(PRESS RELEASE) – In an explosive performance, top welterweight (170 pounds) prospect Tyron “T-Wood” Woodley extended his perfect record to 5-0 by submitting battle tested Rudy Bears (13-6) with an arm triangle choke in the first round (2:52), live on SHOWTIME, Friday night in the main event of the STRIKEFORCE Challengers mixed martial arts (MMA) telecast from Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas.
Kerry Vera’s (2-0) Muay Thai skills led her to a brutal first round (3:35) TKO on Kim “Sugar Free” Couture (1-2) in the featured women’s 135 pound matchup.
Early in the first round, Bears, of Kansas City, Missouri was able to fight off the 27-year-old Woodley, a two-time All American wrestler for University of Missouri. But while the two were in the clinch Woodley scooped up and slammed Bears to the canvas.
Woodley quickly passed guard, and as Bears attempted to turn over, Woodley attempted an armbar. Bears escaped and brought the fight back to stand up position.
Shortly thereafter, Woodley secured a double leg takedown and passed Bears’ guard to gain side control before slapping on an arm triangle choke that forced Bears to tap out at the 2:52 mark of the opening round.
In the first round of the female bout, Couture ate several punches. While in the clinch against the fence her opponent unloaded two straight knee strikes to her Couture’s mid-section.
After Couture backed up, Vera swung away with her hands and connected with a flurry of lefts and rights, battering Couture until the referee jumped in and stopped the fight. Vera was declared the winner by way of TKO at the 3:35 mark of the first round.
Local star Bobby Voelker (21-7) turned the tides on Huntington Beach, California’s Erik “Bad” Apple (10-2), who came out of the gates swinging in the first round of their welterweight (170 pounds) matchup.
The remarkably resilient Voelker weathered an early storm, scrambling to his feet after Apple dropped him with an overhand right. After absorbing a one-two punch combination, Voelker fired back with his own hands that backed up Apple.
Voelker tripped Apple to the ground and attempted to finish Apple with a flurry of punches from inside Apple’s half guard before the closing bell sounded.
In the second stanza, a left hook from Voelker stunned his opponent. Apple attempted to counter, but was caught with another left to the chin.
Voelker took Apple down again. After Apple stood up, Voelker dropped him with a hard right hand. Voelker pounced on his downed opponent, unloading a series of right and left hands.
As Voelker continued to punish him and Apple turtled up, the referee stepped in and stopped the action at the 1:23 mark of the second round.
In his first appearance since suffering an upset defeat at the hands of Mike “Mak” Kyle, Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (8-2) spent much of the first round of his matchup with Aaron Rosa (12-3) trying to control Rosa against the fence.
Cavalcante changed his tempo in the second round, taking Rosa down. The referee stood the fighters up, however, and issued Cavalcante a warning for striking his opponent with elbows to the head from inside Rosa’s guard. (Striking a down opponent to the head with elbows is illegal).
After the action resumed, Cavalcante lunged at Rosa and tagged him with a knee strike to the head that put Rosa on his back. Cavalcante quickly pounced on Rosa and hammered him with punches until the referee stopped the contest at the 3:25 mark of the second round.
“King” Kevin Casey (3-1) of Los Angeles, California made quick work of Iowa’s Chad Vance (7-4), taking Vance down in the early going of the first round. Vance gave up his back and Casey used the opportunity to unleash several punches before sinking in a rear naked choke from which Vance tapped out at the 1:41 mark of the first round.
Spencer Pratt, star of MTV’s smash hit reality series “The Hills,” was on hand to support Casey, his friend and business partner, from cageside.
All photos courtesy of Esther Lin / Strikeforce
Complete STRIKEFORCE Challengers Results:
Main Card:
- Kevin Casey def. Chad Vance – Submission (rear naked choke) – 1st Round (1:41)
- Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante def. Aaron Rosa – TKO (strikes) – 2nd Round (3:25)
- Bobby Voelker def. Erik Apple – TKO (strikes) – 2nd Round (1:23)
- Kerry Vera def. Kim Couture – TKO (strikes) – 1st Round (3:35)
- Tyron Woodley def. Rudy Bears – Submission (arm triangle choke) – 1st Round (2:52)
Preliminary Card:
- Lucas Lopes def. Dominic Brown – TKO (strikes) – 2nd Round (:45)
- Mike Chandler def. Rich Bouphanouvong – TKO – 3rd Round (2:07)
- Darryl Cobb def. Gary Tapasua – Split Decision (3 Rounds) (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
- Nick Nolte def. Andrew Waters – Submission (Triangle Choke) – 1st Round (3:45)
- Brian Davidson def. Russel Patrick – TKO (strikes) – 1st Round (:29)
- Lee Gibson def. Joe Wilk – TKO (strikes) – 1st Round (4:39)
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