Some say that a successful title defense is the true test of a legitimate champion. If that’s the case, then Luke Rockhold proved that he’s a true champion, dispatching Keith Jardine in brutal fashion by TKO late in the first round.
Jardine came out quickly, going on the offensive with his trademark unorthodox movement and striking style. He didn’t land much, but managed to close the distance and force the clinch against the cage. Both fighters landed knees in close before breaking. Rockhold then landed the first significant strike of the bout with a spinning back kick that landed flush to the body. He then followed up with a barrage of strikes but ate a nice counter-right hand from Jardine during the exchange.
Jardine started effectively scoring with low kicks, but was stunned by an overhand right that landed behind his ear. He managed to recover and come back with a right hand of his own before being floored by a Rockhold right.
The champ pounced, landing a barrage of punches as referee Herb Dean looked on. After another six punches, the fight was finally stopped at 4:26 of the first round.
The victory over Jardine gave Rockhold the platform to voice his desire to appear in the UFC.
“I like fighting, I like getting paid, but I love competition and striving to be the best,” he said. “Right now, all the best guys are in the UFC, at least the top-10 guys. Those are the guys I want.”
Jardine filled in for an injured Tim Kennedy, who may have something to say about Rockhold not having any legitimate contenders left under the Strikeforce banner.
Rockhold improves to 9-1 overall, and keeps his unbeaten Strikeforce streak alive at 8-0.