Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold appears to be all patched up and ready to put his 185-pound strap on the line against division number one contender Lorenz Larkin at the upcoming Strikeforce event scheduled for Jan. 12, 2013, at a location to be named.
That's according to a report released earlier today from MMA Weekly.
Rockhold (10-1) is riding a nine-fight winning streak that dates back to early 2008, and he's already defended his middleweight strap in back-to-back fights against former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) import Keith Jardine and Green Beret grappler Tim Kennedy.
What can "The Monsoon" offer on fight night?
Larkin (13-0) has yet to taste defeat inside the Hexagon -- thanks to a "no contest" against Muhammed Lawal that saw "King Mo" get popped for banned substances. Still, the Kim Winslow-approved thrashing was enough to convince the Riverside native it was time to shed some skin and test his might in the lower weight class.
And a win over Robbie Lawler this summer was all he needed for a shot at the gold.
The upcoming Strikeforce event on Showtime is expected to be headlined by Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion Daniel Cormier taking on an opponent to be named while welterweight kingpin Nate Marquardt makes his first title defense against Tarec Saffiedine.
For more on the upcoming Strikeforce "mega card" click here.