Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold will take on Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran Keith Jardine, when the two square off at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., Jan. 7, 2012.
The 185-pound showdown will mark the first title defense for Rockhold, who became the promotion's division kingpin by defeating Ronaldo Souza at Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Kharitonov" on Sept. 10, 2011, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
His original opponent this weekend was supposed to be All-American hero Tim Kennedy; however, Kennedy was removed from the fight card for undisclosed reasons.
"The Dean of Mean" was more than willing to answer the call and fill in for Kennedy, in a fight that will be a first for the former light heavyweight in mixed martial arts (MMA) at 185 pounds.
After the jump, we'll check out the numbers and try to determine who holds the statistical advantage when the action kicks off at Strikeforce: "Rockhold vs. Jardine" on Showtime this upcoming weekend.
Here we go:
During its research, CompuStrike analyzed six of Rockhold's bouts, as well as 11 of Jardine's. The number-crunching powerhouse collected the averages from these contests and made the information available to MMAmania.com.
First, there's the striking game:
Total Strikes:
Rockhold -- 40 of 84
Jardine -- 50 of 144
Percentage:Rockhold -- 48 percent
Jardine -- 35 percentTotal Power Strikes Landed:
Rockhold -- 19
Jardine -- 30Total Non-Power Strikes Landed:
Rockhold -- 21
Jardine -- 20
As you can see, Rockhold is a much more accurate striker, though Jardine is much more active and lands more power shots during his fights.
Both fighters come from a kickboxing background, so you can rest assured that the kicks and knees will be employed at will on Saturday night. How about the arm strikes?
Here's the deal:
Total Arm Strikes Landed:
Rockhold -- 17 of 49
Jardine -- 31 of 106Percentage of Arm Strikes Landed:
Rockhold -- 35 percent
Jardine -- 29 percentPower Strikes Landed:
Rockhold -- 7
Jardine -- 18Non-Power Strikes Landed
Rockhold -- 10
Jardine -- 13
More of the same. Rockhold's punches and elbows are more precise, but the statistics show Jardine's arm strikes cause more damage.
What about kicks and knees?
Total Leg Strikes Landed:
Rockhold -- 9 of 17
Jardine -- 15 of 20
Percentage of Leg Strikes Landed:Rockhold -- 53 percent
Jardine -- 75 percent
Power Leg Strikes Landed:Rockhold -- 3
Jardine -- 9
Non-Power Leg Strikes Landed:Rockhold -- 6
Jardine -- 6
Advantage: Jardine.
UFC fans familiar with Jardine's work will not be shocked to see Jardine come out on top in this category.
Lastly, there is the ground aspect of the fight. If these fighters get tired of standing and banging, who will have the edge?
Ground Strikes Landed:
Rockhold -- 14 of 18
Jardine -- 14 of 18
Percentage:Rockhold -- 78 percent
Jardine -- 78 percent
Power Ground Strikes Landed:Rockhold -- 9
Jardine -- 3Non-Power Ground Strikes Landed:
Rockhold -- 5
Jardine -- 1Takedowns:
Rockhold -- 1 of 2 (50 percent)
Jardine -- 9 of 17 (53 percent)
Submission Attempts:Rockhold -- 5
Jardine -- 3
Dominant Positions:Rockhold -- 6
Jardine -- 0
The numbers illustrate that the champion is going to be a lot less likely to make an effort to take the fight to the canvas, however, he has held a significant advantage when this has occurred.
Rockhold may not go for the takedown, but based on these numbers, if the fight turns into a grappling match, he should be favored.
Does any of this information make you think twice about your predictions? Or are the numbers about what you thought they'd be?
For everything else you need to know about the clash between Luke Rockhold vs. Keith Jardine be sure to check out our complete fight archive right here.