When Mike Kyle was forced to pull out of his fight against Gegard Mousasi at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley, it put Zuffa’s newest purchase in a major bind. As they searched for a replacement, one name came to the top of the pile—”The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine.
Taking the fight on only about a week’s notice, Keith Jardine told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani that the call from the promotion came, “right out of the blue.”
Jardine’s last fight came only about a month ago when he defeated Aron Lofton by TKO in the first round, in front of a big crowd in Albuquerque, NM. He was coming back from vacation when he got the call.
“Someone like Mousasi, I couldn’t turn that down,” Jardine said with a smile. “If it was just some random organization against some guy I’ve never heard of, I would have turned it down easy.”
Certainly fighting just one month after his last fight would be reason enough to turn down a fight, but Jardine actually surprised many when he revealed the real reason why he wasn’t looking for another fight so quickly.
“I was on my way down to 185 anyway,” he admitted. “I was looking at the 185 pound weight class in the UFC in the top 10 and honestly, it wasn’t very impressive.”
Jardine has fought at light heavyweight for years, but a move to middleweight may make sense for him as he hopes to re-invent himself before his potential retirement.
“I’ve never focused on my diet before, I’ve always been kind of chubby at 205.”
Interested in this new bit of news, Helwani asked, “is it safe to say that this is your last fight as a light heavyweight?”
“Yeah, probably, but you never know,” Jardine responded.
The important thing for Jardine seems to be getting his face back into the spotlight.
“Honestly, I want to be with Zuffa until I retire.”
Taking a fight against a top-level opponent on short notice will certainly help put Jardine in the front of the company’s mind... Especially if he can pull off the upset.
Strikeforce Diaz vs. Daley: Fight Card, Predictions, News, Results And More!
Taking the fight on only about a week’s notice, Keith Jardine told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani that the call from the promotion came, “right out of the blue.”
Jardine’s last fight came only about a month ago when he defeated Aron Lofton by TKO in the first round, in front of a big crowd in Albuquerque, NM. He was coming back from vacation when he got the call.
“Someone like Mousasi, I couldn’t turn that down,” Jardine said with a smile. “If it was just some random organization against some guy I’ve never heard of, I would have turned it down easy.”
Certainly fighting just one month after his last fight would be reason enough to turn down a fight, but Jardine actually surprised many when he revealed the real reason why he wasn’t looking for another fight so quickly.
“I was on my way down to 185 anyway,” he admitted. “I was looking at the 185 pound weight class in the UFC in the top 10 and honestly, it wasn’t very impressive.”
Jardine has fought at light heavyweight for years, but a move to middleweight may make sense for him as he hopes to re-invent himself before his potential retirement.
“I’ve never focused on my diet before, I’ve always been kind of chubby at 205.”
Interested in this new bit of news, Helwani asked, “is it safe to say that this is your last fight as a light heavyweight?”
“Yeah, probably, but you never know,” Jardine responded.
The important thing for Jardine seems to be getting his face back into the spotlight.
“Honestly, I want to be with Zuffa until I retire.”
Taking a fight against a top-level opponent on short notice will certainly help put Jardine in the front of the company’s mind... Especially if he can pull off the upset.
Strikeforce Diaz vs. Daley: Fight Card, Predictions, News, Results And More!
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