Brain on Sports Podcast: UFC's Luke Rockhold
“This is Your Brain on Sports” is a weekly podcast from Sports Illustrated in which SI executive editor Jon Wertheim and Tufts University psychology professor Sam Sommers explore the intersection of sports and human nature—what the world of sports has to teach us about who we are, what we care about and the forces that shape our behavior.
On this week’s episode, Jon Wertheim talks with middleweight fighter Luke Rockhold ahead of his middleweight championship rematch against Chris Weidman at UFC 199 on June 4. Calling in from Las Vegas, Rockhold (15-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) talks about his preparation, mentally and physically, for his fight against Weidman, who he beat for the UFC’s 185-pound belt at UFC 194 in December.
Rockhold also talks with Wertheim about what it's like to compete in a combat sport compared to team sports, the dynamics of MMA as a sport, the role of relaxation in the octagon and how he trains for the mental side of the game. The 31-year-old also discusses competition, the difference between fighting a rematch and a regular fight, the impact MMA has on his personal life and more.
