A trio of bouts have been slated for January 7th as a part of Strikeforce's now-official event, dubbed Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine.
Two former champions take aim at streaking up-and-comers as light heavyweights Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (8-1) vs. Lorenz Larkin (12-0) and middleweights Robbie Lawler (18-8) vs. Adlan Amagov (9-1-1) collide on the night's featured card. Also announced, a duel between welterweight veterans, Tarec Saffiedine (11-3) vs. Tyler Stinson (22-7).
Fresh off a win over Roger Gracie, Lawal hopes to slow the dazzling rise of Larkin, a 25-year-old knockout artist with thunderous finishes in seven of his last nine bouts.
Lawler simply hopes to right his sinking ship after dropping three of his last four bouts, capped by a decision loss to Tim Kennedy in July. Amagov, however, will prove to be a tough foil as the 25-year-old hasn't tasted defeat since his 2008 professional debut.
Saffiedine, meanwhile, hopes to continue off the momentum created by the biggest win of his career -- a hard-fought decision over Scott Smith. He takes on Stinson, a 25-year-old stand-up specialist with 15 knockouts to his credit.
Luke Rockhold (8-1) defends his Strikeforce middleweight title against UFC veteran Keith Jardine (17-9-2) in the night's main event.
"Jardine is a big name who's fought a lot of tough guys in this sport," Rockhold stated. "I'm not going to sleep on him or this opportunity. This isn't just another fight for me, I've wanted my chance to prove I'm a champion and a five-round title defense is the way to do it. We're going to prove to fans in Las Vegas what we've got over here in this division. You can expect this fight to be nothing short of spectacular."
Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine fight card:
Middleweight Championship: Luke Rockhold vs. Keith Jardine
Light heavyweight: Muhammed Lawal vs. Lorenz Larkin
Middleweight: Robbie Lawler vs. Adlan Amagov
Welterweight: Tarec Saffiedine vs. Tyler Stinson