UFC and Dream veteran Jesse Taylor will square off with Luke Rockhold in a welterweight tilt at Strikeforce “Challengers Series 4” on Nov. 6 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. Strikeforce Director of Communications Mike Afromowitz made the matchup official on Friday.
Rockhold, meanwhile, has never gone the distance in six professional bouts. Spawned by the American Kickboxing Academy, he has rattled off four consecutive victories, all by submission, since his technical knockout loss to Tony Rubalcava at a Melee on the Mountain event in 2007. Rockhold has not competed since he submitted Cory Devela with a rear-naked choke four months ago.
In addition to the Taylor-Rockhold matchup, unbeaten heavyweight prospect Shane del Rosario will butt heads with Palace Fighting Championship veteran Brandon Cash. Del Rosario has finished all eight of his opponents, seven of them inside one round.
A lightweight bout pairing UFC veteran and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Jorge Gurgel with undefeated Californian Billy Evangelista will headline the Nov. 6 event, which will air on Showtime.