got me here. And you can’t take anybody for granted. It was a mistake, and it won’t happen again.”
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