TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents an action-packed live M-1 Global doubleheader from Harbin, China tomorrow, Thursday, June 15, starting with M-1 Selection 12 at 7 a.m. ET followed by M-1 Challenge 80: Battle in the Celestial Empire 2 at 9 a.m. ET, headlined by an explosive heavyweight slugfest pitting Russian great Sergei Kharitonov (24-6) against fellow Pride Fighting Championships, Strikeforce and Bellator veteran Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (18-17).

Starting at 9 a.m. ET live on Fight Network in Canada, M-1 Challenge 80: Battle in the Celestial Empire 2 will also feature a clash for the M-1 featherweight championship, as Ivan Buchinger (31-5) takes on Russia’s Timur Nagibin (9-2). In other featured matchups, Russian featherweight Mikhail Korobkov (10-2-1) faces Chinese fan favorite Asikerbai Jinensibieke (12-5), Chinese featherweight Musu Nuertiebieke (8-1) welcomes India‘s Sascha Sharma (13-3) into enemy turf and battle-tested Ukrainian veteran Alexander Butenko (43-12-2) tangles with Australian welterweight Corey Nelson (20-6-1).

Starting at 7 a.m. ET live on Fight Network in Canada, the U.S. and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, the M-1 Selection 12 fight card includes an intriguing light heavyweight showdown between Brazil’s Carlos Eduardo (15-4) and undefeated German Rene Hoppe (7-0), plus Russia’s Artem Kazbanov (7-1) meets Pakistan’s Nosherwan Khanzada (3-5) in a middleweight bout, while Chinese trio Huyixibai (1-0), Kuerbanjiang (1-1) and Fu KangKang (4-4) are paired up against Georgia’s Ibragim Navruzov (3-0), Ukraine’s Maksim Melnik (3-3) and Russia’s Adam Tsurov (6-6), respectively.

Coming up this weekend, Fight Network delivers more live mixed martial arts from across the globe, anchored by the stacked main card for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: HOLM vs. CORREIA from Singapore this Saturday, June 17 at 8 a.m. ET, airing live on Fight Network across Canada. In the main event, former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm (10-3) looks to right her ship in her 135-pound return opposite Brazilian banger and former title challenger Bethe Correia (10-2-1). Former UFC heavyweight champion and No. 8 heavyweight contender Andrei Arlovski (25-14) is featured in the co-main event against fast-rising Polish star and No. 13-ranked Marcin Tybura (15-2). Rounding out the four-bout main card, top welterweights in pursuit of their fourth consecutive victory will collide when South Korean judoka and No. 7-ranked Dong Hyun Kim (22-3-1) battles American Top Team product Colby Covington (11-1), while former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos (25-9) makes his long awaited welterweight debut against No. 11 contender Tarec Saffiedine (16-6). The event will re-air in its entirety at 6 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET.

On Friday, June 16 at 6 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents a live broadcast of TKO 39: Ultimatum in Canada, emanating from St. Roch, Quebec. The 16-bout card is headlined by a pivotal featherweight matchup pairing Ontario-based featherweight William Romero (10-5) against top Quebec prospect Charles Jourdain (4-0). The card will also showcase the entertaining Laramie brothers, as featherweight T.J. Laramie (5-2) takes on American Jimmy Spicuzza (7-4), while bantamweight Tony Laramie (3-0) meets Louis Jourdain (3-1). Meanwhile, middleweight Strahinja Gavrilovic (5-4) will make his return against Fritz Paul (10-4) and undefeated Brazilian welterweight Davis dos Santos (3-0) battles Frenchman Yacine Bandaoui (7-6).

Canadian viewers can take advantage of Fight Network’s free preview on cable carriers across the country to see all the live events this June.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

MAIN EVENT – HEAVYWEIGHTS — 3 X 5
(L) Sergei “The Paratrooper” Kharitonov (24-6-0, M-1: 3-0-0), Russia 266 ½ lbs.
vs.
(R) “The African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (11-5-0, M-1: 2-1-0), USA 230 lbs.

M-1 CHALLENGE FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSIP – 5 X 5
(L)Ivan “Buki” Buchinger(31-5-0, M-1: 6-1-0), Champion, Slovakia 144 lbs.
vs.
(R) Timur Nagibin (9-2-0, M-1: 5-1-0), Challenger, Russia 144 lbs.

FEATHERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Sascha Sharma (12-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Germany 143 lbs.
vs.
Muso “Iron King” Nuertiebieke (7-2-0, M-1: 0-0-0), China 146 lbs.

WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Alexander “Iron Capture” Butenko (43-12-0, M-1: 9-2-0), Ukraine 165 lbs.
vs.
Corey “Major” Nelson (18-6-1, M-1: 0-0-0), Spain 168 lbs.

FEATHERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Mikhail Korobov (10-2-1, M-1: 0-2-1), Russia, 143 lbs.
vs.
Asirkebai Jinensibieke (12-4-0, M-1: 0-0-0), China 146 lbs.

PRELIMINARY CARD

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Rene Hoppe (7-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Germany 204 lbs.
vs.
Carlos “Cachorrao” Eduardo (15-4-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Brazil 204 lbs.

MIDDLEWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Arten Kazbanov (7-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Russia 185 lbs.
vs.
Nosherwan “Savage” Khanzada (3-3-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Pakistan 184 ½ lbs.

BANTAMWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Huyixibai Huyixibai (14-4-0, M-1: 0-0-0), China 135 lbs.
vs.
Ibragim Navruzov (3-0-1, M-1: 0-0-1), Georgia 132 lbs.

WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Kuerbanjiang Tuluosibake (1-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0, China 169 ½ lbs.
vs.
Makim “Man Max” Melnik (3-3-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Ukraine 167 lbs.

LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Adam Tsurov (6-5-0, M-1: 5-2-0), Russia 154 ½ lbs.
vs.
Kangkang Fu (4-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0), China 153 lbs.

Go here for more weigh-in pictures:
http://www.mixfight.ru/news/2017/6/14/Resulytaty_ceremonii_vzveshvaniya_pered_M_1_Challenge_80/photos/

Weigh-in video below:

WHEN: Thursday, June 15, 2017

WHERE: Harbin, China

PROMOTER: M-1 Global

LIVE STREAM: www.m1global.tv (12.00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT in USA)

INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

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ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premier entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With its office in St Petersburg, Russia, the M-1 brand has staged more than 200 events worldwide, including M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the U.S. network, Showtime. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Sergei Kharitonov, Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2017 has been another sensational year of world-class competition, featuring a full calendar of Challenge events, fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global Champions among the greatest fighters in the sport.

ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you by M-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription. Your world of action. Anytime!

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (June 9, 2017) — World-class MMA middleweights Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko and Brandon “Bull” Halsey have fought twice with each opponent imposing their wills from the opening bell to secure a quick victory.

Will they complete a rare MMA trilogy? Only if it’s a light heavyweight fight, according to Halsey.

“I’d take the fight in an instant at 205 (lbs); I can’t make it down to 185,” Halsey said. “I think the fans would really love to see this fight. I’d be healthy, he’d be healthy. It would last more than 30 seconds. It would be a war!”

The two-fight split outcomes, which totaled only 56 seconds, calls for a “rubber match” to determine which one is the better fighter.

Shlemenko-Halsey 1 was held September 26, 2014 in Phoenix, Arizona (USA) as the Bellator 126 main event, in which Shlemenko defended his Bellator middleweight title. Halsey, a former Division I, All-American wrestler at California State University at Bakersfield, started strong and used his wrestling skills to win only 35 seconds into the match, by way of a technical submission via a rare-naked choke. The gifted American become the new Bellator middleweight champion.

Last Thursday night at M-1 Challenge 79 in Saint Petersburg, Shlemenko-Halsey 2 was the main event. Shlemenko stormed out of his corner, blasting powerful kicks and punches on Halsey;s body, until the referee halted the action at the 21-second mark for a stunning technical knockout triumph for the rugged Russian.

“We have to see how confident he is about himself,” Halsey continued. “He has to feel really good right now, breaking my rib on his first kick, and punching me out on the ground. He must feel great about it. I don’t see why he wouldn’t want to do it again. I felt great about our first fight after I choked him unconscious in 30 seconds. I thought I could do it again, even with significant health problems. He must think he can do it again, even if we move up one weight class. Otherwise, what kind of champion is he, right?

“I believe that this trilogy fight could be a war, maybe something that will go down in the M-1 history books. The ball is in Shlemenko’s court. I’ll do the travelling. I’d come back to Russia and fight in front of his fans. The question is will he come up one weight class and fight me (at a weight) where I’m healthy? If he says no, well, then that’s on him. I know fight fans will be disappointed if he doesn’t take the fight just because he’s a little small, but that’s something he’s going to have to think about.

“Look, if Fedor (Emelianenko) can walk around at 230 and fight guys that have 50-70 pounds on him, I don’t know why Shlemenko can’t win a fight at just 20 pounds heavier. Right? M-1 Global is a great outfit and I’m very glad to be fighting for them. They’ve got some studs at 205 that I’d love to a fight. And I know I’ve got a lot to prove after that embarrassing loss, so I’ll take whoever they want to give me. If I get my head smashed in again, well, at least it will be more entertaining, but if I smash some guy’s head in, well, that’s what I expect and I can’t imagine anything less.

“I’ll take the next couple of weeks to get my health back, then start training. I’ll be ready to fight whoever they put in front of me this time. No more getting my ass kicked by the weight cut. That’s all behind me now. Let’s see what happens.”

According to Halsey, he never should have agreed to fight Shelemnko in their rematch.

“For the last two years,” Halsey explained, “I’ve been struggling and I think it’s time to let people know what’s been going on. My stubbornness and pride got the better of me. Against the advice of my coaches, many of my trainers, my mentors and friends, I’ve tried to stay down at 185, while my body long outgrew that weight class. I believed I knew better than everyone else. I thought that I would simply will myself to the weight and believed that, because I was the champion at 185 and that I had won nine straight fights at 185, going up to 205 would be cowardice, laziness and weakness. And I was wrong.

“I was recently finally released from the hospital. I had several things wrong with me: renal failure from my kidneys shutting down from the weight cut, blood clot threatening my heart, broken rib causing internal bleeding, extreme hypotension (low blood pressure). The broken rib was from the fight, but the rest is from the weight cut. My doctors have told me that 185 is not a weight that I can safely make anymore. I hate to admit it but that’s the truth.

“Shlemenko is a good fighter and right now we are one and one. I got him in 30 seconds, he got me in 25. Neither was a very good fight for the loser. And while he did break my rib with that very well-placed kick, I don’t feel like he beat me. The scale beat me before I ever got into the ring.

“I do believe we should finish this trilogy and find out who is the best, once and for all, but it’s going to have to be at 205. I understand if Shlemenko is nervous about fighting me at 205; he is small. In that case, I welcome a fight with whoever M-1 Global wants me to fight. If Shlemenko accepts the fight, as he did with Tito Ortiz, I hope we can finally have a war that lasts more than 30 seconds. If he doesn’t, I’m sure fans will be disappointed to know he refused the fight just because of his size.”

M-1 Global TV announcer Sean Wheelock not only called the original Shlemenko-Halsey fight, he also worked their rematch last week in Russia.

“In the first fight,” Wheelock offered his unique, first-hand perspective, “Halsey came out and implemented his wrestling skills, hitting a takedown, took the back, and locked in a power rear-naked choke. Shlemenko is not one to tap-out, so he went to sleep (technical submission), which is what Halsey does best. Their last fight was the opposite, though, as Alexander Shlemenko came out right away with a body kick to the liver, then he went to work, eliminating Halsey’s grappling and takedowns.

“They’re two of the best fighters in the world. Both did what they do best to win, taking away what their opponent does best. I think a third fight would be great. I love doing commentary for both fighters; I’d happily call 50 Shlemenko-Halsey fights. A third fight would be very interesting.”

Shlemenko’s (56-9-0, 1 NC, M-1: 6-0-0) ground-and-pound vs. Halsey’s (9-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0) wrestling-and-grappling in their trilogy fight. Who do you like in Shlemenko-Halsey 3? Keep in mind, though, the only chance of their trilogy fight is if Shlemenko agrees to fight Halsey at 205 pounds. Stay tuned!

INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

M-1 CHALLENGE EVENT CALENDAR:

M-1 Challenge 80 – June 15, 2017 in Habin, China
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premier entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With its office in St Petersburg, Russia, the M-1 brand has staged more than 200 events worldwide, including M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the U.S. network, Showtime. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Sergei Kharitonov, Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2017 has been another sensational year of world-class competition, featuring a full calendar of Challenge events, fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global Champions among the greatest fighters in the sport.

ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you by M-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription. Your world of action. Anytime!

TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents an action-packed day of live combat sports action this Saturday, June 10, beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET with GLORY 42 Superfight Series followed by the GLORY 42 Paris main card at 3 p.m. ET, both airing live on Fight Network across Canada and Turkey.

Later, Fight Network will deliver extensive coverage of UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Lewis vs. Hunt across Canada, starting at 7 p.m. ET with the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Lewis vs. Hunt PRE-FIGHT SHOW leading into LIVE PRELIMS at 8 p.m. ET on Fight Network. The main card airs live on TSN5. The UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Lewis vs. Hunt PRE-FIGHT SHOW will feature former UFC bantamweight champion Miesha Tate and retired contender Kenny Florian serving as desk analysts with host Karyn Bryant and reporter Heidi Androl conducting on-site fighter interviews in New Zealand.

The two-hour LIVE PRELIMS on Fight Network will feature lightweights Damien Brown (17-9) and Vinc Pichel (9-1) in a featured clash, plus Luke Jumeau (11-3) takes on Dominique Steele (14-8) at 170 pounds, while No. 11 John Moraga (16-6) fights Ashkan Mokhtarian (13-1) in a flyweight tilt. Kiichi Kunimoto (18-6-2, 1NC) and Zak Ottow (14-4) open the telecast in a welterweight bout.

At the conclusion of Saturday’s main card, the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Lewis vs. Hunt POST-FIGHT SHOW at approximately 1 a.m. ET on Fight Network features highlights, analysis and post-fight interviews.

Kicking off at 12:30 p.m. ET, the GLORY 42 Superfight Series is headlined by recent championship challenger Yoann Kongolo (64-9, 46 KO) in a knockdown, drag-out affair against French veteran Yohan Lidon (92-35-1, 55 KO). In the co-headline bout, heavyweight French native Nicolas Wamba (47-7, 21 KO) goes head-to-head with Brazilian brawler Jhonata Diniz (15-5, 10 KO).

The complete six-fight card for GLORY 42 Superfight Series can be found below:
Welterweight Headline Bout: Yoann Kongolo vs. Yohan Lidon
Heavyweight Co-Headline Bout: Nicolas Wamba vs. Jhonata Diniz
Light Heavyweight Bout: Zinedine Hameur-Lain vs. Freddy Kemayo
Lightweight Bout: Marat Grigorian vs. Antonio Gomez
Featherweight Bout: Dylan Salvador vs. Serhiy Adamchuk
Welterweight Bout: Remy Vectol vs. Francois Ambang
At 3 p.m. ET, the GLORY 42 Paris main card is headlined by GLORY welterweight world champion Cédric Doumbé (66-4-1, 39 KO) defending his title on home soil against rival Nieky Holzken (90-12, 46 KO). Meanwhile, Armenian-Belgian striker Harut Grigorian (44-10, 32 KO) fights No. 4 ranked welterweight Murthel Groenhart (65-22-3) with the winner next in line for a welterweight title opportunity, plus a one-night, four-man lightweight contender tournament.

The complete five-fight card for GLORY 42 Paris can be found below:
Welterweight World Title Headline Bout: Cédric Doumbé vs. Nieky Holzken
Lightweight Tournament Final Bout: Winner of Bout A vs. Winner of Bout B
Welterweight Co-Headline Bout: Murthel Groenhart vs. Harut Grigorian
Lightweight Tournament Semifinal Bout B: Niclas Larsen vs. Massaro Glunder
Lightweight Tournament Semifinal Bout A: Anatoly Moiseev vs. Christian Baya
At 10 p.m. ET, Z Promotions presents Fight Night Medicine Hat 3 from Alberta, Canada’s Canalta Centre, airing live on Fight Network in Canada, the U.S. and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. In the main event, battle-tested warriors Dennis Hallman (53-20-2) and Joe Riggs (42-17) will collide for the promotion’s vacant middleweight championship. In other featured bouts, Matt MacGrath (18-9) battles Peter Grajcar (4-0) for the welterweight crown, while Steve Roy (2-2) throws down with Josh Heinz (3-1) for the heavyweight title.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

SAINT PETERSBURG; Russia (June 2, 2017) — MMA star Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko needed only 25 seconds to avenge a loss to middleweight Brandon “Bull” Halsey in last night’s M-1 Challenge 79 headliner at Saint Petersburg, Russia.

M-1 Challenge 79 was a part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum’s Cultural Program. Nine different countries were represented in this International event: Russia, USA, UK, Israel, Brazil, Kyrgyzstan, Germany, South Korea, Ukraine.

Shlemenko (56-7-0, M-1: 6-0-0) came out for the opening bell with force, unloading a series of powerful kicks and punches to the body of an overwhelmed Halsey (9-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), who made his M-1 Global debut, and he was unable to make it past the 25-seconds mark of the opening round.

In this battle of former Bellator champions, Shlemenko gained revenge for his Bellator loss to Halsey, by way of a rear-naked-choke in 35-seconds, on September 26, 2014.

Shlemenko, fighting out of Russia, noted after the fight that his electrifying start wasn’t a coincidence. “I’m just happy,” he said. “I mean, if I’d just won, everyone would say, ‘Well, I got it done.’ But, I won in 25 seconds; it’s just real happiness. I think everyone’s happy. It was wonderful and beautiful and no left no questions,”

Halsey later said he’s ready for a third match against Shlemenko to complete their trilogy. “I’m ready to go against Russian again,” Halsey commented. “You all saw that Alexander came out aggressively. He had a good start and everything was pre-decided. I lost and it hurts, but I’m ready to go back to battle. I will not excuse myself. There’s nothing less to worry about than anyone else’s opinion in the forums. Today, Shlemenko was stronger. I am prepared learn from my mistakes. I got a quick win last time. Now, Shlemenko won quickly. The score is 1-to-1 and I am ready to meet him again to finally determine who is the better fighter.

Russian welterweight Sergey Romanov (11-0, M-1: 5-1-0) defeated M-1 pro-debuting Arda “Boma Ye” Adas (7-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), of Germany, by first-round technical knockout due to an arm injury.

Russian lightweight Alexey “Ataman” Makhno (14-5-0, M-1: 4-2-0) took a majority decision over Brazilian Michel “Sassarito” Silva (18-6-1, M-1: 0-1-0), while Russian middleweight Oleg Oleniochev (9-4-0, M-1: 2-0-0) won a unanimous decision over Enoc Solves Torres (19-10-1, M-1: 5-7-1).

In the main card opener, Russian bantamweight Dalgiev Khamzat (9-1-0, M-1: 6-1-0) used a heel hook to submit Brit Dragan “Little Wonder” Pesic (13-8-0, M-1: 0-1-0).

American bantamweight “The Finisher” Josh Rettinghouse (15-4-0, M-1: 3-0-0) remained unbeaten in M-1 Global competition, submitting previously undefeated Bakhtiyar “Baha” Toychubaev (6-1-1, M-1: 0-1-0) in the second round with a rear-naked choke.

Also fighting on the preliminary card were winners by unanimous decision: Ukrainian light heavyweight Dmitriy Mikutsa (7-4-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Russian heavyweight Anton Vyazigin (8-1-0, M-1: 3-0-0) and Russian bantamweight Alexander Osetrov (2-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0), respectively, against Russian Dmitry Tebekin (5-3-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Ukrainian Yuri Protsenko (8-4-0, M-1: 1-1-0) and Israeli Almog Shay (2-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0).

Russian bantamweight Bair Shtepin (4-2-0, M-1: 1-2-0) punched out “Hellboy” Won Jun Jang (4-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0), of South Korea, in the first round. Russian lightweights Nikolay Goncjarpv (0-0-1, M-1: 0-0-1) and Maxim Pugachev (7-1-1, M-1: 3-0-1) fought to a three-round draw.

Complete results below:

MAIN CARD
MAIN EVENT – MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Alexander Shlemenko (56-7-0, M-1: 6-0-0), Russia
WTKO1 (0:25 – punches)
Brandon Halsey (9-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), USA

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Sergey Romanov (11-1-0, M-1: 4-2-0), Russia
WTKO1 (4:19 – arm injury)
Arda Adas (7-3-0, M-1: 0-010), Germany
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Alexey Makhno (14-5-0, M-1: 4-2-0), Russia
WDEC3
Michael Silva (18-6-1, M-1: 0-1-0) Brazil

MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Oleg Olenichev (9-4-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia
WDEC3
Enoc Solves Torres (19-10-1, M-1: 5-7-1), Spain

BANTAMWEIGHTS
Dalgiev Khamzat (9-1-0, M-1: 6-1-0), Russia
WSUB1 (heel hook)
Dragan Pesic (13-8-0, M-1: 0-1-0), UK

PRELIMINARY CARD

HEAVYWEIGHTS
Anton Vyazigin (8-1-0, M-1: 3-0-0), Russia
DEC3
Yuri Protsenko (8-4-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Ukraine

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Dmitry Mikutsa (7-4-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Ukraine
WDEC3
Dmitry Tebekin (5-3-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Russia

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Nikolay Goncharov (0-0-1, M-1: 0-0-1), Russia
Draw3
Maxim Pugachev(7-1-1, M-1: 3-0-1), Russia

BANTAMWEIGHTS
Josh Rettinghose (15-4-0, M-1: 3-0-0), USA
WSUB2 (4:31 – rear-naked choke)
Bakhtiyar Toychubaev (6-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Kyrgzstan

Bair Shtepin (4-2-0, M-1: 1-2-0), Russia
WKO3 (2:31 – punches)
Won Jun Jang (4-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0), South Korea

INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

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M-1 CHALLENGE EVENT CALENDAR:

M-1 Challenge 80: Kharitonov vs. Lopes – June 15, 2017 in Habin, China
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premier entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With its office in St Petersburg, Russia, the M-1 brand has staged more than 200 events worldwide, including M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the U.S. network, Showtime. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Sergei Kharitonov, Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2017 has been another sensational year of world-class competition, featuring a full calendar of Challenge events, fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global Champions among the greatest fighters in the sport.

ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you by M-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription. Your world of action. Anytime!

TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents another busy weekend of live events, beginning this Thursday, June 1 with M-1 Challenge 79: Shlemenko vs. Halsey 2 from St. Petersburg, Russia, which kicks off at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Airing live exclusively across Canada, M-1 Challenge 79: Shlemenko vs. Halsey 2 is headlined by a highly anticipated middleweight rematch between former Bellator MMA champions Alexander Shlemenko (55-9) and Brandon Halsey (9-2). In other featured bouts, German welterweight Arda Adas (7-2) enters enemy territory against Russia’s Sergey Romanov (11-1), Brazilian lightweight Michel Silva (18-5) throws down with Alexey Makhno (13-5), Spanish middleweight Enoc Solves Torres (19-9) meets Oleg Olenyechev (8-4) and Serbian featherweight Dragan Pesic (13-7) faces off with Khamzat Dalgiev (8-1).

The live M-1 Challenge 79: Shlemenko vs. Halsey 2 main card will immediately follow the M-1 Selection prelims, which kick off at 12 p.m. ET and air live on Fight Network in Canada, the U.S. and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The M-1 Selection broadcast features American bantamweight Josh Rettinghouse (14-4) taking on Kyrgyzstan’s Bakhtiyar Toichubaev (7-3), while undefeated Temirlan Sharipov (3-0) meets Danila Prikaza (6-1) in an all-Russian welterweight affair.

The Russian city of St. Petersburg will play host to more live action on Friday, June 2 at 12 p.m. ET, as Fight Nights Global 68 airs live on Fight Network in Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The light heavyweight title is up for grabs in the main event as undefeated Sergey Pavlovich (10-0) takes on Mikhail Mokhnatkin (9-1-2). Meanwhile, a heavyweight superfight is set for the co-main event, with unbeaten Russian powerhouse Vitaly Minakov (19-0) taking on former EliteXC kingpin and UFC title challenger Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (19-11). Rounding out the star-studded card, Stjepan Bekavac (19-6) welcomes UFC veteran Nikita Krylov (21-5) to the promotion, Tony Johnson Jr. (10-3) squares off with Baga Agaev (28-19) in a heavyweight encounter, Asif Tagiev (5-2-1) meets Dmitry Aryshev (5-5-1) in a welterweight bout, plus unbeaten Israeli prospect Jackie Gosh (7-0) looks to extend his perfect mark against Russia’s Oleg Dadonov (6-1).

On Friday, June 2 at 9 p.m. ET, Legacy Fighting Alliance invades Burbank, Calif. for LFA 13: Millender vs. Holland, featuring pivotal duels in the welterweight division, as Curtis Millender (11-3) takes on Kevin Holland (9-2), while Karen Darabedyan (12-6) faces Sam Liera (12-9). In light heavyweight bouts, Dominick Reyes (5-0) takes on Jordan Powell (8-6), while Alonzo Menifield (2-0) battles Khadzhimurat Bestaev (4-1). A bantamweight bout between undefeated American Kyler Phillips (3-0) and Mexico’s Jonathan Quiroz (2-1) will round out the card, which airs live on Fight Network in Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Finally, on Saturday, June 3, Fight Network presents extensive live pre and post-fight coverage for UFC 212: Aldo vs. Holloway from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. But first, the live weigh-ins will be televised on Fight Network on Friday, June 2 at 6 p.m. ET, with all the stars tipping the scales ahead of their pay-per-view showdowns.

The UFC 212 PRE-FIGHT SHOW will air live on Fight Network in Canada on Saturday, June 3 at 7 p.m. ET leading into the LIVE PRELIMS on TSN3. The UFC 212 PRE-FIGHT SHOW will feature featherweight contender Cub Swanson, middleweight champion Michael Bisping and former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans working as desk analysts with host Karyn Bryant and reporter Laura Sanko conducting on-site fighter interviews in Brazil.

At the conclusion of Saturday’s pay-per-view broadcast, the live UFC 212 POST-FIGHT SHOW at approximately 1 a.m. ET on Fight Network features highlights, analysis and post-fight interviews.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

MAIN CARD
MAIN EVENT – MIDDLEWEIGHTS — 3 X 5
Alexander “Stormk” SHLEMENKO (55-7-0, M-1: 5-0-0), Russia 183 lbs. (83.3 kg)
vs.
Brandon “Bull” Halsey (9-2-0, M-1: 0-0-0), USA 186 lbs. (84.4 kg)

LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Arda “Boma Ye” Adas (7-2-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Germany 168 lbs. (76.5 kg)
vs.
Sergey Romanov (10-1-0, M-1: 3-2-0), Russia 169 1/2 lbs. (77.1 kg)

LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Michael “Sassarito” Silva (18-5-1 (M-1: 0-0-0) Brazil 154 lbs. (69.9 kg)
vs.
Alexey “Ataman” Makhno (13-5-0, M-1: 3-2-0), Russia 154 1/2 lbs. (70.3 kg)

MIDDLEWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Oleg Olenichev (8-4-0, m-1: 1-0-0), Russia 184 lbs. (83.5 kg)
vs.
Enoc Solves Torres (19-9-1, M-1: 5-6-1), Spain 183 1/2 lbs. ( 83.4 kg)

BANTAMWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Dragan “Little Wonder” Pesic (13-7-0, M-1: 0-0-0), UK 147 lbs. (67.0 kg)
vs.
Dalgiev Khamzat (8-1-0, M-1: 5-1-0), Russia 148 1/2 lbs. (67.5 kg)

PRELIMINARY CARD

HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Anton Vyazigin (7-1-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia 257 lbs. (116.8 kg)
vs.
Yuri Protsenko (8-3-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Ukraine 255 1/2 lbs. (116.1 kg)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Dmitriy Mikutsa (6-4-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Ukraine 209 lbs. (94.9 kg)
vs.
Dmitry Tebekin (5-2-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia 205 lbs. (93.1 kg)

WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Dejan Stefanoski (5-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Macedonia 172 lbs. (78.1 kg)
vs.
Danila Prikaza
(6-1-1, M-1: 4-1-0), Russia 169 lbs. (77.0 kg)

BANTAMWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
“The Finisher” Josh Rettinghose (14-4-0, M-1: 2-0-0), USA 138 lbs. (62.9 kg)
vs.
Bakhtiyar “Baha” Toychubaev (6-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0), 136 lbs. (62.0 kg)

“Hellboy” Won Jun Jang (4-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0) 134 1/2 lbs. (61.2 kg)
vs.
Bair Shtepin (3-2-0, M-1: 0-2-0), Russia 134 lbs. (61.0 kg)

BANTAMWEIGHTS — 3 X 5
Almog Shay (2-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Israel 135 lbs. (61.3 kg)
vs.
Alexander Ostetrov (1-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Russia 134 lbs. (61.1 kg)

WHEN: Thursday, June 1, 2017

WHERE: St. Petersburg, Russia

PROMOTER: M-1 Global

LIVE STREAM: www.m1global.tv (12.00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT in USA)

INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

M-1 CHALLENGE EVENT CALENDAR:

M-1 Challenge 79: Shlemenko vs. Halsey – June 1, 2017 in St. Petersburg, Russia
M-1 Challenge 80: Kharitonov vs/ Lopes – June 15, 2017 in Habin, China

ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premier entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With its office in St Petersburg, Russia, the M-1 brand has staged more than 200 events worldwide, including M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the U.S. network, Showtime. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Sergei Kharitonov, Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2017 has been another sensational year of world-class competition, featuring a full calendar of Challenge events, fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global Champions among the greatest fighters in the sport.

ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you by M-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription. Your world of action. Anytime!

??30? May 2017 – Yangon, Myanmar: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), returns to Yangon, Myanmar on 30 June for another blockbuster evening of world-class, authentic martial arts action. The Thuwunna Indoor Stadium is set to play host to ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION, featuring ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash, who will defend his title against hometown hero “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang in the main event.

Ticket information for ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION is available at www.onefc.com

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “The first bout was an absolute showcase of incredible skill and unwavering determination, and the rematch promises nothing short of another classic. Yangon’s favorite son, Aung La N Sang, will get another crack at the ONE Middleweight World Championship held by Vitaly Bigdash. This time, it will be on his home turf. Fans will not want to miss all the action that goes down at ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION this June!”

ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, has proven to be one of the most talented martial artists in the world. Making his ONE Championship debut in 2015, Bigdash captured the middleweight title with a resounding technical knockout victory over Igor Svirid, in one of the most action-packed contests in ONE Championship history. In his last bout, Bigdash successfully defended his world title for the first time against Aung La N Sang, winning by unanimous decision. With an unblemished professional record of nine wins and no losses, Bigdash is set to return to the ONE Championship cage in a rematch against the Myanmar hero.

Vitaly Bigdash, ONE Middleweight World Champion, stated: “Aung La N Sang is one of the toughest fighters I have ever faced, and it will be an honor to come into his hometown to perform. I am not worried about the hometown advantage, because a true champion can fight anywhere and under any circumstance. I am excited to get back inside the cage and expect nothing less than a spectacular showing in Myanmar. Although I respect Aung La N Sang and what he brings to the table, I am returning home victorious, and with my belt still over my shoulder.”

32-year-old top middleweight contender Aung La N Sang is one of the world’s most renowned athletes from Myanmar, whose constricting style has earned him the moniker of ”The Burmese Python”. Born in Myitkyina in the mountainous Kachin State, he belongs to an ethnic minority known as the Kachin. In his most recent outing, Aung La N Sang battled valiantly against reigning ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash, losing via decision. This time, the Myanmar national hero believes he can produce a different result with better preparation in a highly-anticipated rematch against Bigdash.

Aung La N Sang, ONE world title challenger, stated: “The last fight I took on short notice and I wasn’t at my best. This time, with better preparation and a full training camp, I vow to give a much better account of myself. Competing in Yangon in front of all my fans is such an honor, and I promise to do everything within my power to bring the belt back to Myanmar! It’s going to be an epic battle of attrition, and the better man will emerge victorious on the night.”

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 118+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

ORENBURG, Russia (May 27, 2017) – A new M-1 Challenge lightweight champion was crowned last night as Damir Ismagulov knocked out former champion Maxim Divnich at the end of the fifth and final championship round in the M-1 Challenge 78 main event at Orenburg, Russia.

M-1 Challenge 78 was a true international event with fighters representing eight different countries: Russia, Brazil, Belarus, USA, UK, Sweden, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan.

Ismagulov (11-2-0, M-1: 7-1-0), fighting out of Russia by way of Kazakhstan, fought Divnich (13-3-0, M-1: 7-3-0) at home, in Orenburg, for the vacant M-1 Challenge lightweight title, where Divnich had lost his title belt in 2015.

The title fight commenced with a “feeling-out process” of simple exchanges of blows with Ismagulov working more with his feet, and the round ended with the hometown favorite holding a slight advantage.

Ismagulov, however, dominated the next three rounds and Divnich, whose severely damaged, bloody face showed the ill effects of Ismagulov’s continued assault, was unable to turn things around in the fifth. As the finished neared, Ismagulov failed to submit his game opponent until a barrage of unanswered punched rained on a defenseless Divnich. The referee halted the action with 13-seconds remaining on the clock for a hard-fought Ismagoulov win by technical knockout.
.
After the fight 5,000 fans celebrated, roaring their approval for Ismagulov, who said: “I’m from the Orenburg region. I won the belt! Thanks for coming. I want to thank the MMA Orenburg, my coach, Victor Frolov, who saw me as a talent, and Alexander Shlemenko for believing in me. I thank my coaches, my family, and our fans.

“I’ve proved that a simple guy from a small village without the Internet can become champion. If I can, you can. The belt in Orenburg, where it should be.”

Russian light heavyweight Mikhail Ragozin (8-2-0, M-1: 2-0-0) stopped Alan Bispo De Santana (5-2-0, M-1 0-1-0), of Brazil, via punches late in the third round.

Brazilian middleweight Caio “Hellboy” Magalhaes (10-3-0, M-1: 1-0-0) turned in an impressive M-1 debut, using a rear-naked choke hold to submit Dmitry Voitov (15-7-0, M-1: 4-2-0), of Belarus, in the opening frame.

American welterweight Keith “The One” Johnson (12-3-0, M-1: 1-0-0) made an auspicious M-1 debut, also using a rear-naked choke to submit his opponent, former M-1 Challenge welterweight title challenger Maksim Grabovich (5-3-0, M-1: 4-3-0), of Russia, late in the third round.

Russian bantamweight Vadim “Bad Santa” Malygin (9-2-1, M-1: 2-1-1) won a three-round unanimous decision over veteran Brazilian fighter, Fabricio “Bill” Sarraff (23-10-0, M-1: 0-2-0).

In preliminary card action, Ukrainian bantamweight Alexksander Doskalchuk (7-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0) and Brazilian lightweight Rubenilton “Rubinho” Pereira (17-5-0, M-1: 1-2-0) were three-round majority decision winners, respectively, over Swede Son Le “Buddha” Binh (5-2-0, M-1: 1-1-0) and Orozbek “Nomad” Maripov (5-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0), of Kyrgyzstan; pro-debuting Russian lightweight Roman Bogatov (1-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0) used a bravo choke to submit Brit Richard “Rico” Franco (2-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0) in the first round, Russian featherweight Vitali Tverdokhlebov (4-3-0, M-1: 1-0-0) punched out Ukrainian Oleg Mikhailov (0-3-0 (M-1: 0-1-0) in round two, and Salem Evloev (1-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0) took a three-round unanimous decision from Alexey Dubrovny (0-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0) in a pro-debut battle of Russian bantamweights.

Official results below:

OFFICIAL RESULTS

MAIN CARD
MAIN EVENT – VACANT M-1 CHALLENGE LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Damir Ismagulov (11-2-0, M-1: 7-1-0), Russia by way of Kazakhstan
WTKO5 (4:47 – punches)
Maxim Divnich (13-3-0, M-1: 7-3-0)
(Ismagulov won vacant M-1 Challenge lightweight title)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Mikhail Ragozin (8-2-0, M-1: 1-0-0-), Russia
WTKO3 (4:32 – punches)
Alan Bispo De Santana (5-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Brazil

MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Caio Magalhaes (10-3-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Brazil
WSUB1 (1:16 – rear-naked choke)
Dmitry Voitov (15-7-0, M-1: 3-3-0) Belarus

WELTERWEIGHTS
Keith Johnson (12-3-0, M-1: 1-0-0), USA
WSUB3 (4:22 – rear-naked choke)
Maksim Grabovich (5-4-0, M-1: 4-3-0), Russia

BANTAMWEIGHTS
Vadim Malygin (9-2-1, M-1: 2-1-1), Russia
WDEC3
Fabricio Sarraff (23-10-0, M-1: 0-2-0), Brazil

PRELIMINARY CARD

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Roman Bogatov (1-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia
WSUB1 (4:52 – bravo choke)
Ricardo Franco (2-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0-), England

Rubenilton Pereira (17-5-0, M-1: 1-2-0), Brazil
WDEC3
Orozbek Maripov (5-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Kyrgyzstan

BANTAMWEIGHTS
Aleksander Doskalchuk (7-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0)
WDEC3
Son Le Binh (5-2-0, M-1: 1-1-0,), Sweden

Salem Evloev (1-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia
WDEC3
Alexey Dubrovsky (0-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Russia

FEATHERWEIGHTS
Vitali Tverdokhlebov (5-2-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia
WTKO2 (punches)
Oleg Mikhailov (0-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Ukraine

INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

M-1 CHALLENGE EVENT CALENDAR:

M-1 Challenge 79: Shlemenko vs. Halsey – June 1, 2017 in St. Petersburg, Russia
M-1 Challenge 80: Kharitonov vs/ Lopes – June 15, 2017 in Habin, China
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premier entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With its office in St Petersburg, Russia, the M-1 brand has staged more than 200 events worldwide, including M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the U.S. network, Showtime. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Sergei Kharitonov, Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2017 has been another sensational year of world-class competition, featuring a full calendar of Challenge events, fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global Champions among the greatest fighters in the sport.

ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you by M-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription. Your world of action. Anytime!

26 May 2017 – Singapore: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), once again electrified the Singapore Indoor Stadium as the organization played host to yet another evening of authentic martial arts action. ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS showcased the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent, featuring a packed card of compelling bouts that left the crowd on the edge of their seats. In the main event, ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee of Singapore retained her title with a spectacular submission finish over top contender Istela Nunes of Brazil. In the co-main event of the evening, ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren made quick work of Malaysia’s Agilan Thani to win via arm triangle choke.

Visit the official ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES photo gallery by clicking: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ivh34n9pza3q94o/AADwuMwRg-gnDecd5AIBoQyTa?dl=0

In an exciting main event showdown between two talented females, reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee overcame a spirited performance from challenger Istela Nunes to win by submission in the second round. After catching Nunes with a twister in the first stanza, the bout appeared all but over. However, through sheer willpower and determination, Nunes was able to power through the situation and survive. In the second round, Lee went right back to work on the ground, finishing Nunes with an anaconda choke to retain her title.

“I really love you guys and it’s an honor to fighter here (in Singapore) as your champion. To everyone who is watching from all around the world, thank you guys so much, it means the world to me,” said Lee in the post-fight interview. “The anaconda choke is one of our favorites, so I was really happy to win with that submission tonight.”

In the co-main event, reigning ONE Welterweight World Champion and one of the best fighters in the world pound-for-pound, Ben “Funky” Askren of the United States easily took care of previously unbeaten Agilan “Alligator” Thani of Malaysia, taking his younger foe down to the mat at will with his world-class wrestling and finishing him with an arm triangle choke. On the mat, the former US Olympian caught Thani in a mounted crucifix and pounded on the Malaysian before locking in the fight-ending submission just past the two-minute mark of the first round.

“Agilan [Thani] has a great story, he’s a young kid, and this is not the last time we’re going to see him,” said Askren in the post-fight interview. Askren then proceeded to call out ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash for a possible cross-division showdown.

ONE Championship Newcomer Zebaztian Kadestam of Sweden took on American Top Team product Luis “Sapo” Santos of Brazil in a scintillating three-round affair. Kadestam, who lives and trains at the scenic beach locale of Boracay, Philippines, weathered the early storm from Santos, who is known for his fast and aggressive starts. Midway into the third and final round, Kadestam found himself in dominant position and drove two hard knees to Santos’ head, knocking the Brazilian out.

In a historical first for mixed martial arts, ONE Championship held the first ever Grappling Super-Match between former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki and American submission wizard Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon. After an entertaining display of grappling mastery, Tonon emerged victorious, catching Aoki in a heel hook halfway through the contest, forcing a tap from the former lightweight titleholder.

Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke returned to action against Adrian Matheis, needing only one round to author a thrilling knockout finish. The 3-time Lumpinee Stadium champion and Muay Thai legend stifled his Indonesian foe with lightning quick kicks and heavy-handed punches. Towards the end of the opening stanza, Dejdamrong landed a powerful left hand that floored Matheis, earning him the knockout victory.

In a highly-anticipated rematch between flyweight contenders, the Philippines’ Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio and Thailand’s Anatpong “Mak” Bunrad went to battle over three rounds to the delight of the capacity crowd. Eustaquio, operating behind his world-class wushu base, tagged Bunrad with pinpoint accurate punches and kicks. Bunrad, a karate champion, had his moments in the fight but it wasn’t enough to claim victory. In the end, it was another close split decision, this time in favor of Eustaquio who avenged his loss to Bunrad two years ago.

Lightweight prospect Amir Khan of Evolve MMA made quick work of opponent Rajinder Singh Meena, wasting no time in bringing the fight to the ground with a successful takedown. Once on the ground, Khan easily took full mount and punished Meena with punches and elbows. Meena succumbed shortly after, as the referee deemed him unable to continue. The technical knockout finish earned Khan his fourth straight victory.

Singapore’s Tiffany “Soul Crusher” Teo turned in another complete performance, dominating the United States’ Rebecca Heintzman-Rozewski over three rounds to claim victory in front of her hometown crowd. Teo used her accurate striking to tag Heintzman-Rozewski repeatedly with left and right hand combinations while threatening with various submissions on the ground. All three judges judges scored the bout in favor of Teo who wins by unanimous decision.

Thai-Japanese female atomweight prospect Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige returned to the ONE Championship cage against Indonesian wrestling champion Nita Dea, and her performance certainly did not disappoint. Ishige once again proved her mettle on the ground with another technical grappling showcase, catching her opponent in two armbar attempts, ultimately winning by rear naked choke midway into the first round.

Unbeaten Chinese prospect “Rock Man” Chen Lei and Indonesian national grappling champion Jeremy “Predator” Meciaz kicked off ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES in exciting fashion, blasting each other from the opening bell with wild punches. Both men wasted no time in going to battle at the center of the cage. With the two fighters spent after just a few minutes of action, it was Chen who came away with the win via referee stoppage in the first round.

Official results for ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES
ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship bout: Angela Lee defeats Istela Nunes by Submission (Anaconda Choke) at 2:18 minutes of round 2
ONE Welterweight World Championship bout: Ben Askren defeats Agilan Thani by Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) at 2:20 minutes of round 1
Welterweight bout: Zebaztian Kadestam defeats Luis Santos by Knockout at 2:18 minutes of round 3
ONE Grappling Super-Match bout: Garry Tonon defeats Shinya Aoki by Submission (Heel Hook) at 7:47 minutes
Strawweight bout: Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke defeats Adrian Matheis by Knockout at 4:26 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Geje Eustaquio defeats Anatpong Bunrad by Split Decision (SD) after 3 rounds
Lightweight bout: Amir Khan defeats Rajinder Singh Meena by TKO (Strikes) at 1:29 minutes of round 1
Women’s Strawweight bout: Tiffany Teo defeats Rebecca Heintzman-Rozewski by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Women’s Atomweight bout: Rika Ishige defeats Nita Dea by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:39 minutes of round 1
Catchweight bout (69.0kg): Chen Lei defeats Jeremy Meciaz by TKO (Strikes) at 2:56 minutes of round 1

In case you missed the action log on to www.onefc.com/livestream for the full replay of the fights at only US $9.99.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 118+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a stacked weekend of live events, beginning on Friday morning, May 26, at 8:30 a.m. ET with ONE Championship: Dynasty of Heroes from Kallang, Singapore, co-headlined by a pair of championship clashes as undefeated women’s strawweight queen Angela Lee (7-0) defends against fellow unbeaten Brazilian contender Istela Nunes (6-0), while world-renowned American wrestler Ben Askren (15-0) risks his perfect record and ONE welterweight crown against undefeated Agilan Thangalapani (6-0).

Immediately following the live presentation of ONE Championship: Dynasty of Heroes across Canada, M-1 Global returns with a live broadcast of M-1 Challenge 78: Ismagulov vs. Divnich at 11:30 a.m. ET, featuring a showdown between Maxim Divnich (13-2) and Damir Ismagulov (10-2) for the M-1 featherweight title, while Alan Bispo (5-1) faces Mikhail Ragozin (7-2) and Caio Magalhaes (9-3) makes his first post-UFC appearance against Belarusian middleweight Dmitry Voitov (16-6). The telecast will air live exclusively across Canada, while the M-1 Selection prelims, which includes an exciting flyweight tilt pitting Son Le Binh (5-1) against Aleksander Doskalchuk (5-2), will air at 9 a.m. ET on Fight Network in the U.S. and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

On Friday night starting at 8 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents a GLORY kickboxing doubleheader across Canada featuring a pair of exciting live events from last weekend, including GLORY 41 Superfight Series, which featured Robin van Roosmalen vs. Petpanomrung Kiatmookao for the vacant featherweight championship, plus Rico Verhoeven vs. Ismael Lazaar in a heavyweight special attraction, plus GLORY 41 Holland, the main card from Den Bosch, Netherlands, headlined by Hesdy Gerges vs. Tomas Hron in a heavyweight encounter, plus a one-night, single-elimination heavyweight contender tournament.

On Saturday, May 27 at 3 p.m. ET, KSW returns with its biggest live extravaganza to date, as KSW 39: Colosseum invades Warsaw, Poland’s Stadion PGE Narodowy. Expected to break the European mixed martial arts attendance record, the star-studded card features a middleweight clash between Polish compatriots Borys Mankowski (19-5-1) and Mamed Khalidov (33-4-2), plus Polish heavyweight strongman Mariusz Pudzianowsi (10-5) battles undefeated countryman Tyberiusz Kowalczyk (3-0). In championship bouts, Marcin Rozalski (6-4) defends the heavyweight crown against Brazilian Fernando Rodrigues Jr. (11-2), Tomasz Narkun (13-2) defends the light heavyweight title against fellow Polish fan favorite Marcin Wojcik (10-4), Poland’s Mateusz Gamrot (12-0) defends the lightweight title in his toughest test to date opposite UFC veteran Norman Parke (23-5-1), Marcin Wrzosek (12-3) puts his featherweight title up for grabs against Japan’s Kleber Koike Erbst (21-4-1), and women’s flyweight gold will be on the line as Brazil’s Ariane Lipski (8-3) tangles with Romania’s Diana Belbita (8-2). Rounding out the card, Pawel Rak (2-2) meets Robert Burneika (2-0) and Michal Kita (17-8) takes on Michal Andryszak (18-6) in a pair of heavyweight matchups, plus Lukasz Jurkowski (15-10) faces longtime veteran Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (18-16) in a light heavyweight bout. The blockbuster KSW broadcast will be televised live on Fight Network in Canada, the U.S. and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Later, at 9 p.m. ET, Integrated Sports Media presents an exciting boxing event from Merida Yucatan, Mexico, titled ‘Brave Warriors in Action.” In featured bouts, hometown favorite Manuel “El Venado” Ceballos (12-1, 8 KO) battles veteran Argentinian fighter Cesar Hernan Reynoso (14-8-4, 7 KO) for the vacant WBO Latino super middleweight title, Colombian knockout artist Romar Alexis Angulo (21-0, 18 KO) is showcased against tough Argentinian super middleweight challenger Rolando Mansilla (13-3-1, 5 KO), Elias “Latin Kid” Espadas (14-3, 9 KO) returns home for a middleweight showdown with fellow Mexican Michelle “El Bravo” Rosales (34-12, 27 KO) and in the six-round heavyweight bout opening the broadcast, kickboxing great Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong (8-0, 8 KO) puts his perfect pro record on the line against Juan Carlos “Chino” Salas (6-11, 4 KO).

Finally, Fight Network will deliver extensive coverage of UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Gustafsson vs. Teixeira across Canada on Sunday, May 28, starting at 10 a.m. ET with the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Gustafsson vs. Teixeira PRE-FIGHT SHOW leading into LIVE PRELIMS at 11 a.m. ET on Fight Network. The main card airs live on TSN5. The UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Gustafsson vs. Teixeira PRE-FIGHT SHOW will feature UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping and lightweight contender Gilbert Melendez serving as desk analysts with host Todd Grisham and reporter Megan Olivi conducting on-site fighter interviews in Sweden.

The two-hour LIVE PRELIMS on Fight Network will feature No. 12-ranked bantamweight Pedro Munhoz (13-2, 1NC) colliding with Damian Stasiak (10-3), while Trevor Smith (14-7) takes on Chris Camozzi (24-12) at 185 pounds, Reza Madadi (14-5) fights Joaquim Silva (9-1) in lightweight action, plus Nico Musoke (13-4, 1NC) and Bojan Velickovic (14-4-1) open the telecast in a welterweight bout.

At the conclusion of Saturday’s main card, the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Gustafsson vs. Teixeira POST-FIGHT SHOW at approximately 4 p.m. ET on Fight Network features highlights, analysis and post-fight interviews.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

Four solid pro boxing bouts and two very solid pro mixed martial arts bouts are set for next Thursday’s Fight Club OC show in The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center. The June 1st show will be highlighted by an eight-round featured bout starring lightweight contender 41-5 Michael Farenas. The Filipino who goes by the nickname “Hammer Fist” has been inactive for the past 16 months but now has moved to Los Angeles with a new trainer and management, and is ready to get back in the lightweight title picture. Farenas will face Mexicali’s tough Oscar Mora in this solid eight round bout.

The June 1st Fight Club OC show will also feature the pro boxing debut of Irvine High School and Cal State San Marcos graduate De’Von Abraham facing another pro debut in Brennan Benton out of Riverside. Plus two other boxers will debut when Nathan Weston from Monrovia faces Costa Mesa’s Arian Sharifi.

A unique matchup will see two former MMA fighters making their pro boxing debuts against each other, when Laguna Beach’s Donte Stubbs meets Alameda’s Anthony Taylor.

The MMA portion of Fight Club OC will see 12-11 Danny Davis Jr face 6-1 Anthony Hernandez from Alhambra in a great matchup, and Lakewood’s 2-1 Matt Martinez facing Huntington Beach’s tough Kory Kelly.

Anthony Hernandez from Alhambra faces Danny Davis Jr. June 1st

Tickets all priced at $60 are available at www.fightcluboc.com.

The Hangar doors open at 6:30pm, first bout at 7pm, and the Fight Club OC Cigar Lounge opens at 7:10pm.

Rumble On The Water
Opening Night – June 10th

During some of the historic crossings passengers were treated aboard the Queen Mary to a boxing match that would be conducted between crew members as they would climb into the ring to go a few rounds. Today the Queen Mary continues in that grand tradition of providing unique entertainment offerings by teaming up with Roy Englebrecht Promotions to bring to the Queen Mary property a local version of the Mixed Martial Arts competition with Rumble on the Water. Set with the spectacular view of Downtown Long Beach and the harbor in the background, local Southern California MMA fighters will come together in the cage to demonstrate a true sense of raw determination to see who will be left standing. Rumble on the Water will take place over three dates this summer when local MMA fighters come to compete on June 10th, July 22nd and September 16th. The Queen Mary is one of the most unique destinations for an MMA event as we introduce to Southern California Rumble on the Water.

For tickets visit www.queenmary.com

MAIN EVENT – VACANT M-1 CHALLENGE LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP – 5 X 5
Maxim Divnich (13-2-0, M-1: 7-2-0), Ukraine 154 lbs. (70.2 kg)
vs.
Damir Ismagulov (10-2-0, M-1: 6-1-0), Russia by way of Kazakhstan 154 lbs. (70.2 kg)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Mikhail Ragozin (7-2-0, M-1: 0-0-0-), Russia204 lbs. (92.7 kg)
vs.
Alan Bispo De Santana (5-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Brazil 203 lbs. (92.2 kg)

MIDDLEWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Dmitry Voitov (15-6-0, M-1: 3-2-0) Belarus 185 lbs. (84.0 kg)
vs.
Caio Magalhaes (9-3-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Brazil 185 lbs. (84.0 kg)

WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Maksim Grabovich (5-3-0, M-1: 4-2-0), Russia 169 ½ lbs. (76.9 kg)
vs.
Keith Johnson (11-3-0, M-1: 0-0-0), USA 77.3 lbs. (77.3 kg)

BANTAMWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Vadim Malygin (8-2-1, M-1: 1-1-1), Russia 124 ½ lbs. (56.6 kg)
vs.
Fabricio Sarraff (23-9-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Brazil 127 ½ lbs. (57.9 kg)

PRELIMINARY CARD

LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Roman Bogatov (pro debut), Russia 157 ½ lbs. (71.6 kg)
vs.
Ricardo Franco (2-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0-), England 157 ½ lbs. (71.6 kg)

Orozbek Maripov (5-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Kyrgyzstan 158 lbs. (71.3 kg)
vs.
Rubenilton Pereira (16-5-0, M-1: 0-2-0), Brazil 158 lbs. (71.8 kg)

BANTAMWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Aleksander Doskalchuk (6-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0) 124 1/2 lbs. (56.5 kg)
vs.
Son Le Binh (5-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0,), Sweden 125 lbs. (56.7 kg)

Salem Evloev (pro debut), Russia 135 lbs. (61.3 kg)
vs.
Alexey Dubrovsky (pro debut), Russia 134 ½ lbs. (61.0 kg)

FEATHERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Vitali Tverdokhlebov (4-2-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Russia lbs. ( kg)
vs.
Oleg Mikhailov (0-2, M-1: 0-0-0), Ukraine 137 lbs. (62.2 kg)

WHEN: Friday, May 26, 2017

WHERE: Orenburg, Russia

PROMOTER: M-1 Global

LIVE STREAM: www.m1global.tv (11.00 a.m. ET / 8:00 a.m. PT in USA)

INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

M-1 CHALLENGE EVENT CALENDAR:

M-1 Challenge 78: Divnich vs. Ismagulov – May 26, 2017 in Orenburg, Russia
M-1 Challenge 79: Shlemenko vs. Halsey – June 1, 2017 in St. Petersburg, Russia
M-1 Challenge 80: Kharitonov vs/ Lopes – June 15, 2017 in Habin, China

NEW YORK – May 25, 2017 – Combate Americas will make its highly-anticipated return to Mexico City, Mexico, with a stacked lineup of professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) action at the storied Salas de Armas on Friday, June 30, live on Azteca America at 10 p.m. ET.

In the “Combate 15” lightweight (155 pounds) main event, recent Combate Americas “Fight of the Night” winner Danny “The Realist” Ramirez (6-2) will square off with seasoned battler Rodrigo “Kazula” Vargas (6-3).

In the featherweight (145 pounds) co-main event, Levy “El Negro” Marroquin (5-1) looks for his second straight win when he collides with the red-hot Andres “The Bullet” Quintana (11-2).

Additionally, Combate Americas will produce its second women’s strawweight (115 pounds) matchup in history when unbeaten upstart Melissa “Melly” Martinez (1-0) goes head-to-head with the venerable Yajaira “Shokolate” Romo (3-2).

“There is no better way to kick off our summer fight campaign than by returning to Mexico City,” Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren said.

“Since we brought the Combate Americas live event series to Mexico for the first time in January,” McLaren continued, “we have been unearthing some of the fiercest, young fight talent in a country that has a proud history of producing legendary world champions and, on June 30, fans will see some of the most electrifying action to date in ‘La Jaula.’”

Additional “Combate 15” matchups will be announced soon.

Rodrigo Vargas vs. Danny Ramirez

The 5-foot-7, 31-year-old Vargas heads into “Combate 15” having won four of his last five starts, with all four victories coming by way of knockout or submission.

Fighting out of Mexico City, “Kazula” will have the hometown crowd on his side as he looks to rebound from last January’s razor-thin decision loss to Marco Antonio Elpidio in what was an epic, see-saw battle at “Combate 10.”

Ramirez, 28, has more than seven years’ experience in the U.S. Marine Corps, which “The Realist” was able to parlay into a successful cagefighing career. After shredding the amateur circuit, the 5-foot-9 Californian turned pro, compiling an impressive 6-2 record with four knockouts.

His most recent victory also received “Fight of the Night” honors at last February’s “Combate 11” affair, where Ramirez upset fan-favorite Erick “Ghost Pepper” Gonzalez in a three-round war in Burbank, Calif.

Levy Marroquin vs. Andres Quintana

One of the top prospects fighting out of Monterrey, Nuevo Leone, Mexico, the 5-foot-8, 21-year-old Marroquin made a successful debut with Combate Americas by outlasting Pablo Sabori at “Combate 12” earlier this year in Tijuana.

“El Negro” boasts four finishes in five wins, split between knockouts (2) and submissions (2).

Quintana, 25, cut his teeth on season 22 of The Ultimate Fighter reality show before returning to the local circuit, where the 6-foot-1 ‘Bullet’ shot up the regional rankings to earn his spot on Combate Americas roster.

The Albuquerque, N.M.-based fighter did not disappoint, turning Combate Americas’ featherweight division on its head with a thrilling, three-round upset win over Team Alpha Male product Erick Sanchez at “Combate 11” last February.

Melissa Martinez vs. Yajaira Romo

Martinez makes her return to Mexico City, as well as her Combate Americas debut, after stopping Iliana Lopez in her first professional fight roughly one year back.

Standing 5-foot-5, Monterrey’s Yajaira Romo looks to return to the win column after her three-fight win streak was halted in early 2016. “Shokolate” is a member of the famed Combate Libre Academia, and possesses knockout power in both hands.

# # #

ABOUT COMBATE AMERICAS
Combate Americas, LLC. is the first U.S. Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise in history, designed to build Latino fighting champions and serve Hispanic fans, one of the world’s most avid groups of prize fighting enthusiasts. The Combate Americas franchise includes reality TV programming, live events and mobile programming. The company’s CEO, Campbell McLaren, is universally recognized as the co-founder/co-creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). New York Magazine described McLaren as “the marketing genius behind the UFC” and Yahoo! Sports proclaimed that he “knows more about the sport than just about anyone in it today.” With an unprecedented product and a blue-chip ownership and management team, Combate Americas is poised to break new ground and bring about a new era in world championship level MMA competition.

ABOUT TV AZTECA
TV Azteca is one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language television programming in the world, operating two national television networks in Mexico, El trece and Azteca 7, through more than 300 owned and operated stations across the country. TV Azteca affiliates include Azteca US, a broadcast television network focused on the rapidly growing U.S. Hispanic market, and Azteca Web, an Internet company for North American Spanish speakers.

ABOUT AZTECA AMERICA’S NETWORK
Azteca America engages Spanish-language viewers by creating unique, passionate and enlightening content that is relevant to the daily lives of our audience. Wholly owned by Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V. one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language content in the world, Azteca America complements its Mexican programs with an innovative lineup of shows from third-party producers and distributors to ensure the finest programming for its audience. The company provides tailored, multi-platform advertising solutions for clients seeking to reach the most dynamic consumer group in the country.

SOCHI, Russia (May 21, 2017) – Two-time M-1 Challenge Light Heavyweight Champion Viktor Nemkov has positioned himself for another title shot, defeating Brazilian challenger Ronny Markes, last Friday night in the M-1 Challenger 77 main event at Sochi, Russia.

Eleven exciting fights were held with athletes representing 10 different countries in true International competition: Russia, Brazil, USA, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, and Azerbajjan.

Nemkov (25-6-0, M-1: 18-5-0), fighting out of Russia, took care of Markes (16-4-0, M-1: 0-1-0) early, by submission in the opening round by way of a guillotine choke. “I waited for the right moment,” Nemkov said after the fight, “concentrating on the guillotine-choke to finish the fight.”

Rising Russian middleweight prospect Artem Frolov (9-0-0, M-1: 6-0-0) needed only 1:14 to knockout Talekh “The Azerbaijan Terminator” Taleh. “It’s hard to tell if the fight could have gone a little longer,” Frolov commented, “but I think it’s a big deal to hurt your opponent like I did. I hope to get a title fight soon.”

In a fascinating battle between unbeaten American lightweight “Motown” Moses Murrieta and Russian Andrey Seledtsov (6-4-0, M-1: 0-3-0), Murietta (5-0-0, M-1: 1-0-) won a hard-fought three-round unanimous decision in his M-1 Global debut. “My opponent never gave up, he’s a strong opponent, Murietta remarked. “I always work on physical training. I wanted to finish the fight early, but maybe next time. I signed a six-fight contract with M-1 Global. The atmosphere here in Sochi and the fans are excellent.”

Georgian lightweight Raul Tutarauli (10-3-0, M-1: 5-1-0) won a three-round unanimous decision against Artur Lemos (8-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), of Portugal, while Russian Viktor Kolesnik (10-2-1, M-1: 1-0-1) did the same versus Philip Rego (10-4-0, M-1: 0-2-0), of Brazil.

On the preliminary card, Russian lightweight Alexey Bruss (2-1-0) submitted Spaniard Daniel Palomo Diaz (3-2-0) by second-round submission (choke), Russian middleweight Sergey Klyuev (1-0-0) punched out Ukrainian Sergey Voloshin (3-1-1) a mere 22 seconds into round one, Russian light heavyweight Nikolay Savilov (5-2-0) stopped German Frank Kortz (4-3-0), Russian lightweight Lom-Ali Nalgiev (13-5-0) won a three-round unanimous decision from Belarusian Sergey Faley (20-10-0), Ukrainian featherweight Andrey “Iron” Lezhnev (16-7-0) knocked out Russian Kurbanali Abdusalmov (6-4-0) in round one, and Russian lightweight prospect Paul Gordeeva (7-1-0) won a three-round unanimous decision against Tinn Kinne (4-2-0), of Germany.

Photos are available at: https://yadi.sk/d/_QfsW-NE3JLsPd

INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

M-1 CHALLENGE EVENT CALENDAR:

M-1 Challenge 78: Divnich vs. Ismagulov – May 26, 2017 in Orenburg, Russia
M-1 Challenge 79: Shlemenko vs. Halsey – June 1, 2017 in St. Petersburg, Russia
M-1 Challenge 80: Kharitonov vs. Lopes – June 15, 2017 in Harbin, China
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premier entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With its office in St Petersburg, Russia, the M-1 brand has staged more than 200 events worldwide, including M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the U.S. network, Showtime. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Sergei Kharitonov, Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2017 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition, featuring a full calendar of Challenge events, fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global Champions among the greatest fighters in the sport.

ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you by M-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription. Your world of action. Anytime!

TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents an action-packed weekend of live combat sports, beginning this afternoon, Friday, May 19, at 12 p.m. ET with M-1 Selection and M-1 Challenge 77: Nemkov vs. Marques from Sochi, Russia. Later tonight, at 9 p.m. ET, Legacy Fighting Alliance returns to Prior Lake, Minn. for a live broadcast of LFA 12: Krantz vs. Neumann. And on Saturday, May 20, GLORY, the world’s premier kickboxing league, returns to Holland for a live doubleheader, beginning with GLORY 41 Holland at 1 p.m. ET, followed by GLORY 41 SuperFight Series at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Airing live on Fight Network in Canada, the U.S. and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, today’s M-1 Selection undercard at 12 p.m. ET will feature a bantamweight showdown between Sergey Voloshin and Sergey Klyuev, lightweight matchups pitting Daniel Palomo Diaz against Alexey Bruss and Sergey Faley against Lom-Ali Nalgiev, a welterweight contest between Andrey Lezhnev and Kurbanali Abdusalamov, plus Russian prospect Pavel Gordeev throws down with Germany’s Till Kinne in the featured M-1 Selection preliminary bout.

Airing live exclusively in Canada at 2:30 p.m. ET, M-1 Challenge 77: Nemkov vs. Marques is headlined by an explosive light heavyweight clash, as Russia’s Viktor Nemkov (24-6) battles Brazilian veteran Ronny Marques (16-4). In other featured bouts, middleweights Talekh Nadzhafadze (5-1-1) and Moses Murrietta (4-0) enter enemy territory against Russian stars Artem Frolov (8-0) and Andrey Seledtsov (6-3), respectively, Portuguese lightweight Artur Lemos (8-2) meets Georgia’s Raul Tutarauli (9-4), plus Brazilian Felipe Rego (9-3) takes on rising Russian featherweight Viktor Kolesnik (9-2-1).

Airing live tonight at 9 p.m. ET in Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, LFA 12: Krantz vs. Neumann will feature a welterweight championship bout between American up-and-comers Derrick Krantz (19-9) and Ben Neumann (12-4). In other action, Chase Waldon (10-2) takes on Cully Butterfield (14-5) in a middleweight matchup, undefeated Bobby Lee (6-0) risks his perfect record in a lightweight clash against Jeff Peterson (4-3), Cameron Olson (7-2) faces Julian Marquez (4-1) in a light heavyweight tilt, Dan Moret (11-3) and Brandon Jenkins (10-4) square off in lightweight action, featherweight Nate Jennerman (8-2) meets Damion Hill (12-7), plus Chad Curry (8-1) seeks his second straight triumph opposite fellow welterweight Kyle Kurtz (7-4).

This Saturday, all eyes shift to the kickboxing world, as GLORY presents a star-studded live doubleheader across Canada and Turkey.

First, at 1 p.m. ET, GLORY 41 Holland will be co-headlined by No. 6 ranked Egyptian slugger Hesdy “Fighterheart” Gerges (49-18-1, 23 KO) and 6’9″ behemoth “Chopper” Chi Lewis-Parry (8-1, 4 KO), ranked No 8. Gerges and Lewis-Parry were initially booked to do battle at GLORY 39 SuperFight Series last month, but the bout was ultimately called off on fight night, leaving no love lost between the heavyweight competitors set to square off again.

GLORY 41 Holland will feature three additional heavyweight tilts, pitting the roster’s hardest hitters against each other in a one-night, four-man heavyweight contender tournament.

German prospect Mohamed Abdallah (12-1, 5 KO) competes in the first of two heavyweight tournament semifinal match-ups, taking on Curaçaoan-Dutch striker D’Angelo Marshall (14-2, 8 KO), while Greek standout Giannis “Hercules” Stoforidis (19-5, 11 KO) draws a tough opponent for his GLORY debut, competing against No. 9 ranked Brazilian veteran Anderson “Braddock” Silva (40-16-1, 25 KO) in the tournament opening round.

Also featured on the GLORY 41 Holland card is a featherweight tilt between two debuting prospects in China’s 19-year-old Chenglong Zhang (38-5, 11 KO) and 23-year-old Dutchman Wilson Sanches Mendes (5-2-1).

The complete five-fight card for GLORY 41 Holland can be found below:

-Heavyweight Tournament Final Bout: Winner of Bout A vs. Winner of Bout B
-Heavyweight Co-Headline Bout: Hesdy Gerges vs. Chi Lewis-Parry
-Featherweight Bout: Chenglong Zhang vs. Wilson Sanches Mendes
-Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal Bout B: D’Angelo Marshall vs. Mohamed Abdallah
-Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal Bout A: Anderson Silva vs. Giannis Stoforidis

At 3:30 p.m. ET, GLORY 41 SuperFight Series will feature heavyweight world champion Rico Verhoeven (50-10, 14 KO) welcoming former Enfusion heavyweight champion and current Enfusion No. 1 heavyweight contender Ismael “The Star” Lazaar (30-2-2, 15 KO) to the GLORY ring for a five-round, non-title superfight.

Plus, former lightweight and featherweight world champion Robin “Pokerface” van Roosmalen (37-7, 21 KO) will battle 21-year-old prospect “The Professor” Petchpanomrung Kiatmookao (156-35-2, 25 KO) to determine the featherweight division’s next champion, as the vacant GLORY featherweight world title is on the line.

The complete six-fight card for GLORY 41 SuperFight Series can be found below:

-Heavyweight Superfight Headline Bout: Rico Verhoeven vs. Ismael Lazaar
-Featherweight World Title Bout: Robin van Roosmalen vs. Petchpanomrung Kiatmookao
-Welterweight Bout: Murthel Groenhart vs. Alan Scheinson
-Light Heavyweight Bout: Michael Duut vs. Mourad Bouzidi
-Lightweight Bout: Tyjani Beztati vs. Youssef Assouik
-Featherweight Bout: Zakaria Zouggary vs. Yetkin Ozkul

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

18 May 2017 – Singapore: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has announced a partnership with GoDaddy, the world’s largest cloud platform dedicated to small, independent ventures. Both companies will work closely together to bring mixed martial arts in Asia to greater heights. GoDaddy branding is set to be featured at ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES which will take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 26 May. The main event of the card will feature ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee as she defends her title against Brazil’s Istela Nunes. In the co-main event, ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren takes on rising young star Agilan “Alligator” Thani of Malaysia.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “I’m thrilled to be working with GoDaddy as our partnership signifies another monumental moment for the sport of mixed martial arts and for ONE Championship. GoDaddy has a great history of working with other sporting organizations and it is a privilege for ONE Championship to announce this collaboration. Singapore is set to witness the biggest mixed martial arts event in history on 26 May, and we are delighted to have GoDaddy on board with us in delivering world-class MMA action to fans all over the globe.”

Roger Chen, Vice President of Asia, GoDaddy, stated: “GoDaddy is committed to helping small businesses and entrepreneurs get online and grow their ventures. We have a successful track record of partnerships with global sporting bodies and we’re delighted to partner with one of Asia’s largest sports media properties, ONE Championship. ONE Championship provides a great opportunity for GoDaddy to build relationships with people across Asia and bring attention to the importance of having a strong online presence.”

GoDaddy powers the world’s largest cloud platform dedicated to small, independent ventures. With more than 17 million customers worldwide and more than 71 million domain names under management, GoDaddy is the place people come to name their idea, build a professional website, attract customers and manage their work.

ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES features the absolute best in local and international mixed martial arts talent. The card is headlined by a tremendous matchup between ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee and Muay Thai champion Istela Nunes. Lee won the title in 2016 at just 19-years of age, becoming the youngest world champion in the history of mixed martial arts.

Former 2x Olympian and one of the best welterweights in the world pound-for-pound, Ben Askren, will grace the ONE Championship cage in the evening’s co-main event opposite the awe-inspiring Agilan Thani. Thani earned the right to challenge Askren after going unbeaten in his professional career, winning seven bouts in a row by spectacular finish.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

For more information about GoDaddy, please visit: sg.godaddy.com/.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 118+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

About GoDaddy
GoDaddy powers the world’s largest cloud platform dedicated to small, independent ventures. With more than 17 million customers worldwide and more than 71 million domain names under management, GoDaddy is the place people come to name their idea, build a professional website, attract customers and manage their work. Our mission is to give our customers the tools, insights and the people to transform their ideas and personal initiative into success. To learn more about the company, visitwww.GoDaddy.com.

© 2017 ONE Championship™. All Rights Reserved.

The World Series of Fighting MMA brand, through WSOF Global continues to thrive all around the world. This past weekend, fans were thrilled to see the first live Russian fights streaming when WSOF Global co-promoted an awesome event with Modern Fighting Pankration at the sold out arena in Khabarovsk, Russia. Fans of WSOF Global will certainly see more great MMA fights and superior talent with 3 more live events scheduled on May 20, 2017 from Argentina, Japan, and Brazil. A week later, events will also be held in Australia and England. Additionally, WSOF Global will host WSOF Global Championship 5 in South Africa on June 3rd 2017 and then WSOF Global Championship 6 in Australia on July 8th 2017.

“When the news was released about WSOF (USA) planning on changing their business model and promotion name, there was a lot of speculation that took place. There may have been certain reasons behind a name change domestically for the US company and its events, but this is globally branded company. We at WSOF Global want the fans to know we are still promoting more exciting MMA events this year, and offering a platform for everyone in the world to watch these fights.” WSOF Global’s COO, Darren Owen states. “There are a lot of great MMA markets around the world, and many world class promotions and fights are taking place. We are working with dozens of different promotions to improve their product and showcase their fighters and events to millions of fans. Our business model is currently booming and we are adding more and more promotions weekly.”

Shawn Wright, President of WSOF Global added, “As a founding co-owner of the World Series of Fighting, it certainly has been exciting to see the continued evolution of the US company, and we look forward to also promoting the new US brand under the exclusive license agreement. More importantly to me were the accomplishments and accolades of the unique WSOF Global team from around the world. I have never experienced this type of comradery from so many individual promotions to promote pure MMA at a global scale. This isn’t the Hollywood style fights you experience on PPV in the USA, this is just pure sport. Having so many fighters, coaches, teams, and promotions working together has been a phenomenal experience that many said we couldn’t accomplish. Our Global team did it.”

WSOF Global’s platform currently consists of 24 promotions from 21 different countries on 6 continents hosting approximately 100 events in 2017. With WSOF Global’s online subscription of only $9.99/month, fans can watch all of the live events and have access to the full fight library of many promotions worldwide.

World Series of Fighting Global Championship is dedicated to growing the international brand of World Series of Fighting throughout the world by adding affiliate organizations to develop their athletes and provide them with opportunities to compete on larger platforms for the advancement of the sport of MMA. Media inquiries should be sent to Darren Owen, Chief Operations Officer of World Series of Fighting Global Championship, at dowen@themmaworldcup.com Follow them on Twitter and Instagram @wsofglobal