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Rashid Magomedov: The Evil Stepmother Lurking in Mok’s Cinderella Story


On March 5th at M-1 Challenge XXIII, relentless Gorec team fighter, Rashid Magomedov, takes aim at Rafal Moks, intent on making a horrific nightmare out of his welterweight debut since relinquishing the 185-pound title. With Moks culminating 2010’s run through the Selection tournament with a golden Cinderella victory over teammate Magomed Sultanakhmedov, Magomedov’s mission is to put an abrupt end Moks’ fairytale and climb a few rungs up the contention ladder.

Rashid Magomedov is one of the brightest and most talented welterweight fighters to come out of Russia in recent years. In 2009, he went undefeated and lead his team to victory through the M-1 Challenge Team Championship competition. Included in his list of wins, is the split-decision victory over current M-1 Challenge welterweight champ, Shamil Zavurov – the champ’s only loss in an extremely decorated professional fighting career.

In the quarterfinals of the 2010 M-1 Selection Eastern Europe tournament, Magomedov suffered his record’s first blemish with a decision loss to Magomedrasul Khasbulaev. Unfazed by the defeat, he returned to immediate action at the Sochi Open European Championships; with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in attendance, Magomedov showcased his one-punch power with a knock-out win over Dan Hope inside the contest’s first minute. Following up with a unanimous decision win over Brazilian jiu jitsu black-belt, Igor Araujo at M-1 Challenge XXI, Magomedov is now set to face Rafal Moks in a bout with serious welterweight title implications.

Should Magomedov walk out the ring victorious, he’ll be keenly watching Zavurov in his first title defense against Tom Gallicchio later that evening as he’ll face one of them in his next outing. Whether he faces the winner in an immediate title shot or the loser in a subsequent contention bout is up to the matchmaker but Magomedov is eager to cement himself as the division’s top contender.

Fans can catch the action from the Crocus City arena in Moscow, Russia on Saturday, March 5th by tuning in to the official live stream on M-1 Global website, http://www.M-1Global.com at 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST.

Heavy-Handed Submission Technician Returns at M-1 Challenge XXIII


M-1 Challenge XXIII marks Yuri ‘Cable Guy’ Ivlev’s return to action after suffering his first loss in seven outings. Over a two year span, the Legion Fight Team warrior was proving to be unstoppable until he collided with Daniel Weichel this past October. Healed up and ready for action, the crafty, heavy-handed striker with exceptional submission skills looks to dispose of Mairbek Taisumov and jump-start his climb into title contention. Fans worldwide can catch the lightweights face-off, starting at 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST, Saturday March 5th on the official M-1 Global website (http://www.M-1Global.com).

A product of the Legion Fight Team and training with notables Ansar Chalangov and Magomed ‘The Eagle’ Shikshabekov, it’s little wonder why Russian lightweight Yuri Ivlev has made more than ripples on route to an impressive 14-6 record. Possessing what many claim as Olympic-level judo and world-class sambo skills, Ivlev has been outclassing opponents time and time again with abilities seeming to improve exponentially with every round clocked.

With a mass of early submission victories, Ivlev has earned the reputation of being one of Europe’s most-feared submission technicians. What stands out most about Ivlev are his spectacular hip tosses that he transitions into joint-jacking submissions; they’re as smooth as silk and had HDNet calling his victory over Carlos Valeri as one of the top submissions of 2008. As an always-improving fighter, Ivlev has evolved his game with the addition of an incredible striking arsenal enabling him to successfully close out seven of his last eight victories with heavy-handed, one-punch knockouts or devastating ground and pound.

With his flashy techniques, awesome suplexes, fluid spinning high kicks and will-breaking G&P, Yuri Ivlev is a marketable fighter with ‘Eddie Alvarez-esque’ celebratory back-flips. Without a doubt, Ivlev has Taisumov in his sites and is aiming to cause havoc inside the ring for the Chechen Republic fighter. With both men eager to clamour up the contention ladder, this battle between two furious and relentless lightweights is bound to be a barn-burner.

Stacking Welterweights at M-1 Challenge XXIII - Temirkhanov vs. Suarez and Nazarov vs. Abdulzhalilov


M-1 Challenge XXIII’s undercard sits incredibly strong and the addition of two more awesome welterweight battles is proving that gluttony is a good thing. The stealth, nearly-perfect Arsen Temirkhanov faces undefeated Juan Manuel Suarez Montesdeoca and Alexei Nazarov returns to the 170-pound division against Ramazan Abdulzhalilov. 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 (http://www.M-1Global.com) starting at 11:00am EST / 8:00am on Saturday March 5th.

“‘Stacked’ is the best word to describe M-1 Challenge XXIII,” says M-1 Global’s Director of Operations, Evgeni Kogan. “We couldn’t be more excited about the way 2011 is starting off for the M-1 Challenge series and this event has set an extremely high standard. The title contention picture in the light heavyweight, lightweight and welterweight divisions will be crystal clear at the night’s end and from there we forge head-on for our return to the USA.”



M-1 Challenge XXIII Under Card Bouts:

Arsen Temirkhanov (16-1) vs. Jaun Manuel Suarez Montesdeoca (13-0) Welterweight

Alexei Nazarov (11-4) vs. Ramazan Abdulzhalilov (6-2) Welterweight

Mairbek Taisumov (13-3) vs. Yuri Ivlev (14-6) Lightweight

Byron Byrd (3-0) vs. Alihan Magomedov (8-2) Light Heavyweight

Shamil Tinagadjiev (7-3) vs. Tomasz Narkun (4-1) Light Heavyweight

Goncalo Salgado (7-1) vs. Arsen Abdulkerimov (6-2) Heavyweight

Rashid Magomedov (7-1) vs. Rafal Moks (6-2) Welterweight

Magomed Sultanakhmedov (28-5) vs. Plinio Cruz (5-3) Middleweight

Daniel Weichel (25-7) vs. Magomedrasul Khasbulaev (16-4) Lightweight

Kenny ‘Deuce’ Garner (5-3) vs. Alexander Volkov (9-3) Heavyweight

· Additional bouts to be announced



Championship Bouts

Heavyweight Division:

Guram Gugenishvili, M-1 Challenge Champion (10-0) clashes with
Maxim Grishin, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (7-4)



Welterweight Division:

Shamil Zavurov, M-1 Challenge Champion (18-1) clashes with
Tom ‘Da Tank’ Gallicchio, M-1 Selection Americas 2010 champion (15-5)



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 (http://www.M-1Global.com) starting at 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST on Saturday March 5th.

Arsen Temirkhanov: Stealth Submissionist Hits M-1 Challenge XXIII


Creeping under the radar of the entire North American continent, Russian welterweight fighter, Arsen Temirkhanov has amassed a 17-1 record since making his first professional appearance in October 2002. He’s quiet, stealth and has mopped the mat with virtually every opponent he’s faced. In only his second outing under the M-1 Global banner and part of the M-1 Challenge XXIII undercard, Temirkhanov will face undefeated Juan Manuel Suarez on Saturday March 5th.

The 33-year-old who hails from Ekaterinburg, Russia is a two-time European combat sambo champion and a two-time Russian Army hand-to-hand combat champion; as a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt and combat sambo specialist, Temirkhanov is a monster who has been leaving a trail of destruction in his path

Before participating in his opening round fight of the 2010 M-1 Selection Eastern European tournament, Temirkhanov took part in the Moscow World Combat Sambo Cup and simply destroyed all who got in his way; after his convincingly dominating performance, he described the competition as a ‘a warm-up before the storm’. Showing up to the Selections tournament in phenomenal shape and ready to face world karate champion, Vladimir Opanesenko, Temirkhanov took less than two rounds to capture a submission victory and secure his place in the semi-finals.

Withdrawing from the tournament for personal circumstances outside his control, Temirkhanov is ready to return to action and his first outing of 2011 lands him a bout on a much larger world stage. With M-1 Challenge streaming live to a worldwide audience, this stealth, unstoppable Russian fighter can quickly become a forum topic of North American fans who have likely never heard of him before. If he can hand Suarez his first loss and string together a run of victories, Temirkhanov can quickly find himself climbing into contention and on a trip across the Atlantic to fight on one M-1 Global’s US-based events. We’ll wait and see.

Juanma Suarez Invades M-1 Challenge XXIII


Much like his M-1 Challenge XXIII opponent, Arsen Temirkhanov, the crafty Spaniard Juan Manuel Suarez Montesdeoca has gone relatively unnoticed by North American fans since making his debut in late 2007 as he quietly amassed an undefeated 13-0 record. With the M-1 ring being a familiar battleground for this warrior, ‘Jaunma’ returns to the promotion for the fourth time in his career and is set to shock the crowd with his light-speed combinations and limb-locking submissions. If he can continue his impressive run with a victory on Saturday March 5th, Juanma will see more frequent trips inside the confines of the 5-rope ring as a promising contender for the welterweight belt.

The 31-year-old Suarez hails from Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands and is the pride of the Taz Jinamar fight team. Standing a solid 6’ 1”, he’s a good-sized welterweight in any region and has a reach that can deliver deadly, pin-point combinations while keeping him elusively out of an opponent’s range. Seeking a step up in competition, Suarez is eager to put his skills to the test against a new roster of tough European talent starting with Temirkhanov.

Starting with humble beginnings as a participant in outdoor grappling tournaments, Suarez continued to develop his jiu jitsu skills and is now a fighter with composed, confident ground skills, capable of unleashing an aggressive offensive off his back; his solid submission defense also enables him to roll through dangerous positions with relative ease and into smooth, sequential attempts of his own.

Standing up, Juanma is quick to explode with flying knees, advancing dirtectly into rapid-fire combinations that include heavy-handed striking and quick, stinging leg-kicks; the speed of his kicks leave opponents in constant confusion and guessing as to whether the impact is headed low for the legs, to the middle body and ribs or to the head for a devastating knockout.

Suarez is ready for his battle on the much larger M-1 Global world stage. With M-1 Challenge streaming live to a worldwide audience, a victory will elevate the Spaniard’s awareness with the North American fans who have likely never heard of him before; stringing together a run of exciting victories will likely award Suarez a couple of plane tickets to fight on one of M-1 Global’s US-based events. The future is extremely bright for this undefeated warrior.

Abdulkerimov: On Course For Victory at M-1 Challenge XXIII


2010 M-1 Selection Eastern European heavyweight tournament semi-finalist, Arsen Abdulkerimov is ready for action in his first trip to M-1’s big stage on Saturday March 5th. In a tough contention fight against heavy-handed Goncalo Salgado, the Russian prospect will look to re-establish himself in a division deep with talented warriors. Known for quick finishes, fans won’t want to turn away and miss this bout’s potential split-second ending.

Holding the title of "Master of Sport" in Kudo (Daido Juku) and a national Daido Juku champion, Abdulkerimov made a successful professional MMA debut in March 2008 and quickly showcased exceptional submission skills and equally impressive striking as he rallied together a 6-2 record. Known for putting on entertaining fights that end quickly, this well-rounded fighter is extremely popular in the European circuit.

Considered a rising prospect, he participated in the 2010 M-1 Selection Eastern Europe tournament. In opening round action, Abdulkerimov faced Denis Komkin in an awesome battle where Komkin was kept at bay with head-snapping strikes. Using vicious kicks to change up his offensive, Abdulkerimov set Komkin up perfectly and allowed his foe inside striking range. As Komkin pressed forward, Abdulkerimov nailed a perfect counter right-hook that landed perfectly on the chin and ended Komkin’s night with a sensational knock-out. Unfortunately his run was cut short in the semi-finals as he faced the eventual tournament winner, Maxim Grishin, who disposed of Abdulkerimov with a first-round TKO.

After the tournament he was invited to participate in Russia’s first-ever MMA reality show, "M-1 Fighter", where he won all his fights in spectacular fashion to became the show’s inaugural heavyweight winner.

Ready to return to his winning ways and clamour into title contention, Abdulkerimov has the tough task of weathering Salgado’s heavy-handed arsenal. Should the crafty Russian elude the early barrage and engage in effective counter-striking, Abdulkerimov can wear down Salgado for the win. Should the pair elect to stand and trade, this fight is a coin-flip as both possess one-punch knock-out power.

Ultimately, Abdulkerimov wants to walk away victorious and keep a close eye on the last person to defeat him as Maxim Grishin faces Guram Gugenishvili for the heavyweight belt in M-1 Challenge XXIII’s main-event bout; their potential future rematch could end up with the belt on the line.

Abdulkerimov and Salgado will battle it out from inside the Crocus City arena in Moscow, Russia on Saturday, March 5th and fans can catch all the action by tuning-in to the official live stream on M-1 Global website, http://www.M-1Global.com at 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST.

Goncalo Salgado Packs Power into M-1 Challenge XXIII


The M-1 Challenge XXIII undercard gets better by the day and the addition of the heavyweight contention bout between Goncalo Salgado and Arsen Abdulkerimov brings more possibilities to the division’s title picture. With a win over Abdulkerimov, the 2010 M-1 Selection Eastern European tournament runner-up, Salgado will be hot to climb the contention ladder and eager to run a string of victories inside the M-1 ring that could earn him a future shot at the M-1 Challenge heavyweight championship belt. The stage is set for Salgado to earn some well deserved respect against a tougher tier of opponents; he just needs to deliver the signature heavy leather he’s known for.

Hailing from Portugal, Goncalo Salgado is a product of the Gracie Barra Seixal fight team and has racked up a near-perfect 7-1 record as a professional mixed martial artist since debuting in July of 2006. Training in a school known more for precision submission technique, Salgado has gone the opposite route, delivering more devastating knock-outs and to date this offensive game plan is serving him just fine; six of seven wins have come by way of either KO or TKO and he has one lone submission.

Salgado’s outings have revealed a nearly impenetrable defense combined with accurate power-punching and one-punch knock-out power; should a shot break through, he’s got a tough chin capable of weathering any storm. His incredibly thick, powerful upper-body resembles that of current heavyweight champ, Guram Gugenishvili, and enables him to manhandle his opponents to the canvas easily. Once on the ground, Salgado slides effortlessly on the mat working to secure side-control or stepping over into full mount. Any time Salgado has secured full mount, the fights over; he postures up and rains bombs until his opponent is broken.

With his bout against Abdulkerimov being his first trip to M-1 Global’s big stage and marking a step up in the level of competition he’s faced, Salgado needs to keep his nerves in check and do what he does best – be aggressive and relentless in his striking while simultaneously being aware of his opponent’s dangerous submissions. On paper Salgado has the edge in striking and submissions and the pair are evenly matched in experience. This bout is up for grabs by either fighter but we’ll soon see if Salgado has what it takes to get a big win against the toughest opponent in his career.

Mairbek Taisumov Gears Up for Ivlev at M-1 Challenge XXIII


Headed into M-1 Challenge XXIII on March 5th, Mairbek ‘Beckan’ Taisumov has his sites set on returning to the lightweight title spotlight but first has to dispose of the always dangerous Yuri Ivlev; a win puts Taisumov back in the sniff for the belt. Fans can catch the lightweights face-off, starting at 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST, Saturday March 5th on the official M-1 Global website (http://www.M-1Global.com).

23 year-old, M-1 veteran out of the Chechen Republic, Maribek Taisumov is a highly talented lightweight currently training out of the GFC Team. Born with the genetics that have given him phenomenal speed and athleticism, Taisumov is a former soccer player who has continually displayed impressive stand-up skills and an always improving ground game; this young athlete is developing into an impact fighter in an incredibly deep 155-pound weight class.

Since debuting in 2007, this promising young striker has racked up an impressive 13-3 record with thanks to his highly effective stand-up skills and phenomenal footwork, which enables him to glide effortlessly around the canvass as he stalks and maintains superior offensive positioning. Based on his victories, it’s not surprising that he’s referenced as having an impressive striking arsenal from both in close and outside; his hand speed is lightning quick and he cocks a heavy overhand right that can be unleashed in a split second should his opponent drop his hands. Combine this lethal striking power with well guarded defensive skills and the ability to release stinging leg and body kicks and rib-cracking knees at will and you have the technical blueprint for Taisumov’s methodically sound performances.

‘Beckan’s’ background in freestyle wrestling reveals excellent reaction time, quick hips and an effective sprawl but he’ll need to continue working on his takedown defense in order to acclimate himself in the North American game should he cross the pond and venture into the M-1’s cards in the United States. But when in position to take opponents to the ground, Taisumov is equipped with an aggressive ground and pound where is able to unleash precision punches and hammer fists to finish a bout. With back-to-back-to-back first round finishes over Petr Cajnak, Julien Boussuge and Sergey Adamchuk, Taisumov put on a striking and submission clinic to win the 201 M-1 Selection Western Europe lightweight tournament.

With his exciting fighting style, Taisumov had his sights set on becoming M-1Global’s first-ever 155-pound champion in the organization’s history as he squared off against Artiom Damkovsky. In a bout that contended for ‘fight of the night’ honours, Taisumov controlled the early rounds until the tide swayed into Damkovsky’s favour. Taking an unintentional finger to the eye late in the third, it was determined by the ringside physician that the bout had to be stopped, leaving ‘Beckan’ disheartened as he watched the gold go around Damkovsky’s waist.

Taisumov shrugged off the tough loss with a first-round demolition of Ivica Truscek and finds himself back near the top of the lightweight food chain. Now set to face Yuri Ivlev, ‘Beckan’ will look to put victory at his beckon call as he trudges forward with the goal of earning another shot at the coveted championship belt.