Middleweight Champ Luke Rockhold Injured, Will Not Fight on Strikeforce's Final Card
Posted by Jonathan Solomon on 11.25.2012
Another title fight is removed from Strikeforce: Champions in January...
TheMMACorner.com reports Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold has withdrawn from the January 12 show where he was to fight Lorenz Larkin. He's off the show because he aggravated a wrist injury that also forced him from the cancelled November 3 show.
The absence of a middleweight title fight is another body blow for Strikeforce who are reportedly also without a lightweight title mix. Champion Gilbert Melendez was removed from the show because of an undisclosed injury.
Now, you can expect to see Rockhold make his UFC debut early next year. He has not fought since defeating Tim Kennedy in July in his second successful title defense.
Strikeforce: Champions set for Showtime on January 12 will feature a welterweight title fight in the main event between champion Nate Marquardt and Tarec Saffiedine. Daniel Cormier will fight Dion Staring in heavyweight action and light heavyweight's Gegard Mousasi and Mike Kyle will clash. Also pegged for the promotion's finale is a lightweight bout between Ryan Couture and KJ Noons.
