Strikeforce will hold their first card of 2012 on Saturday, January 7 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The main event on the card will feature a middleweight title bout as Luke Rockhold will defend his Strikeforce crown for the first time when he faces Keith Jardine. The bout will be a first for Jardine as well, as he has never competed professionally at the 185-pound limit.
Other fights of interest on the card will see fighters from the two weight divisions that are currently without title holders competing. Strikeforce lost their welterweight and light heavyweight champions when Nick Diaz and Dan Henderson let the promotion for the UFC. Since their departures, those two titles have sat vacant.
Fomer light heavyweight champion Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal will look to take the first step back toward the title he once owned when he faces undefeated Lorenz Larkin.
Welterweight Tyron Woodley recently told MMAJunkie.com, “Everyone knows I’m basically the uncrowned champion in this division regardless of what happened, who shifted around. I think it’s time for me to go out there and show them I’m steps above this young kid and whoop this young buck’s butt.”
The “young buck” he referred to is 22-year-old Jordan Mein, his opponent on Saturday.
Also appearing on the card will be Robbie Lawlor vs. Adlan Amagov and Tarec Saffiedine vs. Tyler Stinson.
The main card will begin at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday and will be broadcast on Showtime, which is having a free preview this weekend.
The weigh-ins for the fight card take place on Friday, January 6 at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Check back for full weigh-in results.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com