And still champion…….Alexey Kuchenko (R)

M-1 Challenge 90 RESULTS

SAN PETERSBURGO, Rusia (Marzo 31, 2018) – M-1 Challenge welterweight champion Alexey Kunchenko improved his professional MMA record to a perfect 18-0-0, stopping Russian challenger Alexander “Iron Capture” Butenko in the third round of last night’s M-1 Challenge 9- evento principal, at M-1 Arena in Saint Petersburg, Rusia.

The 33-year-old Kunchenko (17-0-0, M-1: 10-0-0), also fighting out of Russia, has been the M-1 Challenge welterweight champion for nearly two years, cando nocauteou Murad Abdulaev na cuarta rolda M-1 Desafío 65. Kunchenko notched his 13^th knockout against former M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Butenko (45-13-3, M-1: 11-3-1) in the third round on punches in his fourth successful title defense.

No evento co-featured, American veteran Joe “Diesel Riggs (47-18-1, M-1: 2-0-1) and Ukrainian middleweight Boris Polejay (18-6-1, M-1: 2-1-1) battled to a three-round split draw.

Brazilian flyweight Raphael Dias (15-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0) used an arm triangle choke to defeated former M-1 Challenge flyweight title challenger Vadim “Bad Santa” Malygin (12-4-1, M-1: 2-3-1), de Rusia, for a second-round victory by submission.

Perspectiva ruso Magomedkamil Malikov (5-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0) kept his perfect pro record intact, perforando Sado “The Panther” Ucar (5-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), of Turkey, in the second round of a match contested at a catchweight.

In the main card opening fight, Ruso medios Oleg Olenichev (10-5-0, M-1: 1-2-0) took a unanimous decision over Salmar “Sombra” Nunes (35-13-1, M-1: 0-1-0), do Brasil.

Most of the preliminary card action took place on that mat with five eight matches ending in submissions. Frenchman Bakary El Anwar (6-5-0, M-1: 1-0-0) won his M-1 Global debut with an ankle hook on Russian light heavyweight Alexander Popov (2-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0) for an opening-round submission, Luz ruso peso-pesado Dmitry Tebekin (9-3-0, M-1: 3-1-0) took a majority decision over Abylkasym Yakubob (4-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), do Quirguicistán, and Yakibob’s countryman, Nureles Aidarov (3-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0), made the most of his M-1 Global debut, batendo fóra de Rusia Oleg Lichkovakha (3-3-0, 2 NC, M-1: 0-2-0, 1 NC) with a knee in round one.

In a battle of pro-debuting Russian middleweights at a catchweight, Vladimir Trisov‘s anaconda choke was too much to handle for Vyacheslay Babkin, Welterweight ruso Movsar Bokov (4-1-0, M-1: 3-1-0) registered a submission win by way of a second-round submission versus Georgian Levan Solodovnik (5-3-0, M-1: 1-2-0) via an angle lock, and Russian lightweight Kurban Taygibov (7-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0) toon a unanimous decision fromLom-Alí Nalgiev (14-7-0, M-1: 5-2-0), de Rusia.

In a match-up between a pair of undefeated lightweights, Ruso Roman Bogatov (5-0-0, M-1; 4-0-0) presentado Tahir “Tanque” Abdullaev (6-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), de Acerbaixán, in the second round with an arm triangle choke. French featherweight Damien Peltier (9-8-1, M-1: 1-0-0) had an impressive M-1 Global debut, locking in a triangle choke on Maksim Kuldashev (2-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0) for a second-round triumph.

Ten different countries were represented by fighters in this International event: Rusia, EUA, Ucraína, Brasil, Turkey, Francia, Kirguizistán, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

Complete results & picture gallery below:

CARD PRINCIPAL

MAIN EVENT — M-1 CHALLENGE WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Alexey Kunchenko (18-0-0, M-1: 10-0-0), Campión, Rusia

WTKO3 (Socos – 4:04)

Alexander Butenko (45-13-3, M-1: 11-3-1), Reto, Rusia

(Kunchenko retains M-1 Challenge welterweight title)

CO-FEATURE – Medio-medio

Joe Riggs (47-17-1, 1 NV, M-1: 2-0-1), EUA

D3

Boris Polejay (18-6-1, M-1: 2-1-1), Ucraína

FLYWEIGHTS

Rafael Dias (15-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Brasil

SUB2 (Arm Triangle Choke – 4:39)

Vadim Malygin (12-4-1, M-1: 2-3-1), Rusia

CATCHWEIGHT

Magomedkamil Malikov (5-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Rusia

WTKO2 (Socos – 0:30)

Sado Ucar (5-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Turkey

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Oleg Olenichev (109-5-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Rusia

WDEC3

Salmar Nunes (35-13-1, 1 NC, M-1: 0-1-0), Brasil

CARD PRELIMINAR

Medio-pesados

Bakary El Anwar (6-5-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Francia

WSUB1 (0:27)

Alexander Popov (2-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Rusia

Dmitry Tebekin (9-3-0, M-1: 3-1-0)

DEC3

Abylkasym Yakubov (4-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Kirguizistán

CATCHWEIGHT

Nureles Aidarov (3-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Kirguizistán

WKO1 (Knee kick – 0:12)

Oleg Lichkovakha (3-3-0, 2 NC, M-1: 0-2-0, 1 NC)

Medio-medio

Vladimir Trusov (1-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0)), Rusia

Wseb1 (Anaconda Choke – 2:48)

Vyacheslav Babkin (0-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Rusia

Welterweights

Movsar Bokov (4-1-0, M-1:3-1-0), Rusia

WSUB2 (Ankle Lock – 1:35)

Levan Solodovnik (5-3-0, M-1: 1-2-0), Georgia

Pesos lixeiros

Kurban Taygibov (7-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0)

WDEC3

Lom-Alí Nalgiev (14-7-0, M-1: 5-2-0), Rusia

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Roman Bogatov (5-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0), Rusia

WSUB2 (Arm Triangle Choke – 1:21)

Tahir Abdullaev (6-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Acerbaixán

Pesos plumas

Damien Peltier (9-8-1, M-1: 1-0-0), Francia

WSEB2 (Triangle Chok – 4:55)

Maksim Kuldashev (2-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Uzbekistan

Kunchenko (L) attacked Butenko

Polejay (L) & Riggs battled to a draw

Dias (R) got a kick out of Malygin

Olenichev (L) edged Nunes

Aidarov (R) showed concern for his fallen opponent Lichkovakha