Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Gegard Mousasi will face UFC veteran and late substitute Keith Jardine at Strikeforce: Diaz vs Daley on Saturday. Mousasi knows this is a critical fight against a dangerous opponent with nothing to lose. Mousasi spoke to MMA Weekly about what the bout means:

"(Keith Jardine) is a good replacement because he’s mainly a stand-up fighter. It’s not like I have to face a pure wrestler. I have to fight a little bit different, but the change is not that big. He’s a tough opponent. He’s a former UFC fighter, and beat two former UFC champions, so it will be good to get a feeling of how good UFC fighters are."

"Right now Jon Jones is considered the best, and if I win my fights, maybe it could build up a good match against him. I think it would be such a great fight, so I would like to test myself against him."

"I need to win my fights (and get the title from Dan Henderson) first in Strikeforce, and then there’s a possibility to fight in the UFC or have the Strikeforce champion versus the UFC champion. But I’ve got to win my fights before thinking about that possibility."

Gegard "The Dreamcatcher" Mousasi (30-3-1) [Num. 12]
Win Tatsuya Mizuno - Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) Dream 16
Win Jake O'Brien - Submission (Guillotine Choke) Dream 15
Loss Muhammed Lawal - Decision (Unanimous) Strikeforce

Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley coverage