ST. PETERSBURG, Rusia (Xaneiro 16, 2017) – M-1 Global has announced that M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Alexander “Iron Capture” Butenko will take on challenger Abukar Yandiev (8-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0) no M-1 Desafío 74 co-feature on Febreiro 18, en St. Petersburg, Rusia.

The previously announced main event pits undefeated M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion Rashid Yusupov (6-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0), de Rusia, defends his title against former titlist Stephan “T-800” Puetz (15-2-0, M-1: 6-1-0), de Alemaña.

M-1 Desafío 74 será transmitido en directo desde St. Petersburg en alta definición na www.M1Global.TV. Os espectadores van poder asistir as loitas preliminares e card principal, rexistrándose se rexistrar en www.M1Global.TV. Os fans poden asistir a toda a acción nos seus ordenadores, así como sobre Android e Apple smartphones e tabletas.

Also announced is a fight between top bantamweights Vitaly Branchuk eMoktar “Le Kabyle” Benkaci will also be in action with the winner positioning himself for a potential title shot with M-1 Challenge bantamweight championPavel Vitruk in the not-too-distant future.

A strong Ukrainian with superior wrestling skills, Butenko (42-11-2, M-1: 9-1-0) is an eight-year MMA veteran who has found a welcomed home in M-1 Challenge competition and he has taken advantage of the opportunity. Riding a six-fight win streak, the 29-year-old Butenko captured the vacant M-1 Challenge lightweight title belt last June at M-1 Challenge 67, when he took a five-round unanimous decision over Artiom Damkovsky.

Na súa última acción, no M-1 Challenge 71 en outubro, Butenko won a unanimous three-round decision against Rubenilton Pereira in a non-title fight.

Butenko’s first title defense will be against one of the most popular MMA fighters in Russia, the fighting powerhouse Yandiev, who also is a strong wrestler, plus a solid Judo background. The rising lightweight star will be a certain fan favor because of his nationality as well as his style of fighting, resulting in first-round endings in all his pro fights to date.

Last June at M-1 Desafío 68, Yandiev used an armlock for a first-round submission of Tony Christodoulou, fought at a 177 ½ lbs. catchweight.

Like Butenko, Branchuk (21-6-0, M-1: 1-2-0) also fights out of Ukraine. The 25-year-old fighter is a former M-1 Challenge bantamweight title challenger, who was riding an eight-fight into his last fight, in which he lost by fourth-round submission (afogador) to the aforementioned Vitruk (see accompanying picture to left). In M-1 Challenge competition, Branchuk defeated Antun Racicone year ago, by way of a three-round split decision at M-1 Desafío 64.

Benkaci (13-7-0, (M-1: 2-1-0) is a grappling specialist from France. Known and highly respected for his great conditioning and endurance, he lost a disputed three-round decision in his M-1 Challenge debut to Nikita Chistyakov 1-½ years ago, but the talented Frenchman bounced back to knockout his last two opponents, Vadim Malygin eAlexey Naumov, respectivamente, by knee and punch.

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