Strikeforce "Rockhold vs. Jardine" Official for Jan. 7, More Fights Revealed

Strikeforce has officially announced its Jan. 7 event slated for The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Headlining the event will be a middleweight title fight between champion Luke Rockhold and long-time UFC veteran Keith Jardine.

The announcement was made through a press release to the media.

For Rockhold, the fight will mark the first defense of his belt. The American Kickboxing Academy product defeated Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza by decision in September to earn the title.

Jardine enters the contest following a draw against former Strikeforce light heavyweight kingpin Gegard Mousasi in April. The hard-nosed Jackson's MMA fighter is 2-1-1 since being released by the UFC.  However, this will be his first bout in the 185-pound division.

Also announced were three additional bouts for the Showtime televised main card, which airs at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). 

Middleweight slugger and UFC veteran Robbie Lawler will take on fast-rising Adlan Amagov, fresh off a highlight reel knockout of Anthony Smith in November. 

Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal locks horns with undefeated Lornez Larkin. Lawal returned to action in September following knee surgery. The wrestling stalwart scored his sixth career win by knockout over grappling ace Roger Gracie.

A welterweight collision between Team Quest’s Tarec Saffiedine and Kansas City-based Tyler Stinson is also on deck for the event. A fifth fight is expected to be announced soon for the televised portion of the event.

The remainder of the preliminary card is also expected to be announced in the near future.