text: His last fight in the IFL came against former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Ricco Rodriguez in the team finals. After controlling the fight and displaying superior striking, Rothwell won the fight via unanimous decision. However, the Silverbacks fell short of a victory and lost the championship to Renzo Gracie's New York Pitbulls. This was Rothwell's last appearance in the IFL, as he eventually left the organization due to a contract dispute.
  During his time in the IFL, Rothwell had a 9–0 record.
  Affliction
  After leaving the IFL, Rothwell joined Affliction where he appeared in only one bout, against former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski, Rothwell lost the fight via knockout due to an uppercut in the final round. This ended Rothwell's 13-fight win streak and gave him his first defeat in over three years.
  Ultimate Fighting Championship
  Rothwell made his UFC debut on October 24, 2009, at UFC 104 against undefeated Cain Velasquez losing via TKO one minute into round two. The stoppage was controversial because Rothwell seemed to be getting to his feet as Steve Mazzagatti stopped the fight. Rothwell was visibly upset with Mazzagatti's decision to stop the fight. After the fight, UFC president Dana White stated that Mazzagatti was the "worst referee in the history of combat sports".