10 MMA Champions Who Held World Titles Elsewhere

Surfer, Ralph Lauren Model and avid skater, Luke Rockhold strikes you as a man more likely to produce his own podcast on how to 'win at life and be really cool' than a former UFC Middleweight champion.

If you aren't familiar with the man, he was the last Strikeforce Middleweight champion before the company was absorbed by Dana White's company.

Being raised by a basketball playing father and a tennis playing mother, it was inevitable that Rockhold would fall somewhere into sports. Starting Judo at the age of 6 (before retiring at age 10, respectively), it was clear that combat was in his trajectory, showing promise in his school wrestling team whilst taking jiu-jitsu classes on the side.

The latter would prove to be his calling and he would compete in numerous Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments before winning gold at the 2007 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships (in Blue and Purple belts).

With the medals under his belt, Rockhold set upon MMA and took down all comers In Strikeforce and the UFC.

8 years later, he eventually claimed the Middleweight's top prize in 2015, taking down Chris Weidman and pounding the man for the TKO title victory.

Rockhold has since lost the title and is trying his hand at Light-heavyweight, losing his first bout to Jan Błachowicz by KO in the second round.

Well, you can't have everything...