M-1 Challenge XXV: Zavurov vs. Enomoto - Updates

[Keithlewis]

Zayats in Search of Quad at M-1 Challenge XXV: Zavurov vs. Magomedov II


Karachev, Russia native Mikhail Zayats has been quietly re-establishing himself as a contending light heavyweight fighter in his recent outings inside the ring of Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion with seized victories on the stacked undercards of both M-1 Global Challenge events in 2010. Using his armbar submission victory over Toni Valtonen as a spring board, Zayats anchored back-to-back rear naked choke wins to sit on top of a three fight win streak, silencing critics who were quick to dub the Russian a fallen hero after a disappointing 1-4 skid through 2009. Standing with an overall professional mixed martial arts record of 13-5, his bout on April 28th against French fighter Malik Merad will be a defining moment in his career as a fourth consecutive win would land him in title contention. Fans can catch the full card LIVE at 11am EST / 8am PST on the official M-1 Global website, www.M-1Global.com and M-1 Global facebook fan page.

Fighting out of the famous Red Devil Sports Club, home to the great Fedor Emelianenko and countless other notables, Zayats was once the team’s ‘next rising star’. Making his professional MMA debut with a unanimous decision nod over Christophe Durant in October 2006, Zayats went on a tear as he demolished competition with his slick submission skills. During this rising run, one of Zayats’ standout performances came against Lucio ‘Spartan’ Linhares at M-1 Challenge 4: "Battle on the Neva 2". The pair put forth an exciting back-and-forth show with Zayats walking away with an extremely close decision.

There is no questioning Mikhail Zayats is capable of performing as a top-level fighter; he is extremely tough and brings an exciting, explosive skill set into the ring. Although recognized as more of a submission specialist, Zayats possess a hard-hitting striking arsenal which he effectively uses to drop his opponents to the canvass. Once on the mat, Zayats’ dominance is captivating as he can submit the competition at will, proving time and time again that the confidence in his abilities stems from a solid ground game.

His last outing against the stalky and stout Greco-Roman wrestler, David ‘Square’ Tkeshelashvili in front of a capacity crowd at the Druzhba Arena in Moscow, Russia, Zayats resembled the poised fighter many remember. The pair came out to centre and vied for an opportunity to strike first. It was Tkeshelashvili who drove for the single-leg and ate a shot for his efforts; unwavering to get the fight to mat, Tkeshelashvili then secured a tight clinch and worked back-to-back suplexes that Zayats defended well, placing him in an offensive top position that exposed Tkeshelashvili suspect submission defense.

As Zayats worked into mount, a frustrated Tkeshelashvili escaped momentarily before giving up his back. Recognizing the escape as a sign of inexperience, Zayats quickly sunk in the rear naked choke and the bout was halted at 2:26 of the opening frame.

With the win, Zayats appears to have shaken off his 2009 three-fight skid and currently sits on a reversal of his own riding a three fight streak and going 4-1 over the last 12 months; a good sign of things to come from the now 13-5 Alexander Nevsky team fighter who is doing all he can to raise the value of his stock. 2011 is prime to be a great year for Zayats if he can keep on the tear.

Fans can watch Zayats battle it out against Merad from inside the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on Thursday, April 28 at 11am EST / 8am PST by tuning in to the official live stream on M-1 Global website, www.M-1Global.com and M-1 Global facebook fan page at 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST.

[Keithlewis]

[Keithlewis]

Juanma Suarez Invades M-1 Challenge XXV: Zavurov vs. Magomedov II


Much like his M-1 Challenge XXV 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 6-0 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 Thursday April 28th, Juanma will see more frequent trips inside the confines of the 5-rope ring as a promising contender for the welterweight belt. Catch the action LIVE at 11am EST / 8am PST on the official M-1 Global website, www.M-1Global.com and M-1 Global facebook fan page.

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 directly 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 XXV 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.

[Keithlewis]

Arsen Temirkhanov: Stealth Submissionist Hits M-1 Challenge XXV


Creeping under the radar of the entire North American continent, Russian welterweight fighter, Arsen Temirkhanov has amassed an 8-1 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 undercard of M-1 Challenge XXV: Zavurov vs. Magomedov II. Temirkhanov will face undefeated Juan Manuel Suarez on Thursday April 28th. Fans can capture his versatile and potent submission arsenal LIVE on Thursday, April 28 at 11am EST / 8am PST on the official M-1 Global website, www.M-1Global.com and M-1 Global facebook fan page.

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.

[Keithlewis]

[Keithlewis]

Heavyweights Grishin and Kuchenko Face Off at M-1 Challenge XXV


With time ticking down to M-1 Challenge XXV: Zavurov vs. Magomedov 2 on April 28th, Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, M-1 Global, adds heavyweights Maxim Grishin and Vladimir Kuchenko to a card generating worldwide attention. Fans can capture all the action from the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, LIVE online on the official M-1 Global website, www.M-1Global.com and M-1 Global facebook fan page starting at 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST on Thursday April 28th.

Red Devil Sports Club fighter Maxim Grishin is aiming to rebound after a tough loss to M-1’s undefeated heavyweight champion Guram Gugenishvili in his last outing this past March; Grishin was forced to tap due to being caught in a suffocating rear-naked-choke inside the title bout’s opening round. Kuchenko is making his return with M-1 Global a mission to put his fighting career back on track and build some much needed momentum.



M-1 Challenge XXV Under Card:

Alexander Kosarev (1-2) vs. TBA Heavyweight (205+ Lbs.)



M-1 Challenge XXV Main Card (Streaming Live):

Maxim Grishin (7-5) vs. Vladimir Kuchenko (4-8-1) Heavyweight

Mikhail Zayats (13-5) vs. Malik Merad (10-6) Light Heavyweight (205 Lbs)

Arsen Temirkhanov (8-1) vs. Juanma Suarez (6-0) Welterweight (170 Lbs)

Murad Magomedov (6-6) vs. Ramzan Algeriev (1-0) Middleweight (185 Lbs)

Alexander Volkov (10-3) vs. Denis Goltsov (2-2) Heavyweight

Alexander Yakovlev (10-3) vs. Christian Eckerlin (6-0) Welterweight

Andrei Semenov (29-9-2) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (22-8) Middleweight

* Additional bouts to be announced


Welterweight Championship Bout:

Shamil Zavurov, M-1 Challenge Champion (19-1) clashes with Rashid Magomedov (8-1)



Light Heavyweight Championship Bout:

Vinny Magalhaes (7-5) battles Viktor Nemkov (10-2) for the vacant 205-pound strap



M-1 Challenge XXV Video Teasers:

[Keithlewis]

Denis Goltsov Steps In at M-1 Challenge XXV: Zavurov vs. Magomedov 2, Nothing to Lose In His Late-Replacement Opportunity


On April 28thth at M-1 Challenge XXV: Zavurov vs. Magomedov 2 in St. Petersburg, Russia, 20 year old, Combat Sambo specialist Denis Goltsov makes his second venture inside the ring of Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, M-1 Global. Given the daunting task of facing Red Devil Sports Club stand-out Alexander Volkov, Goltsov is keen on leaving everything on the canvass in an opportunity where he stands to gain considerable recognition with a win and absolutely nothing to lose in defeat. Catch the heavyweight action by tuning-in to the official live stream on M-1 Global website, www.M-1Global.com at 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST.

Possessing the title ‘Master of Sport’ in both Combat Sambo and Boxing, Goltsov has had mixed results as a professional mixed martial artist going 2-2 since making his successful debut only six months ago but this isn’t stopping the remarkable Russian from attaining his goal of becoming a great fighter. The future is extremely promising for Goltsov and he has earned the support of the St. Petersburg fans since winning the city’s Boxing and Combat Sambo championships. He has a great Sambo base and his striking continues to improve with every outing however the only challenge Goltsov will face is fighting much larger opponents in the heavyweight division, tipping the scales near the 215-pound mark.

Goltsov has shown stunning glimmers of the potential he possesses; his two victories over Marat Aliaskhabov and Ilya Dzhadugishvili showcased great versatility, locking in an inescapable armbar and issuing a dominating first-round TKO. His pair of defeats can be chalked up to inexperience defending submissions but his coaches are committed to teaching him the skills needs for Goltsov to evolve into one of Russia’s top prospects.

The bout against Volkov marks a step up in competition against an opponent with considerably more MMA experience; this aspiring fighter will look to leverage his Combat Sambo skills and execute the best fight of his career while dealing with his opponent’s lengthy reach advantage. Expect this battle to be a fight between two strikers packing iron in their fists and granite in their shins with Goltsov having nothing to lose as the definitive underdog.

[Keithlewis]

A Star is Rising at Team MMA Spirit: Undefeated Christian Eckerlin Brings Intensity into his M-1 Global Debut


Rising MMA phenom, Christian Eckerlin, is doing all he can to make an immediate impression within M-1 Global’s talented roster of welterweight fighters. Eckerlin will face the ferocious Alexander Yakovlev in his first out with Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion on April 28th at M-1 Challenge XXV: Zavurov vs. Magomedov 2. The battle can be captured LIVE starting at 11am EST / 8am PST on the official M-1 Global website, http://www.M-1Global.com and M-1 Global facebook fan page.

Fighting out of Frankfurt, Germany and Team MMA Spirit, home to training partner and M-1 Global lightweight title contender Daniel Weichel, 24 year old Christian Eckerlin has quickly racked up a perfect 6-0 record since making his professional debut in September of 2009; with a trio of submission and KO/TKO wins under his belt, Eckerlin fits M-1 Global’s mold of ‘finishing’ fighters perfectly. His last two outings have been impressive to say the least, seizing victory over Sebastian Baron with a one-punch knockout inside the contest’s opening minute and a systematic destruction of Piotr Hallman that went into the championship rounds; these two tilts are significant in the fact that they reveal Ecklerlin’s power and endurance are evolving with each round clocked.

Eckerlin brings an amped-up energy into each of his battles; his striking is razor sharp with pin-point accuracy and he has a sneaky, devastating left-hook. He shows a veteran’s patience that he leverages when launching an effective counter arsenal and has a keen eye for controlling ring position that enables his highly entertaining fighting style to push the action and pace.

Growing up, Eckerlin began playing soccer at age seven. Playing as a Left Back, he earned a spot on the pro squad of Darmstadt 98 when he was only 17, playing for their first team in the "Regionalliga". His first foray into martial arts came a year previous when he began training with a friend as part of the Magic Box Team. After a few years of daunting training as a dual-sport athlete, this young aspiring fighter quickly found that managing the pair of commitments became overly exhausting and he made the crucial decision at 20 years of age to quit soccer and fully engage in martial arts.

A naturally gifted athlete, Eckerlin quickly evolved into an accomplished boxer, becoming the amateur "Saarland" champion, but he still yearned to venture into mixed martial arts; it was just last year that he debuted in his first two pro MMA bouts against more-experienced opposition, winning in impressive fashion with back-to-back submissions. Feeding his hunger to improve, he’s made two trips to train with Erik Paulson´s CSW camp, where his toughness and talent have been tested, and has even begun training with UFC lightweight fighter, Dennis Siver.

Even though still only in the dawn of his career, German MMA fans are placing extremely lofty expectations on Eckerlin and consider him to be ‘the next big star’ coming out of Europe. He remains unbeaten and continues to impress the German media with his natural compatibility with the ferocity of fighting; this fighter isn’t afraid to clock the countless hours of training necessary to evolve into a budding star and has the tenacity and dedication to achieve his goals.

His first outing with M-1 Global presents an awesome opportunity for his hard work and dedication to pay off as he elevates his awareness to the worldwide fan base tuning to the event’s live stream.

The bout at M-1 Challenge on April 28th marks a step up in competition and represents the greatest test in his young career as a fighter; should he be able to control Yakovlev and walk out with a stoppage, expect Eckerlin to make a repeat entrance inside the confines of the five-rope ring in the very near future as he’ll look to parlay a string of wins and clamour up the contention ladder.


Christian Eckerlin Promo Video: