Keith Jardine Signs to Fight Gegard Mousasi for Strikeforce

Keith Jardine

Strikeforce, during Friday night’s Strikeforce Challengers 15 telecast on Showtime, announced that UFC veteran Keith Jardine has agreed to step in and face Gegard Mousasi next week.

The two will meet as part of the Showtime televised main card at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley on April 9 in San Diego.

Jardine (17-9-1) became a staple of the UFC early in his career after competing during Season 2 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series. He went 6-7 during his time in the Octagon, exiting the promotion midway through 2010 after losing four straight fights.

Jardine lost his first post-UFC fight to Trevor Prangley at Shark Fights 13, but has since bounced back to win his last two bouts, propelling him into the Strikeforce picture when Mousasi’s original opponent, Mike Kyle, was injured in training.

Mousasi (30-3-1) has also won his two most recent fights since losing the Strikeforce light heavyweight championship to Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal early last year. Those two victories made him the Dream light heavyweight champion, the same promotion where he had held the middleweight belt before moving on to Strikeforce in 2009.

Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz will defend his belt against British brawler Paul Daley in the April 9 main event.