How good is Luke Rockhold?

Luke Rockhold successfully defended his Strikeforce Middleweight Championship on Saturday by knocking-out Keith Jardine, Rockhold's eighth-straight win. The American Kickboxing Academy product hasn't lost since 2007. After the fight he said he wanted a UFC, ranked opponent next, but he is likely to face Tim Kennedy (14-3) instead. How do you rate Rockhold?

 

<table class="wikitable sortable"><tbody><tr><th>Result</th> <th class="unsortable">Record</th> <th>Opponent</th> <th>Method</th> <th>Event</th> <th>Date</th> <th>Round</th> <th>Time</th> <th>Location</th> <th>Notes</th> </tr> <tr> <td style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center;" class="table-yes2">Win</td> <td align="center">9–1</td> <td>Keith Jardine</td> <td>TKO (punches)</td> <td>Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine</td> <td> January 7, 2012</td> <td align="center">1</td> <td align="center">4:26</td> <td>Las Vegas, Nevada, United States</td> <td>Defended the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center;" class="table-yes2">Win</td> <td align="center">8–1</td> <td>Ronaldo Souza</td> <td>Decision (unanimous)</td> <td>Strikeforce World Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov</td> <td> September 10, 2011</td> <td align="center">5</td> <td align="center">5:00</td> <td>Cincinnati, Ohio, United States</td> <td>Won the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center;" class="table-yes2">Win</td> <td align="center">7–1</td> <td>Paul Bradley</td> <td>TKO (knees to the body)</td> <td>Strikeforce Challengers: Kaufman vs. Hashi</td> <td> February 26, 2010</td> <td align="center">1</td> <td align="center">2:24</td> <td>San Jose, California, United States</td> <td>
</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center;" class="table-yes2">Win</td> <td align="center">6–1</td> <td>Jesse Taylor</td> <td>Submission (rear-naked choke)</td> <td>Strikeforce Challengers: Gurgel vs. Evangelista</td> <td> November 6, 2009</td> <td align="center">1</td> <td align="center">3:42</td> <td>Fresno, California, United States</td> <td>
</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center;" class="table-yes2">Win</td> <td align="center">5–1</td> <td>Cory Devela</td> <td>Submission (rear-naked choke)</td> <td>Strikeforce Challengers: Villasenor vs. Cyborg</td> <td> June 19, 2009</td> <td align="center">1</td> <td align="center">0:30</td> <td>Kent, Washington, United States</td> <td>
</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center;" class="table-yes2">Win</td> <td align="center">4–1</td> <td>Buck Meredith</td> <td>Submission (rear-naked choke)</td> <td>Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz</td> <td> April 11, 2009</td> <td align="center">1</td> <td align="center">4:07</td> <td>San Jose, California, United States</td> <td>
</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center;" class="table-yes2">Win</td> <td align="center">3–1</td> <td>Nik Theotikos</td> <td>Submission (rear-naked choke)</td> <td>Strikeforce: Destruction</td> <td> November 21, 2008</td> <td align="center">1</td> <td align="center">3:06</td> <td>San Jose, California, United States</td> <td>
</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center;" class="table-yes2">Win</td> <td align="center">2–1</td> <td>Josh Neal</td> <td>Submission (punches)</td> <td>Strikeforce: Young Guns II</td> <td> February 1, 2008</td> <td align="center">1</td> <td align="center">1:49</td> <td>San Jose, California, United States</td> <td>Strikeforce Debut.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center;" class="table-no2">Loss</td> <td align="center">1–1</td> <td>Tony Rubalcava</td> <td>TKO (punches)</td> <td>Melee on the Mountain</td> <td> November 6, 2007</td> <td align="center">1</td> <td align="center">2:46</td> <td>Friant, California, United States</td> <td>
</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center;" class="table-yes2">Win</td> <td align="center">1–0</td> <td>Mike Martinez</td> <td>Submission (armbar)</td> <td>Melee on the Mountain</td> <td> July 24, 2007</td> <td align="center">1</td> <td align="center">2:44</td> <td>Friant, California, United States</td> <td>
</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

I think Tim Kennedy is a fine opponent for him next. Souza is a nice win, Jardine is a big name but is he really any good? I'll give Rockhold credit for stringing those two together but beat Kennedy and then you'll have a real case to get a UFC/ranked opponent.

I view 185 as a pretty weak division but its really hard to say where Rockhold would stand if he were in the UFC. Beating Souza, Jardine, and Kennedy seems easy compared to even middling UFC MWs like Belcher, Leben, Maia, Wandy, etc. If he beat some of those type of guys then you could think about putting him in there with Sonnen, Bisping, Okami, Stann.

That said, Nick Diaz and Gilbert Melendez had to clean out their divisions to get consideration to move to the UFC, Gilbert still isn't in the UFC. Diaz won 7 in a row with SF/Dream and did so against pretty decent competition. Melendez has won 6 in a row with SF and knocked off Aoki. Hendo beat Babalu, Cavalcante, and Fedor consecutively and went 6-1 overall in his previous 7 with wins over Franklin, Bisping, and Palhares before leaving the UFC. I know Rockhold is itching to fight better competition but its not the worst thing in the world for him to keep fighting whatever SF/Dream can scrounge up for a bit longer. Hes gotta keep mopping these guys up like Diaz/Melendez before him to get legitimate consideration to go to the UFC. Otherwise keep feeding him Dream guys and UFC retreads.

 

I think he's somewhere in the top 20 and would probably have similar success to a guy like Bisping in the UFC--beats most but gets hung up against the really good middleweights.

I agree that middleweight, second to heavyweight, is the thinnest division.

 

Yeah I voted top 20, but if you're outside the top 10 of your division you're pretty much irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Not saying he can't get there, he just hasn't done enough to prove that hes as good as he apparently thinks he is.