It’s over. After 14 months and three bouts, we have our answer. Bobby Voelker has Roger Bowling’s number. After the two welterweights split their first two bouts, Voelker put an emphatic stamp on it with a TKO win at 2:16 of the second round at Strikeforce Challengers 17.
Strikeforce Challengers 17 Results: Bobby Voelker Takes The Rubber Match From Roger Bowling
Bowling came into the series, which started at Strikeforce Challengers 8 in May of last year, as an undefeated hot prospect on his way to bigger and better things. But Voelker just put a hex on the kid. In the first bout, Bowling, the more impressive athletic specimen, was dominating the fight when an eye poke forced a stoppage in the third round. Bowling took the decision but gave Voelker a rematch.
That was a mistake. Voelker took advantage of his opportunity by out-thinking Bowling in the second round, riding out his attacks and countering hard. That was enough to stop Bowling in the second round at Strikeforce Challengers 11 in October.
Tonight Bowling came out and dominated the first round with hard kicks and punches to the body. He clearly took the first round. But in the second, an early eye poke by Voelker took Bowling out of his rhythm. He came back from the break with an all-out assault that didn’t succeed in really hurting Voelker. After he began to tire he started trying to force a take down. Voelker fended him off again and again and Bowling began to fade. Then Voelker caught him with a knee in the clinch and finished it with ground and pound.
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