I’m A Joker, I’m A Smoker, I’m A Middleweight Toker

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold has incorporated some new elements into his pre-fight training camp, and for anyone who lived through the oppressive days of anti-Diaz legislation, watching MMA fighters get baked on camera is somewhat surreal.

Rockhold, who turns 38 in October, will make his first Octagon appearance since a knockout loss to Jan Blachowicz at UFC 239 back in summer 2019. Waiting to greet him will be one-time title challenger and reigning wineweight champion Paulo Costa.

“I kind of use marijuana to isolate, and I don’t get any need or want to go do other things, you know what I mean? It just kind of isolates me, hyper focuses me on my goal and be on a one-track mind,” Rockhold told Submission Radio. “And then I tried some mushrooms, and it enhances my focus within that space. So, that’s great. It’s like, boom, branches me out. It hyper-focuses me in on weed, for training, and then you take the mushrooms to expand your thought processes within that space.”

Rockhold (16-5) and Costa (13-2) are scheduled to hook ‘em up at the UFC 278 pay-per-view (PPV) event, scheduled for Sat., Aug. 20, 2022 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. The loser is likely to be unceremoniously eliminated from the crowded 185-pound title chase.

“[I’m taking mushrooms] four days a week,” Rockhold continued. “I take them when I run. You use them post training. I use them for cardiovascular kind of focused training, I’d say. That’s my thing. You know, you just really analyze, digest what you’re doing, and it gives you perspective, a lot of perspective on your training. This is the first [training camp] I’ve really incorporated [them]. I used them a little bit in the past, but never like this.”

To see the rest of the UFC 278 fight card and PPV lineup click here.