Bailey Wants Bowling Rematch

Welterweight prospect Shamar Bailey wants to revisit the one blemish that scars an otherwise perfect resume.

The 27-year-old Indianapolis firefighter will face UFC castoff John Kolosci at Strikeforce/M-1 Global “Fedor vs. Rogers” this Saturday at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates. I’ll. He looks back at his April 2008 loss to unbeaten welterweight Roger Bowling with contempt. Bowling stopped Bailey on first-round strikes in the Revolution Fight League “Hostile Takeover” main event in Louisville, Ky.

“I learned a couple of things,” Bailey said. “He never touched me when we were on our feet. I slipped. He got on top of me, hit me a few times and the referee stopped the fight. People who were there won’t say anything different.

Bailey may get his shot at redemption inside Strikeforce. The San Jose, Calif.-based promotion has agreed to terms on a contract with Bowling. Should Bailey pass his first test against Kolosci, the stage could be set for a rematch. Bowling has finished all six of his opponents, including a nine-second knockout of International Fight League veteran Seth Baczynski in March.

“He’s making a name off me,” Bailey said. “We definitely need a rematch. If I were him, I would want to know I was better.”

» Check out Brian Knapp's feature on Shamar Bailey