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M-1 GLOBAL ANNOUNCES M-1 CHALLENGE EVENT TO AIR LIVE ON SHOWTIME

Friday, October 14, 2011 - From The Grand Canyon University Arena in Phoenix, Arizona


M-1 GLOBAL announced today an upcoming mixed martial arts (MMA) event titled M-1 Challenge: Guram vs. Garner II featuring the rematch between current M-1 Global Heavyweight (265 Lbs.) Champion Guram Gugenishvili (11-0) and 2010 M-1 Selection Americas Tournament heavyweight winner Kenny ‘Deuce’ Garner (7-3). The bouts from the new 5,550 seat Grand Canyon University Arena in Phoenix, Arizona will air LIVE on SHOWTIME on Friday, October 14 at 11 p.m. ET/PT (Delayed on the West Coast).

In co-main event action, Light Heavyweight (205 Lbs.) Champion and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu specialist Vinny Magalhaes (8-5) will make his first title defense against versatile Russian fighter Mikhail Zayats (14-5).

“Our Champions are hungry to defend their titles and this is shaping up to be our strongest, most exciting card of the year.” said Vadim Finkelschtein, co-founder of M-1 GLOBAL. “This marks our third event with SHOWTIME; there’s no better TV network for M-1 than SHOWTIME and no better market to seriously compete in than the U.S.”

"Garner has been extremely vocal about wanting a rematch with Guram and he’s put the work in to get this opportunity,” said Evgeni Kogan, M-1 Global’s Director of operations. “This is a great title fight between two fierce opponents.”

Ranked as the sport’s #1 Heavyweight prospect by Bloody Elbow, Gugenishvili has left a long list of opponents in his wake of destruction since coming on the scene in July, 2009. The winner of the inaugural 2010 M-1 Selection Eastern European tournament and Europe’s leading MMA promotion’s reigning heavyweight champion, Guram’s most notable characteristic is his agility; at 6’4” and 250lbs, he moves around the ring lightly, maintaining precise offensive ring positioning.

Gugenishvili was sidelined from his July title defense after suffering a wrist injury during a training session; now recovered and ready for action, Guram is more than accepting of Garner’s challenge, “Garner knows where to find me if he wants my belt; I will defend it.”

Kenny ‘Deuce’ Garner’s first run-in with Guram was in October 2010 and it ended unpleasantly, being choked unconscious via standing guillotine in the second round. Since then Garner has won back-to-back bouts via knockout.

Garner is best known for his relentless self-marketing which he backs up with one-punch power as evidenced by his five knockout wins. Hidden behind the heavy leather is also a potent submission arsenal and solid wrestling base which makes this rematch a potentially explosive outing for both men.

“I always said I’d get another chance to claim MY belt!” said Garner. “I made a mistake in my last fight with Guram and I know it. It cost me my title. This time out – no mistakes! This is my opportunity to chase down my belt! I’ve been training hard and I’m not losing to Guram; he’s not making it out of the first round.”

For information on M-1 Global, go to the official M-1 website, www.M-1Global.com and M-1 Global facebook fan page.

Mauro Ranallo will call the action from ringside with Pat Miletich serving as analyst. The telecast will be produced by Chuck McKean and directed by Craig Farrell. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins, Jr.

#1 Heavyweight Prospect, Guram Gugenishvili, Makes Stateside Debut


Top-ranked prospect, Guram Gugenishvili has been putting the competition to sleep faster than a licensed anaesthesiologist since coming on the scene in July of 2009. Sporting a perfect 11-0 record and the M-1 Global heavyweight strap, the Georgian powerhouse has fully recovered from his training injury which forced him to postpone his US debut and is ready to land Stateside on October 14th at M-1 Challenge XXVII; he’ll look to defend his title against Kenny ‘Deuce’ Garner in the card’s headline bout and mop the mat with the A.T.T. standout once again. The battle from inside the new 5,500 seat Grand Canyon University Arena in Phoenix, Arizona can be caught LIVE on SHOWTIME starting at 11 p.m. ET/PT (Delayed on the West Coast).

Fighting out of Makariv, Kiev Oblast in the Ukraine, Gugenishvili had been the cornerstone of the Makfight team since beginning his professional career; as with all fighters aiming to evolve, Guram made the tough decision to move to the Aris Sport Club earlier this year, where a modern facility is set to provide him the tools to become an even more dominant force. Although in a new team, Guram remains under the instruction of Coach Ioseb Koberidze, who is dedicated to improving his pupil’s striking and Jiu Jitsu.

As the winner of the inaugural 2010 M-1 Selection Eastern European tournament and Europe’s leading MMA promotion’s reigning heavyweight champion, what’s most notable about Guram is his agility; at 6’4” and 250lbs, he moves around the ring lightly, maintaining precise ring positioning. He’s methodical, calm and systematic in his movements; in his mind, he’s won the fight before the sound of the bell and the course of action within the ropes is only a formality.

No one has been able to expose holes in his abilities to date. All but two of his victories have ended early in the first round and seven of these come by way of suffocating, anaconda-like rear naked chokes. Aspiring fighters often rely on one or two bases early in their career and Guram is no different; he has a sound freestyle wrestling base that he leverages to set up submissions but there is room to improve. Guram and his coach are actively improving his sambo and striking techniques while also working in boxing and Muay Thai sessions.

He has the confidence, work ethic and determination to elevate his proficiency in all fighting styles and evolve into an even more fearsome, versatile fighter. Simply put: Gugenishvili is proving himself as the top-ranked heavyweight prospect in MMA and the global fan base has no choice other than to take notice.

Guram captured the inaugural M-1 Global heavyweight belt with a commanding submission win at M-1 Challenge XXI over Garner. After some momentary trouble handling Garner’s submission game, the Georgian powerhouse disposed on his foe early in the second round, capturing the card’s Submission of the Night honour thanks to a standing guillotine choke that put Garner on the mat, out unconscious.

His first title defense was M-1 Challenge XXIII this past March where he collided with Red Devil prospect, Maxim Grishin, who nearly shocked the world in the early seconds of the battle when he floored the champ with a left hook. With the dangerous situation short-lived, Guram got back to his feet and engaged Grishin quickly; after a brief exchange, the pair hit the mat with Guram working from his foe’s guard, firing effective blows through Grishin’s defence. As Guram postured up and stepped over into full mount, Grishin made the fatal mistake of rolling over in an attempt to escape, giving up his back and exposing his neck; it took Guram a split second to recognize the position and quickly wrenched in his patented, text-book RNC, forcing the tap at 3:38 of the opening round.

As the reigning Heavyweight Champion, Guram is now climbing the next steps of his professional career where the level and calibre of competition gets tougher.

Although extremely successful to date and able to manhandle his opponents at will, it’s inevitable to envision the type of fighter that Guram will evolve into with exposure to elite-level coaching and training in striking and jiu jitsu; incorporating these elements into his already powerful arsenal will make Guram a force to be reckoned with anywhere on the planet; his first foray outside of Europe lands him in the United States on October 14th when Garner will get a second shot to stop the Guram hype-train.

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.

‘Deuce’ is Loose at M-1 Challenge XXVII - Kenny Garner: “This time there won’t be any mistakes!”


The relentless self-marketing machine, Kenny ‘Deuce’ Garner (7-3), returns to action inside the confines of M-1 Global’s five-rope ring on October 14th intent on making the most of a second shot at Europe’s leading MMA promotion’s heavyweight strap; the undefeated and reigning Champion Guram Gugenishvili (11-0) once again stands in Garner’s path to stardom. The battle from inside the new 5,500 seat Grand Canyon University Arena in Phoenix, Arizona can be caught LIVE on SHOWTIME starting at 11 p.m. ET/PT (Delayed on the West Coast).

Garner earned his second shot at the belt with a systematic destruction of decorated American wrestler Pat Bennett; the bout marked a repeat of the 2010 M-1 Selection Americas tournament finals with a near identical outcome as Garner knocked out Bennett just past the one minute mark of the bout’s second frame. With the cameras rolling on his celebration, Garner quickly called out Guram

Talk is cheap in the fight game unless you back it up and Garner has been doing just that with his one-punch power that’s padded his record with five knockout wins. Hidden behind the heavy leather is also a potent submission arsenal and solid wrestling base which makes his rematch with Guram a potentially explosive outing for both men. Even though being choked unconscious by Guram in their first outing, Garner feels extremely confident; “I know where I made my mistake against Guram last time. I’m not making any mistakes this time. I’m stronger, faster and more technical. Guram better polish my belt because I’m taking it from him.”

Fans either love or hate the Port St. Lucie, Florida and American Top Team fighter but the fact remains Garner is making a name for himself in the State of Florida, who has him ranked as the #9 heavyweight. He’s dispelling critics who once saw him and his ‘in your face’ personality as just flash in the pan and proving to be the real deal, surprising fans, media and executives at every turn ; his convincing wins – three having him marked as a huge underdog – are proving that Deuce is a force to reckon with in M-1’s heavyweight division.

Prior to starting the Selections tournament, Garner’s manager, UFC veteran, Din Thomas, didn’t hold back when discussing the two early losses in Garner’s career; “He took a couple bad fights on short notice and when you take a fight without preparation – as a heavyweight – you pay the price.” Garner’s losses came at the hands of Chris Barnett and Tony Johnson Jr.; both by way of TKO in the late rounds which may have been attributed to questionable conditioning according to Thomas. In comparison, “Deuce” has shown exceptional performances when prepared as all seven of his victories have been total dominations.

Garner opened the Heavyweight brackets of the Selections tournament with a dominating victory over Matt Hopkins; from here, Garner was next slated to fight the imposing Russian favourite, Andre Kapilou, in a semi-finals bout he fighter wasn’t even given a ‘fighter’s chance’ of winning.

In the co-main event of the Semi Finals card, Garner shocked the crowd with a three-round war that neutralized Kapilou’s extensive reach and stand-up abilities. In a total reversal of predictions in front of Kapilou’s home-town crowd, Garner slid past his opponent’s striking damage-free to secure effortless take downs where the Russian’s weakness on the canvass became exposed. Without having an answer to Garner’s G&P and submissions other than a relentless will to survive, Kapilou endured the most painful 15 minutes of his fighting career with his face taking the brunt of the assault. Garner proved to doubters that he is not the one-dimensional fighter he was thought to be as he worked through three rounds to secure the unanimous decision nod from the judges.

Even with the win, Garner still wasn’t given the credibility he deserved heading into the Finals where he had another seemingly insurmountable task ahead of him: stop Pat Bennett and his proud wrestling pedigree. Not only did Garner neutralize the wrestling skills of Bennett by stuffing every takedown, he confirmed to fans why he should be considered one of the most-feared strikers in M-1’s heavyweight division.

After a brief exchange in the clinch, Garner revealed a lead hook that couldn’t miss; Bennett had no answer to the game that was being forced upon him as blow after blow crumbled his confidence and left him stumbling and disoriented. In an effort to fight back, Bennett reached for the single leg, got stuffed and ate a combination that sent him rubber-legging across the canvass and into the ropes. Although refusing to fall, Bennett was clearly unable to intelligently defend himself leaving referee ‘Big Dan’ Miragliotta with no choice but to stop the bout at 2:31 of the very first round, giving Garner and his precision striking the TKO victory.

With this win, Kenny Garner rounded out the five M-1 Selection 2010 Americas champions and was the first US fighter to be given the opportunity to fight for the M-1 Challenge championship belt in the headline bout at M-1 Challenge XXI against Guram Gugenishvili this past October in St. Petersburg, Russia.

In an eventful first round, Garner came out of the corner looking to press the action and stuffing Guram’s early takedown attempts. After being re-started when the pair broke through the ropes, Guram worked through an array of submission attempts and a wicked neck crank. Fighting from his back, Garner absorbed a left from up high which opened a gash dangerously close to his right eye, causing the referee to stall for a quick inspection by the ringside physician who gave the bout the green-light to continue. From here out, Garner worked bottom and top positions as he controlled the rest of the frame with the judges’ scorecards giving him a 10-9 round.

The tide only took 54 seconds to change as Guram dodged a looping right hand to start the second and caught the American in a head-and-arm choke; the pair then shuffled into the red corner where Guram locked in the standing guillotine and choked Garner unconscious forcing the referee to halt the bout.

Garner’s since locked that haunting memory deep within his subconscious and has come back more dangerous than ever before. Riding back-to-back wins that have resurrected momentum, he’s eager to culminate another Cinderella run by usurping the M-1 Global heavyweight championship belt. To Garner this second shot at gold is a dream come true; “I really want to thank M-1 GLOBAL,” said Garner. “I’ve been training hard and I’m not losing to Guram. I got to do better than what I’ve done before. This is MY opportunity to chase down MY belt!”

Expect a war on October 14th.

TOM GALLICCHIO VS. DANIEL MADRID OFFICIAL FOR M-1 CHALLENGE: GURAM VS GARNER 2


M-1 GLOBAL announces the addition of relentless striker Tom Gallicchio (16-6) versus submission protégé Daniel ‘Blackout’ Madrid (6-2) at the mixed martial arts (MMA) event titled M-1 Challenge: Guram vs. Garner 2. The bouts from the new 5,500 seat Grand Canyon University Arena in Phoenix, Arizona will air LIVE on SHOWTIME on Friday, October 14 at 11 p.m. ET/PT (Delayed on the West Coast).

The October 14th event is headlined with the five-round, heavyweight (265 Lbs.) championship bout between undefeated and reigning M-1 Global champion Guram Gugenishvili (11-0) and the 2010 M-1 Selection Americas Tournament heavyweight winner Kenny ‘Deuce’ Garner (7-3).

In co-main event action, M-1 Global Light Heavyweight (205 Lbs.) Champion and ADCC Submission Wrestling World Champion Vinny Magalhaes (8-5) will make his first title defense against versatile Russian fighter Mikhail Zayats (14-5).

“This is a phenomenal stylistic matchup between two extremely talented fighters,” said Evgeni Kogan, M-1 Global’s Director of operations. “Gallicchio’s fights have marked some of the most exciting battles we’ve seen; he always comes prepared and is clearly determined to earn a shot at the title. Madrid has been on our radar for some time and this is his breakout opportunity; as part of the televised card on our third SHOWTIME event, he has a tough test at hand.”

Gallicchio’s run through the 2010 M-1 Selection Americas Tournament was one of the toughest passes faced by any of the competitors; he culminated his quest with a high-light reel, rear-naked-choke (RNC) submission victory over Len Bentley. Coming off a follow up RNC victory over Christopher Curtis, Gallicchio is poised to make a run at reigning Welterweight (170 Lbs.) Champion Shamil Zavurov.

Phoenix, Arizona native Daniel Madrid makes his debut with Europe’s leading MMA promotion as the hometown favorite on a stacked televised card on premium cable network SHOWTIME. A versatile submission fighter with a near perfect finishing percentage, Madrid has run the gauntlet of local Arizona talent fighting as an amateur and is ready to compete against a higher level of competition.

ADCC Champion & M-1 Global Light Heavyweight Ace To Defend Belt Oct. 14th

Vinny Magalhaes: “I don't really know who Mikhail Zayats is… I had to Google him just to find out.”


Decorated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner, Vinny ‘Pezao’ Magalhaes (8-5) has been a tear as of late; not only has he culminated his sensational submission career with the recent gold medal at the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships, he’s also won four MMA fights in a row and has had his arm raised in six out of his last seven outings. His recent run has been nothing short of an unbridled success; Magalhaes exhibited a commanding TKO victory over undefeated Jake Doerr on M-1’s SHOWTIME, through out a slick mounted Gogoplata submission on Viktor Nemkov to capture Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion’ Light Heavyweight strap and cemented himself as one of the planet’s best submission artists. All in all that equates to one incredible year.

Magalhaes’ next trip to the ring comes October 14th as the co-main event on M-1 Global’s third US-based, televised event on SHOWTIME; standing opposite the champion will be Russia’s versatile standout fighter Mikhail Zayats. Fans can capture the joint-jacking warriors in action from the new 5,500 seat Grand Canyon University Arena in Phoenix, Arizona LIVE on SHOWTIME starting at 11 p.m. ET/PT (Delayed on the West Coast).

Establishing himself as a dominant fighter, the three time BJJ world champion and ADCC Submission Wrestling World Champion has showcased an incredible evolution; a dominant performance over Jake Doerr which ended with a first-round TKO win was ample evidence that Magalhaes is well on his way to becoming an MMA superstar. A follow up performance against Viktor Nemkov for the vacant M-1 Global light heavyweight championship marked one of the greatest submissions of the year – a mounted Gogoplata neck-crank. And the crowning jewel was his incredible victory over Fabricio Werdum at the recent ADCC’s. It’s quite easy to say that Vinny Magalhaes is hitting his full potential in stride.

In his first outing with M-1 Global this past December, Magalhaes executed an impressive inverted triangle submission for the victory over Alihan Magomedov, an excellent performance to mark his return to the ring after being sidelined for the better portion of 2010 while rehabbing from knee surgery. The win caught the attention of the M-1 Global executive team who offered up a six-fight contract with Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion; the battle with Doerr marked the slick submission specialist’s first trip into the ring under the new 2-year deal.

As a world-class BJJ expert who owns a Black Belt under instructors Vinicius Aieta and Royler Gracie, Magalhaes currently trains and teaches at the Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he’s dedicated to evolving his skills in Wrestling, Muay Thai and Boxing; with a versatile arsenal, Magalhaes has every opportunity to become one of the world’s best light heavyweight fighters and a marquee name for the M-1 Global promotion.

2009 marked an impressive year for Magalhaes at the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, where he took home a pair of bronze medals in the Under 99 kg and Absolute Divisions. On his way to win the bronze in his weight Division, Magalhaes defeated BJJ World Champion Rodrigo Cavaca, the 2003 ADCC World Champion and two-time BJJ Absolute World Champion, Marcio Cruz, ADCC Brazil Trial Winner Glover Teixeira; the quest for gold ended with a loss by points to the eventual Champion Xande Ribeiro.

On his run for his second bronze, Magalhaes beat the 2005 ADCC Absolute World Champion Dean Lister by Judges Decision, moving on to the Quarter-Finals against the two-time NCAA Wrestler and MMA Prospect Chris Weidman, who he beat with his patented ‘Flying Armbar’; the semi-final match against Braulio Estima ended with Magalhaes losing by points. In the 3rd Place match, Vinny scored a late takedown against Gunnar Nelson which guaranteed the win.

2011 came together for Magalhaes who achieved his dreams with the gold medal match win over Fabricio Werdum at the World’s ‘Holy Grail’ of submission tournament’s Over 99Kg bracket.

A recognizable figure to the North American fan base, Magalhaes was part of the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter where he went on to defeat Lance Evans, Jules Bruchez and Krzysztof Soszynski, advancing to the TUF finals against Ryan Bader where he lost by TKO.

Now sitting as the king of M-1 Global’s 205-pound division, Magalhaes is making preparations for the short trip to Phoenix, Arizona where he intends to seize another unprecedented victory over the extremely competitive Zayats.

YASUBEY ENOMOTO VS. JOSH THORPE OFFICIAL FOR M-1 CHALLENGE: GURAM VS GARNER 2 - LIVE ON SHOWTIME


M-1 GLOBAL announces the addition of Sengoku veteran Yasubey Enomoto (7-3) versus dangerous wrestler Josh Thorpe (10-4) for a Welterweight (170 Lbs.) bout at the mixed martial arts (MMA) event titled M-1 Challenge: Guram vs. Garner 2. The bouts from the new 5,500 seat Grand Canyon University Arena in Phoenix, Arizona will air LIVE on SHOWTIME on Friday, October 14 at 11 p.m. ET/PT (Delayed on the West Coast).

The October 14th event is headlined with the five-round, heavyweight (265 Lbs.) championship bout between undefeated and reigning M-1 Global champion Guram Gugenishvili (11-0) and the 2010 M-1 Selection Americas Tournament heavyweight winner Kenny ‘Deuce’ Garner (7-3).

In co-main event action, M-1 Global Light Heavyweight (205 Lbs.) Champion and ADCC Submission Wrestling World Champion Vinny Magalhaes (8-5) will make his first title defense against versatile Russian fighter Mikhail Zayats (14-5).

"This should be a very exciting matchup between two well-rounded and exciting fighters" - said Evgeni Kogan, M-1 Global's Director of operations. "Enomoto put on an impressive performance at the M-1 Ukraine European Battle this past June and is determined to win his way back to a title shot. Thorpe is a skilled wrestler and grappler and will be extremely motivated to win since he’s coming off a defeat earlier in the year. Both fighters need to prove themselves and both know that leaving it up to the judges is not an option".

Enomoto (Enomoto Dojo, Zurich, Switzerland) is coming off a majority decision win over Rafal Moks at the M-1 Global Ukraine European Battle in June; prior to that he stepped in as a last minute replacement for an injured Rashid Magomedov to compete against M-1 Welterweight champion Shamil Zavurov. Taking the fight on eight days notice, Enomoto lost via unanimous decision in a full five round battle. “I’m going after that title one way or another and next in my path is Thorpe,” said Enomoto. “Zavurov has my belt. I asked him to give it to me once and he didn’t let me take it. Looks like I’ll have to work a bit harder to get to it. Winning over Josh Thorpe is a step closer. I watched two of his fights and he looks like a pretty solid stand up guy with good takedowns. This will be a good fight and I look forward to it.”

Mobile, Alabama native Josh Thorpe (Port City MMA) lands himself in front of the largest live audience of his career. “This is a big opportunity for me,” said Thorpe. “Enomoto is a skilled fighter but I think he’s in for a surprise when we meet on October 14th. I’m training hard for this and I’m not about to let this opportunity slip away.”