Team USA West Roster set for M-1 Challenge

[keithlewis]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

Colin Oyama-led Team USA West Roster set for "M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction" Opener on Feb. 21...


Amsterdam, Holland - The five man squad for Team USA West's entry into the 2009 "M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction" has been finalized with one injury replacement set at lightweight and the team's welterweight representative having been signed.

The "M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction," a international team competition that bills itself as the "World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts," is slated to hold its 2009 season opener on Feb. 21 at the Emerald Queen Casino near Seattle, Washington. Tickets are currently available at Ticketmaster.com (search keyword: M-1 Challenge).

The opener will feature three head-to-head matchups for a total of 15 fights with returning champions Russia Imperial Team (formerly known as Russian Red Devil) taking on South Korea in addition to Team USA West's debut vs. Team Brazil Naja.

Team USA West is poised to bring a title back to America with a roster featuring a slew of blue chip prospects. The team's roster was recently finalized after previously announced Affliction veteran Bobby Green having been replaced by Brian Cobb as the team's lightweight representative. Additionally, Dylan Clay has been signed to assume the team's previously vacant slot at welterweight.

Coached by Colin Oyama and co-owned by renowned California-based promoter Roy Engelbrecht and M-1 USA Vice President of Legal Affairs Steve Bash, the team is rounded out by the previously announced Carl Seumanutafa (heavyweight), Raphael Davis (light heavyweight), and Reggie Orr (middleweight).

"Roy and I are excited to have Team USA West debut on February 21st at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma," said Bash. "The '2009 M-1 Challenge Presented By Affliction' will provide our west coast fighters international fame and recognition as they wage battle all over the globe and are seen by millions of viewers.

"With fighters like Brian 'The Bandit' Cobb who is on a nine fight win streak, Reggie Orr who is on a four fight win streak, undefeated 5-0 prospect Dylan Clay, former IFL fighter Raphael Davis, and EliteXC alum Carl Seumanutafa, we look forward to a big team win against the Brazilians. Our head coach Colin Oyama and matchmaker Arnold Berber have put together a great team for the first Challenge and a strong reserve team that will help carry us into the 'M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction' Finals."

Born in Samoa, Seumanutafa moved to the U.S. at the age of 12. After having trouble adjusting to life in a new country and from his freshman to junior years in high school, Seumanutafa began to get into trouble on a routine basis and frequently found himself involved in street fights.

On the verge of dropping out of high school, Seumanutafa began to participate in American sports such as shotput, football, and freestyle wrestling. It's wrestling that Seaumanutafa credits for helping him turn his life around.

Seaumanutafa continued to wrestle after high school and would eventually take up jiu-jitsu in May of 2006. Despite being relatively new to the sport of MMA, Seumanutafa has accumulated a 4-1 record and has already competed twice for EliteXC, first during the undercard of CBS' Saturday Night Fights on July 26 and then again during a ShoXC event this past September.

A standout amateur wrestler who pushed for a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, Cobb has a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education and Kinesiology (the study of the body and human movement) from Cal State-Bakersfield.

Cobb is currently the Palace Fighting Championships lightweight champion and was recently featured in Sherdog.com's "Prospect Watch" series. The 28-year old has accumulated an impressive 15-4 record during his four and half year MMA career and holds notable wins over M-1 Challenge veteran David Gardner and former UFC lightweight competitor Diego Saraiva.

The Hawaiian-based Clay has competed for X-1 and Ultimate Cage Warriors. A top welterweight prospect, he is 5-0 with all of his wins having ended inside of the second round via submission or TKO. With notable wins over Ronald Jhun and Kimo Wolfel, Clay will look to increase his profile courtesy of the M-1 Challenge's global television platform.

Orr, 7-5-1, gained national exposure earlier this year when he was selected for the preliminary 32-member cast for the seventh season of the hit Spike TV reality show The Ultimate Fighter. A long-time King of the Cage veteran, the 25-year old Orr comes to the M-1 Challenge having won his past four fights.

Davis, 3-1, is a former veteran of the now-defunct International Fight League. He is perhaps best known for his verbal submission victory last March over TUF 8 light heavyweight runner-up Vinny Magalhaes.

Team USA West also stands to be one of the deepest in this year's competition with EliteXC veterans Shane Del Rosario and Giva "The Arm Collector" Santana lined up as alternates along with Affliction veterans Ray Lizama and Fabio "Negao" Nascimento.

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