“Strikeforce Challengers: Voelker vs. Bowling III” (Strikeforce Challengers 17) takes place this evening at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nev., and will air LIVE on Showtime at 11 p.m. ET/PT.

The event features a welterweight headliner between Roger Bowling (9-1) and Bobby Voelker (23-7), making it the third time the two have fought in just over a year.

Bowling won their first match after he was poked in the eye, was unable to continue and the fight went to the judges. Voelker won their second match via second round TKO. And tonight will serve as the tie-breaker.

ProMMAnow.com (www.prommanow.com) will provide LIVE results and play-by-play commentary of tonight’s card. While waiting for the fights to start, check out our recent interviews with some of tonight’s fighters, including Ovince Saint Preux, Liz Carmouche and Ronald Stallings.

Strikeforce Challengers 17 quick results:

Televised card (Televised on Showtime)

• Bobby Voelker def. Roger Bowling by knockout (strikes) Rd 2 (2:16)
• Devin Cole def. Shawn Jordan by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Rd 3
• Ovince Saint Preux def. Joe Cason by submission (strikes) Rd 1 (1:12)
• Sarah Kaufman def. Liz Carmouche by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Adlan Amagov def. Ron Stallings by split decision (28-29 , 29-28, 29-28)

Preliminary card (Not Televised)

• Lionel Lanham vs. T.J. Cook def. Lionel Lanham by TKO (punches)  Rd 1 (4:59)
• Anthony Smith def. Ben Lagman by knockout (punch) Rd 2 (:33)
• Maka Watson vs. Bill Cooper def. Maka Watson by submission (Rear-Naked Choke) Rd 2 (2:39)
• Sterling Ford def.  Brian McLaughlin by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Strikeforce Challengers 17 play-by-play:

Ronald Stallings vs. Adlan Amagov

Round 1 – Amagov has been training with the Emelianenko brothers. He said he’ll be looking for the head kick KO. Side kick from Amagov. Leg kick from Amagov. Stallings throws a high kick. Leg kick and a big right, side kick from Amagov. That right was SOLID. He counters Stallings next with a short left hook. Side kick from Amagov. Leg kick from Stallings. Spinning back kick to the liver from Amagov knocks Stallings backward. Big leg kick from Amagov. Again. Again. Again on the inside this time. Super fast spinning kick misses from Amagov. Stallings pressing forward. Side kick from Amagov. Leg kick, inside this time. Stallings still pressing but not being too active. Lands a left and Amagov drops levels, and clinches Stallings against the cage. Amagov gets a trip takedown, lands in side control but Stallings gets up. Amagov tosses him back down though with a hip toss. 10-9 for Amagov.

Round 2 – Big leg kick from Stallings. Amagov returns two, just misses a hook kick. Leg kick. Some superb striking from Amagov. Side kick. Stallings misses a hook. Takes a right hand to the body. Stallings ties him up. Knee to the face from Stallings. Knee to the thigh from Stallings. Stallings with some punches from the clinch, using dirty boxing against the cage. Stallings gets a trip takedown but Amagov gets right up. Knee to the body from Stallings, they clinch, he pushes Amagov against the cage. SStallings pummeling but Amagov uses a wizzer and tosses him on his head, twice. Stallings gets to his knees, then his feet as he eats some punches. Stallings presses him to the cage. Jumping knee from Stallings, knee to the body. Amagov swinging wildly, he looks tired, and falls to his back before the bell. 10-9 for Amagov.

Round 3 – Stallings grabs a collar tie and lands several knees. Big takedown from Stallings. He’s on top in half guard, side control. Stallings locks on a straight arm lock, lets it go. Locks it on again after readjusting. Amagov gets mounted after eating an elbow. Amagov reverses, Stallings had an arm but Amagov is free and up to the feet, clinched against the cage. Two minutes to go. Knee from Stallings. Amagov with a knee to the thigh. Ref separates them. Nice left from Stallings, body kick. Amagov with a front kick, he takes a deep breath and drops his hands. Spinning backfist from Amagov as he escapes a guillotine. Stallings puts him against the cage and Amagov stops the takedown by grabbing the fence for the fourth time. They swing it out with ten seconds to go. 10-9 for Stallings. It should be a 10-8 with a point deduction as I see it. But Mazagatti didn’t deduct a point. I have the fight 29-28 for Amagov.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Adlan Amagov def. Ron Stallings by split decision (28-29 , 29-28, 29-28)

Liz Carmouche vs. Sarah Kaufman

Round 1 – Carmouche comes out swinging. Kaufman puts her against the cage. Carmouche reverses and Kaufman reverses the position pitting her against the cage. They continue to jocky for position and exchange knees. Foot stomps from Carmouche. Kaufman’s back against the cage, eats a knee. Carmouche attempts a judo throw but ends up on the bottom, giving up her back, she gets to her feet though, looking for a single as Kaufman trying to work out of it and she does. Back to the clinch and knee game. Kaufman with a few punches to the body. Left hand from Kaufman. Light leg kick from Carmouche. Leg kick from Carmouche and Kaufman gives one back. Leg kick from Carmouche. Kaufman eats a right coming in but fires back with a couple punches. Kaufman 10-9 but it’s VERY close.

Round 2 – They come out and start banging. Carmouche shoots, puts Kaufman to the cage and puts her down. Kaufman gets to a knee, eats a big knee to the body but gets to her feet and they square up in the center. Kaufman starts landing some nice punches. Carmouce scores with a punch. Leg kick from Kaufman; her striking looks smoother at this point. Blood trickling from the nose of Carmouche. Kaufman working the jab nicely. Nice double jab reddens Carmouche’s nose. Kaufman picking her apart. Carmouche grabs a kick and pitts Kaufman to the cage. Kaufman reverses position. Knee to the body from Carmouche and they battle for position with just over a minute to go. Carmouche drops levels but Kaufman defends it and backs out to the center. She lights Carmouche up with a couple punches forcing Carmouche to shoot. Kaufman sprawls and Carmouche’s blood drops to the canvas. Kaufman stands up and out, kicks her downed opponent. Kaufman gets the round 10-9.

Round 3 – Carmouche spit out a ton of blood in her corner. They start exchanging right away. Kaufman lands a big right. Leg kick. Left hand from Kaufman, again. Carmouche shoots, stuffed. She reverses and puts Carmouche against the cage. Foot stomps from Kaufman. Knee to the thigh from Kaufman. Carmouche attempts a trip and ends up on her back. Kaufman lets her up for some stand up fun. Leg kick from Carmouche. Again. Kaufman goes back to her boxing, Carmouche shoots, stuffed. One two from Kaufman forcing the shot again, stuffed again. Kaufman flattens her out and lands a couple shots before letting her up. Leg kick from Carmouche but eats a big punch. Leg kick from Carmouche gets checked. Kaufman staying steady with her rhythmic attack. One minute to go. Kaufman pours it on with some big shots. Left hook. Right cross from Kaufman, one two, big right. Carmouche tries to punch back but gets beat up on the feet. 10-9 for Kaufman for the round 30-27 for the fight.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Sarah Kaufman def. Liz Carmouche by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Joe Cason vs. Ovince St. Preux

Round 1 – Right hand from Cason. Leg kick. Another right from Cason but he gets countered with a shot. Nice knee from St. Preux stops Cason in his tracks as he comes in. Cason goes down after a left hand and Saint Preux jumps on him with huge punches and this fight is over my friends. Cason starts tapping out. Saint Preux proved what he can do with a full camp. Congrats to Knoxville MMA.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Ovince Saint Preux def. Joe Cason by submission (strikes) Rd 1 (1:12)

OSP calls out Babalu and Gegard; says he’s coming for them. OSP says his coach Eric Turner is the man responsible for his success.

Devin Cole vs. Shawn Jordan

Round 1 – Ref makes Shawn Jordan trim his toenails before entering the cage. Nice. Cole lands a nice right. Again. Leg kick from Jordan. Right hand from Cole. Another exchange with Cole coming out on top, Jordan bull runs him against the cage with underhooks. Gives him some knees and Cole fires back. Jordan with a left elbow, they struggle in the clinch and Jordan tosses him to the ground, takes his back and is looking for the rear naked choke. Cole is out and up and lands some hammerfists as Cole tries to get up from his knees. Cole has a body lock but Jordan gets up. Cole grabs a single leg, lets it go against the cage. Dirty boxing exchanges as Cole uses a Greco-style takedown but Jordan gets back to his feet and they square up. Jordan lands a big uppercut during a wild exchange. They tie up against the cage and Cole lands a combo on the break. They clinch up again and Jordan lands his own combo on the exchange. With just seconds left Jordan lands some shots that likely steal the round 10-9.

Round 2 – Knee on the break to the chin from Cole. He smiles and says “Yeah”. Left hook from Cole, leg kick. Left jab. Big knee and a right from Cole. Jordan slowing down. Uppercut from Cole. Jab, uppercut, body kick from Cole. Superman punch from Jordan but eats a combo of punches as he lands from his flight of fancy. Cole gets the takedown, dumping Jordan on his back. Cole stands up holding Jordan’s ankles. Colemoves to side control and puts some huge knees into Jordan’s ribs. He lays down in side control. Jordan scrambles to his knees, looking for a single, stands up holding the leg and tries to put Cole down. Cole stops it with a tight body lock lifting him up a bit. Knees to the body from Cole. Now with a standing body lock. Jordan puts one hand on the mat. Cole puts knees to the thighs and throws a punch from behind Cole up between his legs. Cole 10-9.

Round 3 – They hug and touch gloves. Nice left jab, right uppercut from Cole. He’s been using that much of the fight. Nice right from Jordan. Right hook from Cole on the counter. Lazy leg kick from Jordan. They grab hands like a pro wrestling match and Cole lands a right that blasts Jordan in the face and he snickers. Cole with a knee to the body. Nice right by Jordan. Cole with his own right and a one two. Cole has really sharp boxing. Left hook, uppercut from Cole. Right hand from Jordan, then an uppercut. Cole pins Jordan against the cage, drops levels for the first time in the fight. Jordan tries to lock on a guillotine and ends up on his back with two minutes to go. Jordan throwing elbows off his back. Cole beats Jordan up from half guard on top. Body shots mostly. Elbows to the ribs.  47 seconds to go. Nice elbow from Cole. More. Cole postures up, moves inside full guard. 10-9 for the round.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Devin Cole def. Shawn Jordan by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Rd 3

Roger Bowling vs. Bobby Voelker

Round 1 – They bang shns. Bowler and his stiff hair with a leg kick. He catches a leg lands a right. Body shot. Lots of movement. Voelker using a left hook. Body kick from Bowling as he bounces around the cage. Left hook from Bowling. Left hook misses, body kick from Bowling. Big body kick from Bowling, this time to the gut. Right to the body. Big body kick from Bowling. Right hook counter from Bowling. Beautiful punch from Voelker catches Bowling solid on the chin. Hands straight down to his sides. Left jab from Voelker. Bowling shoots for a single, puts Voelker down for less than a second and they’re back to the feet. Counter left from Voelker. Hard left kick to the body from Bowling. Voelker pokes Bowling in the eye and time out is called. De Ja Vu from their previous fight. Bowling hurts Voelker with three stiff punches. Left kick to the body from Bowling. Right hand from Voelker on the chin. Exciting fight. Bowling 10-9.

Round 2 – Voelker backs up Bowling to the cage. Bowling fires back with a body kick, he shoots grabs a body lock, puts knees to the thighs of Voelker. Still fighting from the clinch. Knee to the body from knee and face from Bowling. He trips Voelker to his back. Voelker gets to one knee. Bowling tries to stop him getting up. But fails. Bowling drops for a single, works for a takedown as they dance on one leg. Still fighting in the clinch. Collar tie and a knee to the chin rocks Bowling badly badly hurt Bowling goes down and Voelker finishes him with huge shots. Bowling doesn’t know what happened. Beautiful performance by both guys. I wondered why they wanted to do a third fight between these two. Now I know.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Bobby Voelker def. Roger Bowling by knockout (strikes) Rd 2 (2:16)

Bowling reminds me of a bigger Urijah Faber. He’s very good. Very athletic and has California hair. Voelker calls out everyone on the main show.