Strikeforce live blog: Luke Rockhold retains belt by knocking out Keith Jardine
Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun Tarec Saffiedine hits Tyler Stinson during their match at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012. Saffiedine won by split decision. By Case Keefer (contact) Published Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012 | 6:50 p.m. Updated Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012 | 9:17 p.m. Note: Full results from the preliminary card are provided at the bottom of the page. Keith Jardine wasn't the opponent Luke Rockhold hoped to face in the main event of Saturday's Strikeforce card at the Hard Rock. The result, however, was exactly what Rockhold was looking for. Rockhold rocked Jardine with a right hand late in the first round and followed it up with ground-and-pound strikes to win via TKO at 4:26 of the first round. Rockhold proved successful in his first defense of the Strikeforce middleweight belt. "It feels amazing," Rockhold said in the cage immediately after the victory. Rockhold lived up to his status as nearly a 6-to-1 favorite over Jardine. The rest of the f...