Jacare-Rockhold Title Bout Planned for Sept. 10 Strikeforce

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Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza will put his belt on the line against once-beaten American Kickboxing Academy product Luke Rockhold at an as-yet-unannounced September show.

Originally expected for July 30 in Illinois, Rockhold wrote Sunday on Twitter that the title fight will now take place Sept. 10.

“Word’s out: I’m fighting Jacare for the title,” said Rockhold. “I feel healthy, I feel ready, and I feel I have all the tools to take his belt. It’s on.”

Strikeforce has not yet confirmed the event, which will also likely see the North American debut of Maximo Blanco against former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson.

Souza, 31, has yet to taste defeat after four trips to the Strikeforce cage. Following wins over Matt Lindland and Joey Villasenor, the Brazilian grappling champion captured the vacant middleweight belt in a five-round August decision win over Tim Kennedy. Jacare’s first defense and most recent fight came in January, when he submitted Robbie Lawler with a third-round rear-naked choke.

Also unbeaten in Strikeforce, Rockhold, 26, has posted six consecutive first-round stoppages since joining the promotion in February 2008. A nagging shoulder injury kept the Californian out of action for much of 2010, during which he recorded one win, a February TKO of “The Ultimate Fighter 7” contestant Paul Bradley.