· Zayats vs. Merad Added to “M-1 Challenge XXV: Zavurov vs. Magomedov 2”
Press Release:
New York, NY (April 12, 2011) – Closing in on its highly anticipated M-1 Challenge XXV: Zavurov vs. Magomedov 2 card on April 28th, Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, M-1 Global, has added home-town favourite Mikhail Zayats to a wickedly entertaining night of battles; riding a three fight win streak, Zayats will square off against Frenchman Malik Merad in a light heavyweight (205 Lbs) tilt. Fans can capture all the action from the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, LIVE online on the official M-1 Global website, www.M-1Global.com and M-1 Global facebook fan page starting at 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST on Thursday April 28th.
Zayats appears to have shaken off his 2009 three-fight skid and currently sits on a reversal of his own riding a three fight streak and going 4-1 over the last 12 months; during this run of dominating performances, the once hailed prospect has shown he is still a top-tier fighter. The highly versatile Merad aims to get back on track with a win over Zayats and piece together a streak of his own after having gone .500 in his last six outings.
M-1 Challenge XXV Under Card:
TBA vs. Alexander Kosarev (1-2) Heavyweight (205+ Lbs.)
M-1 Challenge XXV Main Card (Streaming Live):
Malik Merad (10-6) vs. Mikhail Zayats (13-5) Light Heavyweight
Juanma Suarez (6-0) vs. Arsen Temirkhanov (8-1) Welterweight
TBA vs. Ramzan Algeriev (1-0) Middleweight
Murad Magomedov (6-6) vs. Dmitry Samoilov (11-5-1) Middleweight
Denis Goltsov (2-1) vs. Alexander Volkov (10-3) Heavyweight
Christian Eckerlin (6-0) vs. Alexander Yakovlev (10-3) Welterweight
Luigi Fioravanti (22-8) vs. Andrei Semenov (29-9-2) Middleweight
* Additional bouts to be announced shortly
Welterweight Championship Bout:
Shamil Zavurov, M-1 Challenge Champion (19-1) clashes with Rashid Magomedov (8-1)
Light Heavyweight (205 Lbs) Championship Bout:
Viktor Nemkov (10-2) battles Vinny Magalhaes (7-5) for the vacant 205-pound strap
M-1 Challenge XXV teaser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvmlMHZrFpg
Free LIVE broadcast coverage of the entire M-1 Challenge XXV event from St. Petersburg, Russia will be available to viewers worldwide on the official M-1 Global website (www.M-1Global.com) and select affiliate partner sites starting at 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST on Thursday April 28th.
With M-1 Challenge champions established in all five weight classes, a true contenders system will fuel events throughout 2011, driving M-1 Global’s growth as a leading brand in the US and international markets.
2011’s full slate of M-1 Challenge events held in the United States and Europe are primed to be mega-event spectaculars where Champions defend their titles and contenders jockey for position for a coveted shot at the gold. Feeding the contention system will be two Selection tournaments in 2011 with details being announced shortly.
For additional information, go to the official M-1 website, www.M-1Global.com and M-1 Global facebook fan page.
About M-1 Global:
Founded in 1998, M-1 Global (www.M-1Global.com) 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 has staged over 70 events worldwide including the M-1 Selection and M-1 Challenge events 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, M-1 events boast some of the sport’s top names including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Stephan Struve and rising stars Shamil Zavurov, Byron Byrd, Alexander Sarnavskiy and Vinny Magalhaes. 2011 marks a breakthrough year with two Selections tournaments across Eastern & Western Europe, North America and Asia and a full calendar of Challenge events fuelled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global’s Champions amongst the greatest in the sport.
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.
