Luke Rockhold to Defend His Strikeforce Middleweight Championship Against "The Dean of Mean"

The Strikeforce Middleweight Championship will be on the line January 7th when champion Luke Rockhold (8-1) defends his title for the first time against UFC alum “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (17-9-2).

After nearly a year and a half absence away from competition due to injuries, Rockhold returned and won his championship in September after he defeated long time champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza via unanimous decision.

Initially scheduled to face Tim Kennedy in his first title defense, an undisclosed injury has forced Kennedy out of the fight and his replacement will be Keith Jardine.

The bout for Jardine will not only be his first ever fight at 185 lbs. but it will also be his first ever five round championship contest. For every previous fight, Jardine has competed in the Light Heavyweight devision and holds notable career victories over Chuck Liddell, Brandon Vera and Forrest Griffin.

Although he possesses an outstanding resume, Jardine is coming off a disappointing draw against Gegard Mousasi in his Strikeforce debut back in April.