Strikeforce came to the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon tonight with an entertaining night of fights at Strikeforce Challengers 8. The event was headlined by a middleweight matchup between hometown star Matt “The Law” Lindland and the brash and controversial “King” Kevin Casey.
Also on the card, welterweight prospect Tyron “T-Wood” Woodley narrowly kept his undefeated record intact with a close Split Decision win over Portland’s Nathan Coy, while Roger Bowling defeated “Vicious” Bobby Voelker. MMARising.com has full results from all of the night’s fights.
Matt “The Law” Lindland vs “King” Kevin Casey
Round 1:
Casey maintained a low stance and looked to work his way into a clinch with front kicks, but Lindland easily threw him to the mat. Casey tried for an armbar from his back, but Lindland punched from the top and moved to half-guard. Casey stood and clinched, but Lindland punched the sides of his head. He worked for a guillotine choke, but Casey took him down and escaped. Lindland used butterfly guard to push Casey off, but Casey took his back.
Casey tried for a rear-naked choke and secured a body triangle. He continued to work for the choke as Lindland defended. Lindland punched backwards with his right hand and fended off the choke attempts. With just over 30 seconds left in the round, Lindland spun and reversed. He battered Casey with punches, then added knees after Casey stood up. Lindland landed two uppercuts before the bell. Close round. 10-9 Lindland.
Round 2:
Lindland clinched in the second round and landed two knees. He backed Casey up to the cage and tripped him forward to the mat. Lindland struck from the top, then stood over Casey and rained down more punches. Casey worked back to his feet and fought off a front headlock. He tried to sweep Lindland’s legs out from under him, but wound up on the bottom against the cage. Lindland threw more punches from the top in Casey’s half-guard.
Short punches and knee strikes to the body all landed for Lindland and he kept Casey pressed up against the side of the cage. Lindland threw short punches and hammerfists as Casey tried to posture for an armbar. Lindland easily escaped and returned to hammerfists from Casey’s guard. He postured up and landed a big hammerfist, then passed straight to side-control. Lindland secured a crucifix and peppered Casey with punches until the bell. 10-9 Lindland.
Round 3:
Both fighters landed straight left hands in the final round and Lindland scored a takedown. He postured up and put his knee on Casey’s face. Lindland threw punches and moved to half-guard. Casey had little recourse as Lindland pinned down his arm. More punches landed for Lindland from the top and he mixed in strikes to the body. Lindland passed to partial mount and rained down more hammerfists and punches. Casey held on and rolled to his side.
Lindland continued to punish Casey with a barrage of hammerfists and short punches. He then switched to elbows to the thigh. Casey turtled against the cage and tried to weather the storm, but Lindland did not let up. He stood over Casey and threw a trio of punches, then dove in with two more strikes before the referee finally rescued Casey from further punishment.
Winner: Matt Lindland by TKO (Punches) at 3:41 of round three. He improves to 22-7-0.
Tyron “T-Wood” Woodley vs Nathan “Soulforce” Coy
Round 1:
The fighters clinched right away in the opening round and Woodley used a hip toss to take Coy down. He passed to half-guard and then to mount. Coy escaped to his feet and Woodley landed a big right hand as Coy threw a body kick. Coy fell to the ground, but got back to his feet again and the fighters traded punches. Coy attempted a takedown of his own, but Woodley stuffed it and took Coy’s back. He flattened Coy out and then tried for an arm-triangle choke from the side. Coy escaped and stood, but ate a knee.
Coy landed a combination and tried for a takedown. Woodley defended against the cage and Coy threw knees to the leg. Coy tripped Woodley for less than a second, but Woodley stood and both fighters landed knees. More knees were exchanged until the referee separated the fighters. Coy landed a body kick and shot for a takedown. Woodley defended and landed two knees. A straight left and a leg kick scored for Coy and he followed with a knee. The fighters clinched again and Coy landed more knees. Very close round. 10-9 Woodley, just barely.
Round 2:
Coy opened round two with a body kick and Woodley answered with a right hook. The fighters traded one-twos and Coy followed with a leg kick and a flurry. He tried to put together hook-uppercut combos, but Woodley responded with a hard right hand to the body. Coy jabbed and landed a left hook. A jumping knee to the ribs landed for Coy and he clinched against the cage. Woodley landed knees in defence and Coy answered with some of his own.
The fighters were separated and time was briefly called due to an issue with Woodley’s eye. The fight resumed and both fighters landed stiff right hands. Coy landed a lead right to the body and Woodley cracked him with a counter one-two. Coy threw a jumping kick, but fell. Woodley secured a front headlock, then took Coy’s back. Woodley tried to set up an arm-triangle choke and a rear-naked choke. From mount, Woodley threw short hammerfists, then spun for an armbar just before the bell sounded. 10-9 Woodley due to the late rally.
Round 3:
Coy opened the final round with leg kicks and connected with a straight left hand soon after. Coy landed more leg kicks and Woodley’s right eye began to swell from punches. Coy threw a combination, but was backed up by a counter flurry from Woodley. Another exchange followed and Coy landed a leg kick and a one-two. Woodley countered a jumping knee by taking Coy down. He took Coy’s back, but Coy scrambled and worked his way back to his feet. Coy took Woodley down and landed in Woodley’s half-guard.
Coy threw short punches from the top and Woodley looked to roll for a kneebar. Coy avoided danger and kept the pressure on with short strikes from the top. He tried to pass to mount, but was forced to work from Woodley’s half-guard. Punches and elbows to the body all scored for Coy and he moved to side-control to counter a Kimura attempt from Woodley. Coy punched his way out of the Kimura and landed strikes with his free hand until the bell. Another close round. 10-9 Coy.
Winner: Tyron Woodley by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 27-30) after three rounds. He improves to 8-0-0.
“Relentless” Roger Bowling vs “Vicious” Bobby Voelker
Round 1:
Huge punches were exchanged right away and Bowling connected with two stinging left hooks. He took Voelker down and struck from the top in half-guard. Voelker, cut above his left eye, battled back to his feet and the fighters exchanged punches. A nice combination and an uppercut scored for Bowling and he clinched. Voelker punched his way free, but ate a left hook. Another combination landed for Bowling and he clinched once more.
Both fighters threw knees to the body and Bowling backed away. He scored with kicks, but Voelker answered with two uppercuts. Voelker, clearly bothered by the cut above his eye, fired off a one-two and ate a big series of punches for his troubles. Bowling targeted both the head and body, then picked Voelker up and slammed him to the mat. Bowling struck from the top in Voelker’s guard all the way until the bell. Dominant round. 10-9 Bowling.
Round 2:
As in round one, the fighters exchanged huge power punches to open the second stanza and Bowling dropped Voelker with a pair of hooks. He pounced with punches, but Voelker weathered the storm and held on. Bowling worked for a Kimura on Voelker’s left arm, but Voelker escaped to his feet. Bowling drilled him with a massive uppercut on the way up and followed with two more big punches. Leg and body kicks scored for Bowling and he clinched briefly. A stiff left hand and more power punches all found the mark for Bowling.
The fighters clinched and Bowling scored a takedown. Bowling struck from the top, but Voelker defended well and prevented him from landing anything damaging. Bowling peppered Voelker with punches to the body until the referee stood the fighters up. Bowling landed punches and a body kick, but Voelker clinched and scored a takedown of his own. He tried for a guillotine choke as Bowling stood, but Bowling evaded danger. He scored a trip takedown just before the bell. 10-9 Bowling.
Round 3:
Once more, both fighters swung for the fences in the final round and Voelker landed some of his best punches of the fight. Bowling answered with a combination, but Voelker took him down. Voelker struck from the top and Bowling tried to roll for an armbar. The fighters stood and clinched. Both landed knees until the referee separated them.
However, as the referee broke the fighters up, the side of Voelker’s glove inadvertently sliced across Bowling’s right eye. Bowling winced in considerable pain. The doctor entered the cage to check on Bowling’s eye, but after a lengthy delay, Bowling was unable to continue. The fight went to the scorecards as a result.
Winner: Roger Bowling by Technical Decision – Unanimous (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) at 1:38 of round three. He improves to 8-0-0.
Tarec “The Sponge” Saffiedine vs Nate Moore
Round 1:
Moore jabbed early on and the fighters traded punches. Both landed hard right hands within a second. Saffiedine faked a kick and Moore briefly took him down. Saffiedine got back to his feet and spun free of a clinch. Saffiedine landed a one-two, but Moore drilled him with a four-punch flurry and kept the pace high with kicks. Another big exchange of punches followed and Moore got the better of it. Saffiedine landed a leg kick and rocked Moore with a big right hook.
Saffiedine took Moore’s back while standing and tried to secure a rear-naked choke. Saffiedine looked to switch to an armbar attempt, but fell forward off of Moore’s back and the fighters returned to striking. Saffiedine landed a kick and Moore missed with a flurry. He landed a leg kick and Saffiedine answered with a right hook. Both fighters landed punches and Saffiedine scored with a front kick. He followed with a flying knee, but Moore immediately answered with hard punches. Good round. 10-9 Saffiedine.
Round 2:
The fighters exchanged leg kicks early in round two and both landed punches in flurries. Saffiedine landed another leg kick and Moore countered with a combination. Saffiedine stuffed a takedown and stunned Moore with a left uppercut. Moore dove for a takedown and Saffiedine sprawled out. The fighters stood and Saffiedine annihilated Moore with a right hand. Moore crumpled against the cage, completely unconscious, and the referee dove in to save him. Big win for Saffiedine.
Winner: Tarec Saffiedine by KO (Punch) at 1:21 of round two. He improves to 9-2-0.
Patt “Bam Bam” Healy vs Bryan Travers
Round 1:
The fighters exchanged strikes early on and both landed left hooks. Travers scored with a combination and Healy answered with a flurry of his own. He backed Travers up to the cage with punches, then clinched. Healy threw punches to the body and Travers circled away. Travers stuffed a takedown and landed knees in close. He pressed Healy up against the cage and threw short punches in close. The fighters separated and both landed combinations.
Travers connected with a one-two and a leg kick. Healy answered with a solid right cross, but Travers took him down. Healy worked back to his feet, but ate punches on the way. He landed a lead left hook and a right hand to the body. Travers clinched and Healy countered with knees. The fighters exchanged punches over the top and separated. Healy scored with a nice left hook and Travers clinched. Both fighters battled for position against the cage and an exchange of knees and punches followed. Close round. 10-9 Travers, barely.
Round 2:
The fighters traded punches in a lengthy exchange in round two and Healy clinched. He dropped for a takedown, then picked Travers up and slammed him down. Travers stood, but Healy took his back. Healy threw knees to the thigh, but Travers reversed position. The fighters separated and traded hard punches. Healy clinched again and pressed Travers up against the cage. He tried for another takedown and got it.
Healy attempted a suplex and took Travers’s back in the process. Travers defended and stood, but Healy maintained back control. Travers spun and ate a series of punches and a knee to the body. More knees scored for Healy and he looked to secure another takedown. He picked Travers up and slammed him down briefly, then tried for a guillotine choke as Travers stood. Another big knee and more punches to the body followed for Healy late in the round. 10-9 Healy.
Round 3:
Healy scored with a leg kick and punches early in the final round and demonstrated impressive head movement in ducking under Travers’s counterpunches. The fighters exchanged strikes and Healy picked Travers up. He slammed him down to the mat and took his back. Travers worked his way back up, but Healy kept him pinned against the cage and threw short punches to the body. Travers landed a knee and Healy quickly answered with one of his own.
Travers backed away, then rushed in and took Healy down. Healy briefly looked to counter with a guillotine choke, but let it go. Travers moved to half-guard and Healy switched to a Kimura. As Healy stood, Travers took his back. He dragged him back down and tried for a rear-naked choke, but Healy defended. Healy stood and Travers slammed him down. Healy got up again and Travers tried for another slam, but Healy reversed. He suplexed Travers and secured back control. A scramble ensued in the final seconds. Close round. 10-9 Healy.
Winner: Pat Healy by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 25-16-0.
Undercard Fight:
Pro Escobedo defeated Jason Sharp by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 1-0-0 with the win.
Amateur Fights:
Blaine Macintosh defeated Ben Morgan by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds.
David Lloyd defeated Jay Shaffer by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds.
Patrick Wittington defeated Jason Lambert by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 1:39 of round one.
Hamza Salim defeated Lee Flores by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds.
Capped off by Matt “The Law” Lindland’s stoppage of the brash and controversial “King” Kevin Casey, the eighth instalment of the Strikeforce Challengers series was a solid event. Strikeforce welterweight prospect Tyron “T-Wood” Woodley was fortunate to escape with his undefeated record intact, while Tarec “The Sponge” Saffiedine knocked out Nate Moore.
(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)