Luke Rockhold put his grappling skills on display at the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI), against Pat Downey – a former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler.

As the match began, Rockhold immediately pulled guard. However, Downey followed Rockhold to the mat and maintained control throughout the first round.
Despite Rockhold’s attempts to secure a Guillotine Choke, Downey’s signature pressure from the top left the former UFC champion with limited options.

The second round saw more of the same, with Downey dominating from the top position.
While he didn’t threaten with submission attempts, his control over the match was evident, leaving Rockhold struggling to mount any offense.

By the third round, it was clear that Rockhold needed a finish to stay in the tournament.
Unfortunately for him, fatigue had set in, and he was unable to muster the energy needed for a comeback.

Downey capitalized on this, taking Rockhold down twice and even allowing him back up, seemingly toying with his opponent as the round progressed.

Additionally, in a moment of frustration, Downey also smashed Rockhold against the pit wall.
And, well, Rockhold took a moment to high-five Demetrious Johnson – who was sitting in the front row, much to Downey’s irritation.

Rockhold lost via decision.
But check out his cool moment with Mighty Mouse below:

Luke Rockhold gets trapped in the corner, daps up Mighty Mouse, get hits with a rear naked and rolls out. Corner meta supreme pic.twitter.com/zucXNMah6p

— Josie Aldo (@JosieAldoMMA) August 16, 2024