Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (14-2 MMA, 4-0 SF) looks for his second title defense when he meets Luke Rockhold (7-1 MMA, 6-0 SF) on Sept. 10.On Sunday, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported that the bout wouldn't be part of a July show, as officials had announced.
Rockhold subsequently announced via Twitter that it'll take place at a currently unannounced Sept. 10 Strikeforce show.
In addition to Souza vs. Rockhold, the event is expected to feature Maximo Blanco (8-2 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson (18-4 MMA, 9-2 SF).
A host city and venue have not been finalized.
After Jake Shields vacated the belt to sign with the UFC, Souza won the belt with a unanimous-decision victory over Tim Kennedy in August. Then in January, he submitted Robbie Lawler for his first successful title defense. The former DREAM title challenger now owns a four-fight win streak, which included Strikeforce victories over Matt Lindland and Joey Villasenor.
Rockhold earned his title shot on the heels of a six-fight win streak; all of the victories have come under the Strikeforce banner (and all via stoppage). However, the American Kickboxing Academy fighter, who defeated Jesse Taylor and Paul Bradley in his two most recent fights, hasn't competed since February 2010 because of injuries.
Blanco, meanwhile, makes his promotional debut following a run in World Victory Road's Sengoku event series. The former lightweight King of Pancrase is riding six-fight win streak, which included a 4-0 mark in 2010 with wins over the likes of Rodrigo Damm and Kiuma Kunioku. They were two of his seven career knockouts.
Thomson fights for the first time since a unanimous-decision loss to Tatsuya Kawajiri at "DREAM Dynamite!! 2010." Prior to the setback, the AKA fighter had won 10 of 11 fights, most of them with Strikeforce. The ex-champ's lone defeat came in a title loss to Gilbert Melendez.
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