Luke Rockhold Returns from 2-Year Hiatus, Meets Sean Strickland at UFC 268

Luke Rockhold will make his return from a lengthy hiatus against Sean Strickland in a middleweight bout at UFC 268.

UFC broadcast partner ESPN confirmed the booking following an initial report from TSN. Both Rockhold and Strickland have verbally agreed to the bout. UFC 268 is expected to take place at Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 6 and is headlined by a welterweight championship rematch between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington.

Rockhold will fight for the first time since a move to 205 pound resulted in a second-round knockout loss to Jan Blachowicz at UFC 239 on July 6, 2019. The 36-year-old American Kickboxing Academy product is a former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion but has lost three of his last four appearances. Rockhold owns notable wins over the likes of Chris Weidman, Lyoto Machida, Michael Bisping, Ronaldo Souza, Tim Kennedy and Keith Jardine.

Strickland, meanwhile, is coming off a decisive five-round victory over Uriah Hall in the UFC on ESPN 28 headliner. The 30-year-old Team Quest representative is currently on a five-bout winning streak within the Las Vegas-based promotion.