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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

M-1 GLOBAL OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCES JULY 4 M-1 CHALLENGE EVENT IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

Amsterdam, Holland - M-1 Global (http://www.M-1Global.com) officials officially announced Wednesday that the sixth installment of the 2009 "M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction" will take place on Saturday, July 4 in Seoul, South Korea.

M-1's international crew and staff will accompany a troupe of 30 fighters representing six different countries as they prepare to go head-to-head in three separate best-of-five series'.

Slated to headline the event will be host country South Korea, which is currently third the M-1 Challenge's Group B division with a 1-1 team record and a 3-7 individual record. Led by middleweight sensation Jae Young Kim, South Korea will attempt to defend its home turf vs. Team Brazil.

Currently the second place team in Group B, Brazil not only wants to win the team challenge vs. South Korea but also has its eye on a dominant victory so that it can position itself to supplant Group leader USA West in hopes of rallying to make the post-season.

Kim, who sent shock waves through the M-1 Challenge following his upset over Team Imperial's Mikhail Zayats during the '09 M-1 Challenge opener this past February, is set to take on Leandro Silva, 13-5.

Silva made a successful M-1 Challenge debut this past May in Sao Paulo, where he recorded a unanimous decision victory over Team Imperial's Dmitry Samoilov.

In addition, the other four fighters who contributed to Brazil's 5-0 rout over Imperial this past May are all returning. At lightweight, undefeated prospect Hacran Dias (11-0-1) will take on South Korea's Yui Chul Nam.

Dias holds notable wins in his career over Marcos dos Santos and Marcio Soares and won his M-1 Challenge debut against Imperial's Amirkhan Mazihov following a first round submission victory courtesy of a rear naked choke.

At welterweight for Brazil will be its unofficial captain, former IFL superfight competitor Eduardo Pamplona. One of the most charismatic fighters currently competing in Brazil, Pamplona has seen his record improve to 11-2 by going 2-0 in the M-1 Challenge this season. Pamplona TKO'd USA West's Dylan Clay during the '09 season opener and recorded a majority decision vs. BodogFIGHT veteran Erik Oganov in May.

The light heavyweight division will see South Korea's Doo Hee Lee make the move down from heavyweight in order to take on Brazil's Alexander Machado. Machado made his professional debut during the May M-1 Challenge event and shocked pundits by recording a unanimous decision upset over Zayats.

With Lee shifting to light heavyweight, it has cleared the way for South Korea to add a fighter who is perhaps the country's greatest heavyweight prospect, Hae Joon Yang. Since turning pro, Yang has accumulated a 2-0 record with both wins coming by way of first round TKO. One of those wins took place against his fellow countryman and teammate, Lee.

The man looking to hand Yang his first professional loss is Brazilian heavyweight Joaquim Ferreira, a fighter that is no stranger to handing rising prospects their first career loss. With an impressive record in his own right of 8-2, Ferreira submitted previously-unbeaten Russian heavyweight prospect Maxim Grishin in May and is the only fighter ever to defeat current UFC heavyweight sensation Junior dos Santos.

In addition to the South Korea vs. Brazil headlining challenge match, the July 4 M-1 Challenge event will also see Team USA West take on Russia Imperial while Bulgaria will face Finland. Complete rosters and matchups for both fights will be revealed in the coming days on http://www.M-1Global.com.

The initial lineup is as follows:

South Korea vs. Brazil

Lightweight (-70 kg/154 lbs.) - Nam Yui Chul (KOR) vs. Hacran Dias (BRA)
Welterweight (-76 kg/167.2 lbs.) - Do Hyung Kim (KOR) vs. Eduardo Pamplona (BRA)
Middleweight (-84 kg/184.8 lbs.) - Jae Young Kim (KOR) vs. Leandro Silva (BRA)
Light Heavyweight (-93 kg/204.6 lbs.) - Doo Hee Lee (KOR) vs. Alexander Machado (BRA)
Heavyweight (+93 kg/+ 204.6 lbs.) - Hae Joon Yang (KOR) vs. Joaquim Ferreira (BRA)

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TEAM USA WEST SET TO FACE NEXT GENERATION RUSSIA IMPERIAL DURING M-1 CHALLENGE SOUTH KOREA ON JULY 4

Amsterdam, Holland -- While friends and family will be back at home in the U.S. celebrating the Fourth of July Holiday at BBQs and fireworks displays, Team USA West will find itself amerced in a best-of-five series with Team Russia Imperial in Seoul, South Korea.

And when the 2009 "M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction" (http://www.M-1Global.com) resumes with its "Sixth Edition" inside the Seoul Arena, Group B leading USA West (2-0 in team challenges and 8-2 overall individually) will find itself going head-to-head with an Imperial team that will not feature a single member from its 2008 M-1 Challenge Championship team.

After beginning its '09 campaign with two team losses, Fedor Emelianenko's Imperial team has made wholesale changes as it looks to unearth its next generation of superstars looking to follow in the footsteps of Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, and Kirill Sidelnikov.

While lightweight Mikhail Malyutin and heavyweight Alexey Oleinik were absent from Team Imperial in Brazil in May, the team still retained three holdovers from last year's squad with welterweight Erik Oganov, middleweight Dmitry Samoilov, and light heavyweight Mikhail Zayats. But Zayats, Samoilov, and Oganov will all be sitting out July's challenge in order to create roster space for rising prospects Marat Ilaev (welterweight), Radmir Gabdulin (middleweight), and Viktor Nemkov (light heavyweight).

Illaev, Gabdullin, and Nemkov will join holdovers Amirkhan Mazikhov and Maksim Grishin as Imperial faces a USA West team with its sights set on clinching a semifinal berth in the '09 M-1 Challenge post-season along with its first-ever Group title.

Not looking to coast into the playoffs, four of five fighters that helped USA West to its 4-1 win over South Korea in Japan this past April will be back, with light heavyweight Raphael Davis the lone fighter from the roster not set to compete on July 4.

However, team owners Steve Bash and Roy Engelbrecht have gone out and recruited King of the Cage light heavyweight champion Tony Lopez (12-2) to step up as a replacement against Nemkov, who has compiled a 4-0 record competing in M-1 Challenge events and earned his spot on the Imperial roster by going 2-0 in the M-1 Selections.

Returning at lightweight for USA West will be rising lightweight prospect David Jansen, who improved to 11-0 following his unanimous decision victory over Yui Chul Nam during April's M-1 Challenge event in Japan. The Team Quest member has already fought three times this year with his other wins having come against BodogFIGHT veteran Matt Lee as well as Rio Heroes alum Flavio Alvaro.

Representing USA West at welterweight will be Fabio "Negao" Nascimento. Nascimento, a decorated jiu-jitsu black belt, improved to 9-4 following his majority decision victory over Myeon Ho Bae in his M-1 Challenge debut this past April in Japan. Negao will look to move his M-1 Challenge record to 2-0 when he faces Ilaev, who was promoted from Imperial's Selection roster to its Challenge roster following last month's first round submission over Havazh Beldurov.

USA West's middleweight slot will once again be manned by Giva "The Arm Collector" Santana (12-1), who recorded an astonishing eleventh career victory via armbar during his M-1 Challenge debut this past April against South Korea's Min Suk Heo. The former member of the Brazilian Armed Forces, Santana will take on Gabdulin, a 4-1 fighter who has recorded all of his wins via submission despite his reputation for possessing outstanding Muay Thai skills.

Despite having dual contract with Strikeforce and M-1, former EliteXC veteran Shane Del Rosario will once again compete for USA West as its designated heavyweight. The professional Muay Thai fighter improved to 6-0 in his MMA caeer following his first round knockout over Dool Hee Lee in Japan this past April.

In addition to the best-of-five series between Group B rivals USA West and Russia Imperial, the remainder of Group B will be in action as host country South Korea takes on Brazil Naja while Group C teams Finland and Bulgaria will square off.

The current lineup for the July 4 event is as follows:

USA West vs. Russia Imperial -

Lightweight (-70 kg/154 lbs.) - Dave Jansen (USA) vs. Amirkhan Mazikhov (RUS)
Welterweight (-76 kg/167.2 lbs.) - Fabio Nasicmento (USA) vs. Marat Ilaev (RUS)
Middleweight (-84 kg/184.8 lbs.) - Giva Santana (USA) vs. Radmir Gabdulin (RUS)
Light Heavyweight (-93 kg/204.6 lbs.) - Tony Lopez (USA) vs. Viktor Nemkov (RUS)
Heavyweight (+93 kg/+ 204.6 lbs.) - Shane Del Rosario (USA) vs. Maksim Grishin (RUS)

South Korea vs. Brazil -

Lightweight (-70 kg/154 lbs.) - Nam Yui Chul (KOR) vs. Hacran Dias (BRA)
Welterweight (-76 kg/167.2 lbs.) - Do Hyung Kim (KOR) vs. Eduardo Pamplona (BRA)
Middleweight (-84 kg/184.8 lbs.) - Jae Young Kim (KOR) vs. Daniel Acacio (BRA)
Light Heavyweight (-93 kg/204.6 lbs.) - Doo Hee Lee (KOR) vs. Alexander Machado (BRA)
Heavyweight (+93 kg/+ 204.6 lbs.) - Hae Joon Yang (KOR) vs. Joaquim Ferreira (BRA)

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