Magalhaes Inks Six-fight Deal with M-1 Global

[keithlewis]

With his impressive submission victory over Alihan Magomedov in his first outing with M-1 Global this past December, Brazilian jiu jitsu ace, Vinny Magalhaes, has officially signed a six-fight contract with the European mixed martial arts promotion; details on the slick submission specialists first trip into the ring under the new 2-year deal will be announced shortly.

“M-1 Global is looking to expand its roster with fighters who are at the top of their game and Vinny is by far one of the best submission experts on the planet. The skills he possesses are unparalleled,” says Evgeni Kogan, Director of Operations for M-1 Global. “With the growth that M-1 Global is going through, extending a long-term contract to Magalhaes is the right thing to do for us a promotion. We have expectations that Vinny will become one of the greatest fighters in the world and are proud to have him on board.”

The three time BJJ world champion was quick to discuss his excitement on the signing as well. “I’m excited to get into the ring as soon as possible. Thank you to M-1 Global for providing me this great opportunity.”

Magalhaes’ manager, Juan Sanchez, was also eager to discuss the new contract. "During the entire contract negotiations M-1 has been extremely patient and easy to deal with. I want to fist thank M-1 Global’s Evgeni Kogan and Vadim Finkelchtein for giving Vinny the opportunity to showcase his skills inside the M-1 ring. M-1 has the reputation for finding and showcasing fighters with great skills and today's signing proves that point. We are very excited and look forward to what the future brings with M-1 Global.

Magalhaes has also been instrumental in educating some of Europe’s top prospects and M-1Global’s upcoming stable of young fighters by leading a training seminar in Saint Petersburg, Russia late last year. Talking about his experience, ‘Pezao’ was quick to point out the determination his pupils possessed. “I’ve trained in Japan, Brazil, the United States and now Russia, one thing that I can say is that the Russian fighters were some of the most intense guys that I have ever been around. It’s clear they don’t have the same resources we have in the U.S.A. but that doesn’t change how tough they can be. Some of those guys were literally training 8 hours a day.”

Announcements on Magalhaes’ first bout under his new contract will be released shortly.

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.