Former Strikeforce and UFC Middleweight Champion, Luke Rockhold, will return and face the #8 ranked middleweight, Sean Strickland. Many thought Rockhold would have retired from the sport for good after suffering back-to-back brutal losses.
Per sources, a bout between Luke Rockhold and Sean Strickland has been verbally agreed upon for UFC 268 on November 6.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) August 4, 2021
Luke Rockhold has been to the pinnacle of the sport, winning the title in two major organizations but after losing his belt, he was never the same fighter. His striking defense has a flaw that his opponents exploit and his chin has deteriorated throughout the years. Will his time off the sport help with his chin recovery?
Rockhold is facing top contender, undefeated at middleweight. He has 3 losses in his record but all of which were at middleweight. He is not a tune-up fight but a real fight for Rockhold. He is coming off a dominant win over Uriah Hall.
In terms of stylistic matchup, Strickland is a volume striker which could prove favorable to Rockhold. We all know that Rockhold has one of the best BJJ in the game, once he takes his opponents down, it is a nightmare to survive. The question is will he be able to take down his opponents, also Rockhold has one of the best striking offenses especially his kicks. 
Although Rockhold has also been away from the sport for quite a while, will he be able to compete at that championship level? There is no question that the talent is there but as they say, father time is undefeated.
