Strikeforce Challengers 11 Live Play-By-Play & ResultsStrikeforce returned to the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California tonight for Strikeforce Challengers 11. The main event featured a welterweight rematch between “Relentless” Roger Bowling and “Vicious” Bobby Voelker. The two first squared off in May in a bout that ended early due to an eye poke.

Also on the card, Lavar “Big” Johnson looked to pick up another win when he faces Virgil “Rezdog” Zwicker, while Shana “Rock Solid” Olsen and Julia “The Jewel” Budd both made their Strikeforce debuts. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for all of the fights on the event’s main card.

 

“Vicious” Bobby Voelker vs “Relentless” Roger Bowling

Round 1:
Bowling landed quick kicks to the legs and body early on and the fighters traded punches. Voelker landed a leg kick of his own and defended a takedown attempt. Bowling got him down against the cage, but Voelker stood and secured a guillotine choke as the fighters returned to the mat. Bowling remained calm and punched to the body, then postured up and landed more strikes. The fighters stood and Bowling landed a left cross and a body kick. Bowling then threw two head kicks and drove forward for another takedown.

Voelker defended well and stayed on his feet. Bowling tripped him very briefly and Voelker stood again. Bowling landed knees to the thigh and broke free of the clinch with a standing elbow. Voelker landed a right hand counter and Bowling tried unsuccessfully for a takedown. Big punches were exchanged in close and Voelker landed a knee. Knees and body shots scored for both fighters and Bowling took Voelker down in the final seconds of the round. 10-9 Bowling.

Round 2:
Heavy punches landed for both fighters in the opening seconds of round two and Voelker just missed with a vicious right hook. Bowling shot in for a takedown and Voelker defended. He landed an uppercut and a stiff jab, and Voelker replied with a leg kick and a left cross. Voelker stuffed a takedown and peppered Bowling with punches. Bowling stood, but appeared to be unsteady on his feet. Voelker landed a barrage of punches against the cage, but Bowling recovered and answered with winging hooks.

Voelker stuffed another takedown and punched from the top in Bowling’s guard. Bowling looked to set up an armbar, but Voelker defended and punished Bowling with hard punches from the top. More punches and hammerfists landed for Voelker as Bowling tried to roll to the side to defend. Voelker threw another flurry of punches as Bowling covered up and the referee stopped the fight. Huge win for Voelker, who avenges a loss from the pair’s first fight.

Winner: Bobby Voelker by TKO (Punches) at 3:58 of round two. He improves to 23-8-0.

 

Lavar “Big” Johnson vs Virgil “Rezdog” Zwicker

Round 1:
Johnson looked to punch right away, but Zwicker countered with a hard leg kick. Johnson landed a combination in close and Zwicker answered with a knee and another leg kick. Zwicker flurried and finished with an inside leg kick as he continued to keep Johnson guessing. A nice body kick landed for Zwicker, but Johnson drilled him with a combination. Zwicker immediately answered with punches and a kick, but Johnson secured a Thai clinch and scored with knees.

Johnson landed an uppercut after a pair of standing elbows from Zwicker. A combination to the head and body hurt Zwicker and looked to break his nose. Johnson blasted him with more punches until Zwicker collapsed in a heap on the mat. Johnson walked away, knowing it was over. Good fight and a solid win for Johnson in his second fight back after being the victim of a drive-by shooting.

Winner: Lavar Johnson by KO (Punches) at 2:17 of round one. He improves to 15-3-0.

 

Billy Evangelista vs Waachiim Spiritwolf

Round 1:
Spiritwolf dropped Evangelista with punches very early on, but Evangelista recovered on the ground. He tried to stand and Spiritwolf made him pay with hard left hands. Evangelista managed to get back to his feet and Spiritwolf promptly took him down again. Evangelista stood and was suplexed to the mat. Again, Evangelista battled back to his feet and he threw elbows to the side of Spiritwolf’s head. Spiritwolf answered with knees to the thigh.

Evangelista began to land knees in the clinch, then followed with an elbow and an uppercut. Spiritwolf fired back with punches and a body kick, but ate a trio of hard knees from a Thai clinch. Evangelista tried for a standing guillotine choke and the fighters traded more knees. Evangelista began to get the better of the exchange. Spiritwolf missed with a lunging left and appeared to fatigue. Evangelista connected with three standing elbow strikes and followed with even more. Very close round. 10-9 Spiritwolf, but barely.

Round 2:
Evangelista ducked under a left hook and clinched in round two, but Spiritwolf reversed and took him down. Spiritwolf struck from the top until Evangelista scrambled back to his feet. Evangelista landed knees and Spiritwolf tried for a takedown. Evangelista looked to counter with a rolling Kimura, but put together a punching combination instead. Spiritwolf retreated, but drilled Evangelista with two uppercuts in close as Evangelista pushed forward.

Spiritwolf took Evangelista down again, but was unable to keep him down. He landed punches as Evangelista stood, but Evangelista answered with knees and punches that backed Spiritwolf up. More punches landed for Evangelista and he added in a leg kick. Evangelista stuffed a takedown and began to land punches at will as Spiritwolf missed with counters. Spiritwolf dove for a takedown and briefly tripped Evangelista to the mat. Spiritwolf landed a left hook before the bell. Another close round. 10-9 Evangelista.

Round 3:
Evangelista scored with two head kicks and knees in close to start off round three, then followed with punches as Spiritwolf clinched. Spiritwolf could not take Evangelista down, but landed a big knee and backed away. He scored with a solid left hook, but Evangelista fired back with a head kick and swarmed with punches as Spiritwolf retreated to the cage. Spiritwolf held strong and countered with punches as both fighters landed body kicks. Evangelista landed a quick one-two and a Superman Punch.

Spiritwolf refused to wilt and continued to throw stiff jabs and wild right hands. Evangelista staggered Spiritwolf with a head kick, but Spiritwolf quickly recovered and tried for a takedown. Evangelista stuffed it and the fighters exchanged knees. Evangelista landed a head kick and Spiritwolf scored with a counterpunch. The fighters teed off with strikes and Evangelista seemed to get the better of it until Spiritwolf rocked him with a left hook. Spiritwolf scored a slam takedown before the bell. Another razor-thin round due to Spiritwolf’s late rally. 10-9 Evangelista. Incredible fight.

Winner: Billy Evangelista by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 11-0-0, 1 NC.

 

Julia “The Jewel” Budd vs Shana “Rock Solid” Olsen

Round 1:
Budd scored with jabs and a body kick right away and defended a takedown attempt from Olsen against the cage. Budd reversed and landed knees to the body and legs, then broke free of the clinch with a standing elbow over the top. A quick flurry landed for Budd, but Olsen displayed impressive head movement in avoiding many of Budd’s strikes. Olsen caught a body kick and clinched. Budd spun and wound up on top as Olsen tried to take her down.

Budd threw elbows to the body from Olsen’s half-guard and secured a guillotine choke. Olsen turned her head to the side and managed to escape, then tried for a sweep. Budd stayed on top and threw short hammerfists as the referee warned about elbows to the head. Budd postured up briefly and landed a right hand, but referee Marcos Rosales stood the fighters up and deducted Budd a point for a questionable short elbow strike. The round ended. Weak call by the referee results in a 9-9 round.

Round 2:
Olsen clinched in the second round, but Budd reversed against the cage. The fighters exchanged knees and Budd also mixed in foot stomps. She landed a standing elbow and a right hand. Olsen clinched again and tried for a takedown, but Budd wound up on top again. She moved from side-control to full mount and threw punches. Olsen rolled to the side and ate more punches. After nearly two dozen unanswered strikes, the fight was finally stopped. Huge win for Budd in her mixed martial arts debut.

Winner: Julia Budd by TKO (Punches) at 2:51 of round two. She improves to 1-0-0.

 

John Devine vs Brandon Cash “Money”

Round 1:
Cash opened the fight with an overhand right and a leg kick. He just missed with follow-up right hands and Devine took him down. Cash stood and Devine took his back. A stalemate ensued against the cage and the referee separated the fighters. Cash landed another hard leg kick, but Devine countered a takedown and once again took Cash’s back. He punched the sides of Cash’s head until Cash rolled for a Kimura.

Devine easily escaped and took Cash’s back, then looked for a rear-naked choke. He threw punches as well as Cash rolled to his side. Devine flattened him out again and locked on the choke, forcing Cash to quickly tap out. Good win for Devine.

Winner: John Devine by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 3:05 of round one. He improves to 6-4-0.

 

Undercard Fight:

David “Tarzan” Douglas defeated Dominic Clark by TKO (Punches) at 2:33 of round two. He improves to 5-2-0 with the win.

 

Amateur Fights:

Paul Ruiz defeated Gregg Baker by Submission (Armbar) at 1:23 of round one.

Richard Parra defeated Avery Kaykeo by by KO (Punch) at 0:56 of round two.

Chris Bonilla defeated Alvaro Corral by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 1:26 of round one.

Keith Cutrone defeated Brandon Horton by Submission (Armbar) at 0:16 of round one.

Matthew Perez defeated Nathan Roberts by TKO (Punches) at 1:17 of round three.

Christian Buron defeated Mike Gonzales by Split Decision after three 2:00 rounds.

 

With a card full of entertaining fights, Strikeforce Challengers 11 was arguably the best Challengers event to date. Julia “The Jewel” Budd made a big impression in her mixed martial arts debut by knocking off a top contender in Shana “Rock Solid” Olsen, while Billy Evangelista edged Waachiim Spiritwolf in a fight that was much more competitive than the scorecards would suggest. In the main event, “Vicious” Bobby Voelker gained a measure of revenge when he stopped the previously unbeaten “Relentless” Roger Bowling in the second round of their welterweight rematch.