Bowling, Voelker on Target for Strikeforce Challengers 17

Welterweights Roger Bowling and Bobby Voelker received final clearance on the eve of their rubber match.

Bowling (Pictured, File Photo) tipped the scales at 171 pounds ahead of his showdown with Voelker (171) in the Strikeforce Challengers 17 headliner on Friday at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The eight other competitors slated for main card duty, including former women’s welterweight champion Sarah Kaufman (135) and challenger Liz Carmouche (135), also met their contracted weight requirements without incident at Thursday’s official weigh-in.

The two main event participants have met twice in the last 14 months, with decidedly different results. Bowling won a controversial unanimous decision in May 2010, when their Strikeforce Challengers 8 encounter ended prematurely on a third-round eye poke. Voelker then exacted a measure of revenge in October, as he put away the previously unbeaten Ohioan with second-round punches at Strikeforce Challengers 11.

Bowling last competed at Strikeforce “Feijao vs. Henderson” in March, when he notched a unanimous decision over Josh Thornburg at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The 28-year-old Team Vision representative has secured seven of his nine career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. Bowling owns notable wins against UFC veterans Shamar Bailey and Seth Baczynski.

Experienced and durable, Voelker has more than twice as many victories as Bowling has fights. The St. Louis-based 32-year-old has posted six wins in his past eight outings and once held the welterweight crown inside the Midwest Cage Championships promotion. Voelker has delivered 14 of his 23 professional wins by KO or TKO.

Strikeforce Challengers 17 -- which airs on Showtime at 11 p.m. ET/PT -- will also feature a heavyweight duel pitting Shawn Jordan (255) against International Fight League veteran Devin Cole (239), a light heavyweight matchup pairing the surging Ovince St. Preux (205) with Roufusport product Joe Cason (205) and a middleweight tilt matching AMA Fight Club representative Adlan Amagov (185) against Ronald Stallings (184).

Strikeforce Challengers 17
Friday, July 22
Palms Casino Resort
Las Vegas

Roger Bowling (171) vs. Bobby Voelker (171)
Sarah Kaufman (135) vs. Liz Carmouche (135)
Shawn Jordan (255) vs. Devin Cole (239)
Ovince St. Preux (205) vs. Joe Cason (205)
Adlan Amagov (185) vs. Ronald Stallings (184)
Lionel Lanham (202) vs. T.J. Cook (204)
Anthony Smith (186) vs. Ben Lagman (185)
Maka Watson (155) vs. Bill Cooper (154)
Sterling Ford (155) vs. Brian McLaughlin (156)