Luke Rockhold has officially notified the UFC of his intention to retire from mixed martial arts at the age of 37.

At UFC 278 last weekend, Luke Rockhold gave everything he had in his war with Paulo Costa in one of the most entertaining fights in recent memory. The veteran ultimately lost the contest on the scorecards but in a general sense, he certainly earned the respect of the masses as he went out on his shield.

Rockhold spoke to Joe Rogan immediately after the contest and emotionally informed him that he was planning on retiring, and now, it seems as if that’s been confirmed as he prepares to move on to the next phase of his life.

Luke Rockhold has officially notified the UFC of his retirement, per officials.

Here’s to Luke on an incredible career as both a UFC and Strikeforce champion and somebody who was never afraid to speak his mind. #UFC

— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) August 24, 2022

Rockhold had a fascinating career in the sport and managed to capture the middleweight championship in both the UFC and Strikeforce. He had some incredible moments in his career which included victories over names such as Ronaldo Souza, Michael Bisping, Lyoto Machida, Chris Weidman and more.

He was also viewed as a polarising figure by many given his confident persona, but this was a guy who definitely wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. Rockhold regularly stood up for what he believed in and rarely had a filter, which is probably why it was easy to tune in and see him compete – because you knew something crazy was going to happen.

It’s not yet known if he’s going to come out of retirement in the future but when you look at how the Costa fight went and how emotional he was in the aftermath, we’d say it’s a safe bet that his time has come to an end.

Thanks for the memories, Luke.

What do you think of Luke Rockhold’s decision to retire from MMA? What is your favourite memory from his career? Let us know down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!