· All Bouts Official At “M-1 Challenge XXIII: Guram vs. Grishin”
Press Release:
Moscow, Russia (March 4, 2011) – Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, M-1 Global, has set an incredibly high bar for what’s to come for the remainder of 2011 from overseas and in the USA as all bouts are now set for M-1 Challenge XXIII; engaging fans with two title tilts, giving clarity to the light heavyweight contention picture and multiple striker’s duels, Saturday’s event is set to deliver on its high expectations. Fans worldwide can catch the entire event from the Crocus City Arena in Moscow, Russia LIVE and for free on the official M-1 Global website (www.M-1Global.com) starting at 11:00am EST / 8:00am on Saturday March 5th.
“All the fighters showed up prepared and ready to step on the scale today; as professional athletes, fighters need to prepare themselves professionally – respecting their opponents, the fans and the promotion” says Evgeni Kogan, M-1 Global’s Director of Operations. “M-1 has done everything possible to make this event our best to date which includes two title fights, a stacked undercard full of top contenders and another live, free stream to capture our worldwide fan base. M-1 Challenge XXIII has set a new standard in quality competition that we’ll be building on throughout 2011.”
M-1 Challenge XXIII Under Card:
Vusal Bayramov (155.0 Lbs) vs. Nikolai Kaushansky (152.75 Lbs) Lightweight
Maxim Bulakhtin (195.75 Lbs) vs. Magomed Ismailov (195.0 Lbs) Light Heavyweight
M-1 Challenge XXIII Main Card (Streaming Live):
Shamil Tinagadjiev (203.5 Lbs) vs. Tomasz Narkun (202.5 Lbs) Light Heavyweight
Igor Savelyev (201.0 Lbs) vs. Byron Byrd (205.5 Lbs) Light Heavyweight
Arsen Abdulkerimov (234.5 Lbs) vs. Goncalo Salgado (308.0 Lbs) Heavyweight (*no upper weight limit)
Magomedrasul Khasbulaev (155.5 Lbs) vs. Daniel Weichel (155.0 Lbs) Lightweight
Magomed Sultanakhmedov (185.0 Lbs) vs. Plinio Cruz (187.25 Lbs) Middleweight
Yuri Ivlev (153.25 Lbs) vs. Mairbek Taisumov (155.0 Lbs) Lightweight
Rashid Magomedov (170.0 Lbs) vs. Rafal Moks (168.75 Lbs) Welterweight
* Cruz was given an additional 2 hours to make weight
Championship Bouts
Heavyweight Division:
Guram Gugenishvili, M-1 Challenge Champion (244.25 Lbs) vs. Maxim Grishin, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (227.5 Lbs)
Welterweight Division:
Shamil Zavurov, M-1 Challenge Champion (168.25 Lbs) vs. Tom ‘Da Tank’ Gallicchio, M-1 Selection Americas 2010 champion (169.25 Lbs)
Free LIVE broadcast coverage of the entire M-1 Challenge XXIII event from Moscow, Russia will be available to viewers worldwide on the official M-1 Global website (www.M-1Global.com) starting at 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST on Saturday March 5th.
Once the event is in the books, M-1 Global makes its return to US soil on Friday, March 25th for M-1 Challenge XXIV: Damkovsky vs. Figueroa from the Constant Center in Norfolk, Virginia. Current lightweight champ, Artiom Damkovsky is gearing for his first title defense against 2010 M-1 Selection Americas winner, Jose Figueroa.
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.