Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold has stirred up controversy with bold claims about his training sessions with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev during a recent appearance on the Jaxon podcast.
Rockhold, known for his candid statements, asserted that despite numerous training sessions with Makhachev, the Dagestani champion has never managed to submit him. “I’ve rolled with Islam a lot, he’s very good,” Rockhold acknowledged, before adding, “He’s not too small… Islam Makhachev has never submitted you? No.”
The revelation came as a surprise to many in the MMA community, given Makhachev’s renowned grappling prowess. When the podcast host expressed skepticism about this claim, Rockhold doubled down on his statement.
The conversation took an unexpected turn when former UFC champion Daniel Cormier was mentioned. Rockhold didn’t hold back in his assessment of his former teammate’s credibility, stating, “Daniel Cormier is the biggest liar right now! How do you think he makes such good TV? He just lies his way through TV!”
Rockhold further elaborated on DC’s approach, revealing, “One thing that Daniel would always say: if you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying.”
UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov showcased his grappling dominance over former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold in a training session that caught fans’ attention a while ago. Despite retiring in 2020 with an undefeated record of 29-0, Khabib remains active in the MMA world, training Dagestani stars like Islam Makhachev and running his promotion, Eagle FC. The grappling session highlighted Khabib’s relentless control, as he humorously pinned and chased Rockhold, quipping about the intensity of Sambo.
Rockhold, a skilled grappler and 2007 BJJ gold medalist, keeps competing in karate combat, CJI and other competitions despite retiring from the UFC.
These statements have already generated significant buzz within the MMA community, particularly given the long-standing relationship between all three athletes at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA). The claims about the training sessions with Makhachev have yet to be independently verified or addressed by either Makhachev or Cormier.
