EXCLUSIVE Luke Rockhold on Discipline, Style & the Art of Balance | The Rakish Gent Interview

10 min read

Photography - Anka Garbowska

Words - Taj Hayer

Styling - Tatiana Cinquino

Grooming - Adrian Alvarado

Movement - Brian Poniatowski

Talent - Luke Rockhold at Soul Artist MGMT

World champion fighter, model, and modern-day adventurer — Luke Rockhold speaks to The Rakish Gent about discipline, masculinity, and why mastering the mind is just as important as mastering the body.

Luke Rockhold doesn’t walk into a room — he moves through it like a man who’s already fought his toughest battles. There’s an ease about him, but it’s the kind that only comes after years of surviving the chaos. A former UFC Middleweight Champion, professional model, and lifelong athlete, Rockhold is one of those rare figures who blurs the line between warrior and artist — part gladiator, part philosopher. And these days, his focus has shifted from conquering opponents to conquering himself.

“I’d say there were multiple moments where I proved myself,” he reflects when asked what defined him as an athlete. “The first was my win over Jacare Souza. I’d been injured for 19 months, going through a lot of hardship. I had never been out of the first round before, and beating Jacare in a five-round war to win my first world title — that was as special a moment as I’ll ever have in life. That fight changed everything for me.”

For Rockhold, that victory was more than a title — it was a reclamation of purpose. It cemented his reputation as one of the sport’s most cerebral fighters, a man who could blend power with poise. But in the years since, his philosophy has evolved beyond competition. “As you get older,” he says, “you learn more about the body — recovery, performance, and awareness. I still love being athletic, but I understand my limitations now. I focus on corrective patterns, core work, and zone 2 cardio to build my defenses and allow me to do what I love most.”

That shift — from domination to preservation — defines Rockhold’s current chapter. He still trains daily, still pushes himself to the limit, but his goals now reach beyond the octagon. “I’ll always pride myself as an athlete with style,” he says. “We’re defined by our achievements and how we carry ourselves. I’ll always continue to push myself mentally and physically. One of my favorite purchases outside of athletics was my piano. The most challenging and beautiful of instruments. You have to keep the mind sharp as you grow older.”

Tank top - Calvin Klein, Trousers - Acne Studios, Sneakers - Bottega Veneta

If Rockhold’s early years were about fighting for glory, these days he’s fighting for balance. Growing up in Santa Cruz, California, in a family of athletes — his father a professional basketball player, his brother a pro surfer — he’s always been connected to movement, nature, and freedom. “I truly believe in nature and hard work to give balance to the mind,” he says. “We live in a world that’s too soft and full of technology. Getting out there, being uncomfortable, that’s what keeps you grounded.”

It’s no surprise, then, that his life now revolves around simplicity: surfing, hiking, and long stretches spent near the ocean. “As much as I love big cities and the history of places like New York, London, and Paris,” he admits, “I find myself more aligned with the beauty of nature and coastal energy. California will always be special to me, but I love Costa Rica, the Gold Coast of Australia, and Bali. Traveling teaches you how different cultures heal, eat, think, and find happiness. My biggest thing in life is to seek out masters in all realms — sport, art, culture — and learn from them.”

That openness to learning, to curiosity, has made Rockhold an unconventional kind of athlete. He’s as comfortable in front of a camera as he was in the cage, fronting campaigns for major fashion houses with the same intensity he brought to fight night. “Fighting, like art and fashion, it’s all about confidence,” he says. “To make it to the top, you can’t question yourself. You have to think differently — and do more than anyone else you see.”

There’s a creative streak running through everything he does. Before MMA, he was an art major in college and once won a high school art show in Santa Cruz. “I’ve always been an artist,” he says. “Expression on a blank canvas or molding a block of clay has its beauty. But to perform and win against a live human with world-class skills, under pressure and lights — there’s nothing more scary or rewarding in this world.”

That tension — beauty and danger, control and chaos — seems to be what drives him. “Discipline and patience create mastery,” he says firmly. “To be the best at what you do takes extreme focus, and you have to outwork anyone and everybody.” It’s advice that extends beyond sport. Whether he’s training, surfing, or fasting — which he credits as a tool for mental clarity — Rockhold’s ethos is about stripping life down to its essentials. “We live in a technology-filled world that’s chaotic at times,” he says. “It’s important to be self-assured, and that comes from hard work and sometimes isolation. You have to lead by example and dig deep to find that. Honestly, these days the most powerful thing I’ve learned for the mind and body is water fasting. There’s nothing that makes me feel healthier or clearer. Sometimes just 24 hours, sometimes seven days — it resets everything.”

For Rockhold, masculinity isn’t about dominance or bravado — it’s about facing fear. “Masculinity can be hard to find these days,” he says. “Technology has softened us. I think it’s important to instill fear in our lives. It’s balancing. It takes weight off your shoulders and gives you a new outlook.”

In conversation, he speaks with the calm authority of a man who’s already tested every boundary — physical, emotional, and spiritual. But there’s also humility there: a sense that he’s still searching, still refining. “My legacy?” he says, pausing. “That sounds like the end. I don’t believe in the end. There’s always more to do, more to learn, more to give. Life’s full of hills and valleys — you’ve just got to find your way back to the top of the hill, whatever that hill may be.”

It’s that refusal to stay still — to ever believe he’s finished — that makes Rockhold a true modern athlete. Whether he’s talking about training or art, surfing or fasting, the message is the same: mastery is movement.

“I think the most important thing,” he says, smiling, “is to keep pushing yourself, to keep finding ways to grow — and to never forget to live with a bit of style.”

Fear, Flow and Finding Balance: Luke Rockhold on the Art of Living Boldly