Luke Rockhold: Dana White and UFC created narrative ‘to shut down fighters and criticize champions’

Luke Rockhold has an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) return booked, but he won’t shy away from criticizing UFC President, Dana White, and company.

Rockhold (16-5) is expected to fight Sean Strickland (24-3) at UFC 268, which will tentatively take place at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y., on Sat., Nov. 6, 2021. And the former 185-pound kingpin will not shy away from criticizing UFC in the build-up to his first fight in 2.5 years.

“Guys like Francis Ngannou are getting shelved for asking for his worth, and they’re creating interim titles, which is all bulls—t,” Rockhold told MMA Junkie Radio. “I mean, this is the type of s—t you have to deal with. I’m not always here for it. I’m not gonna be here for it. I’m gonna speak my mind exactly how I want, to say what I say, what I feel. Like it or not, f—k, I’m here.

“I’m gonna respect myself publicly,” Rockhold continued. “I’m not gonna disrespect myself, which is what a lot of people do, which is the common narrative with the UFC and what Dana White has created — to shut down fighters and criticize champions. The narrative that they’ve created is for the fans to want to hate on fighters, and it’s just bulls—t. You’ve got to go out there, respect yourself, and get paid. This is the f—king fight game. We’re the fighters, we’re the entertainment, and we deserve our worth.”

UFC 268 is expected to be headlined by Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington 2 for the Welterweight championship.

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