New York City, New York (September 17, 2010) – As the contender’s picture begins to take shape, young fighters are determined to shorten the line for their shot at a title fight. Welterweights Alexei Nazarov and Alexei Belyaev are set to square off at M-1 Challenge XXI: Guram vs. Grishin where M-1 Global will crown its first ever champions in the lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight divisions.
“The undercard for this event continues to get better,” says Evgeni Kogan, Director of Operations for M-1 Global. “These are the contention bouts which will begin driving the Challenge series into 2011where our Champions will be defending their titles.”
Matchups include:
Alexei Nazarov (9-3) vs. Alexei Belyaev (10-4) Welterweight
Alexander Sarnavsky (10-0) vs. Victor Kuku (7-5-1) Lightweight
Rashid Magomedov (6-2) vs. Igor Araujo (18-5) Welterweight
Dmitry Samoilov (8-5-1) vs. Gadzhimurad Omarov (5-0) Light Heavyweight
-Additional undercard bouts to be announced
Lightweight Title Fight:
Artiom Damkovsky, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (10-4) vs.
Mairbek Taisumov, M-1 Selection Western Europe 2010 champion (12-2)
Middleweight Title Fight:
Magomed Sultanakhmedov, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (28-4) vs.
Rafał Moks, M-1 Selection Western Europe 2010 champ (5-2)
Heavyweight Title Fight:
Maxim Grishin, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe champion (7-4) vs.
Guram Gugenishvili, M-1 Selection Western Europe champion (8-0).
The Welterweight and Light Heavyweight championship bouts will be awarded at M-1 Challenge XXII, December 11th in Atlantic City, New Jersey, establishing M-1 Challenge champions in all five weight classes. Once executed, a true contenders system will be established to fuel events throughout 2011, driving M-1 Global’s growth as a leading brand in the US and international markets.
2011 includes a full slate of M-1 Challenge events held in the United States and Europe. These are the mega-event spectaculars where Champions will be crowned, titles defended and contenders’ positions on the ladder will be determined. Feeding the stable of fighters will be two Selection tournaments in 2011 with details being announced shortly.
Free broadcast coverage of the entire 2010 M-1 Challenge event schedule will be available at a later date to viewers worldwide on www.M-1global.com and selected affiliate partner sites.
Go to www.M-1Global.com for additional information.
About M-1 Global:
Founded in 1998, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of mixed martial arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St. Petersburg, Amsterdam, New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles and affiliates in Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand stages its M-1 Selection and M-1 Challenge events worldwide and its co-produced Strikeforce events in the United States; captivating the live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups. 2011 marks a breakthrough year for this MMA powerhouse. With two Selections tournaments across Eastern & Western Europe and North America and a full calendar of Challenge events, M-1 Global’s World Champions will rank amongst the greatest in the sport and the contention system will fuel spectacular cards around the world.
M-1 Global’s greatest asset is the number one heavyweight fighter in mixed martial arts history, Fedor Emelianenko. With daily coverage on all MMA-related websites in the world, and articles in Time Magazine, LA times and New York times, Fedor and M-1 Global make a lifetime match serving as the catalyst to grow MMA in the 21st century.