Luke Rockhold has another tough test ahead of him outside of MMA.
The former UFC middleweight champion is scheduled to take on grappling star Craig Jones in a Brazilian jiu-jitsu contest at an Israel Fight Night event in Jerusalem on Sept. 21. Jones announced the bout via Instagram.
Jones wrote:
Never in the history of combat sports have 2 dime pieces of this caliber locked horns. I’ve often been told I need Jesus in my life, what an opportunity to hit Jerusalem in search of him.
The exact rules of the contest are still to be announced.
Rockhold retired from MMA competition following a loss to Paulo Costa at UFC 278 in August of last year, his third straight setback, and subsequently signed a contract to fight Mike Perry at BKFC 41 the following April. Perry defeated Rockhold via TKO in a brutal fight that saw Rockhold lose a tooth during the action.
The bout with Jones marks Rockhold’s return to grappling competition. He fought Jones’ teammate Nick Rodriguez at a Polaris event in 2019, where he lost by decision.
Australia’s Jones is widely regarded as one of the best BJJ practitioners in the world. He has worked with numerous top fighters and currently serves as the grappling coach for UFC champions Alexander Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya.
Israel Fight Night 1 features several other former UFC fighters in action, including Noad Lahat, Albert Morales, and Johnny Case.