Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo ‘Jacaré’ Souza (14-2) appears set to defend his title this September when he faces American Kickboxing Academy fighter Luke Rockhold (7-1) at an upcoming Strikeforce event.
MMAWeekly.com confirmed with sources close to the fight on Sunday that the bout would take place on Sept. 10, and not the July 30 Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson event. News of a No. 1 lightweight contender bout between Josh Thomson and Maximo Blanco was the first bout unofficially announced for the event a few days ago.
‘Jacaré’ Souza has been waiting impatiently for his next opponent after defending his title for the first time last January. The middleweight champ submitted Robbie Lawler at the Diaz vs. Daley event by sinking in a rear-naked choke in the third round of their bout in San Jose. That win was Souza’s fourth in a row, with a record of 4 wins, 1 loss, and 1 no-contest in his last six fights.
Souza posted this comment on Twitter (@JacareMMA) “willing to put my gi, thinking seriously about going back to jiu-jitsu,” a few days ago. Now the Brazilian has something else to look forward to other than putting his gi back on.
Rockhold has won six straight bouts, all of them under the Strikeforce banner beginning with his promotional debut back in February of 2008. The AKA fighter had been expected to meet Tim Kennedy last March at the Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson but was replaced by Melvin Manhoef after suffering an injury to his left leg during training. Rockhold’s last fight was over a year ago against Paul Bradley at a Strikeforce Challengers event in San Jose in February 2010. All of Rockhold’s wins have come in the first round, either by TKO (twice) or by submission (five).