Lorenz Larkin – Photo by Esther Lin/Forza LLC/Forza LLC via Getty Images
During today’s Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament Final media call, promotion CEO Scott Coker confirmed several bouts for an upcoming July 14, 2012 show in Portland, Oregon.
Dropping to middleweight will be undefeated fighter, ‘The Monsoon’ Lorenz Larkins (12-0, 1NC), who is set to meet ‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler (19-8, 1NC) at the West Coast event set for the Rose Garden in Portland.
Coker also announced a middleweight title fight between champ Luke Rockhold and Tim Kennedy, as well as the middleweight debut of Roger Gracie who drops down from 205-lbs to meet ‘The Dean of Mean’ Keith Jardine.
Larkin moves down a division following a knockout loss to Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal last January. The result of that match was changed to a “No Contest” after Lawal tested positive for a steroids. That would have been Larkin’s first career loss, but is instead his first “NC” on his record. Larkin had won three straight in the Strikeforce cage with his last victory coming in September of last year.
Lawler ended a two fight losing streak by stopping Russian fighter Adlan Amagov by TKO last January in Las Vegas. ‘Ruthless’ lost a decision to Kennedy in July of last summer and was submitted by Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza in a title fight in January 2009. Lawler’s record under the Strikeforce banner is below .500 after seven appearances with the promotion going 3-4.