ST. ਪੀਟਰ੍ਜ਼੍ਬਰ੍ਗ, ਰੂਸ (ਜਨਵਰੀ 17, 2016) – M-1 Global has officially announced the launching of the 2016 M-1 Grand Prix Middleweight Tournament series. The first match will be a showdown atM-1 ਚੁਣੌਤੀ 64, ਫਰਵਰੀ 19 at Olympic Stadium in Moscow between three-time Bellator championਸਿਕੰਦਰ “ਤੂਫ਼ਾਨ” Shlemenkoand former M-1 Challenge middleweight and light heavyweight titlistVyacheslav Vasilevsky
The dream battle between Russian favorites Shlemenko (51-9-0, M-1: 2-0-0) and Vasilevsky (27-3-0, M-1: 10-1-0), featuring two of the most respected strikers in the middleweight division, strengthens an already explosiveM-1 ਚੁਣੌਤੀ 64card that includes an M-1 Challenge heavyweight title fight.
M-1 Global’s newly-signedਸਿਕੰਦਰ “Drago” Volkov (24-6-0, M-1: 8-3-0), ਰੂਸ ਦੇ, battles powerful Estonian challengerDenis Smoldaraev (11-1-0, M-1: 7-1-0) for the vacant M-1 Challenge heavyweight championship.
Known as one of the strongest and most popular fighters in Russia, Schlemenko has knocked out 29 ਵਿਰੋਧੀ, while the equally dangerous Vasilevsky is a five-time combat Sambo World Champion.
Another previously announced main card match is a M-1 Challenge bantamweight semifinal eliminator, Pavel Vitruk(12-2-0, M-1: 6-2-0) ਦਾ ਸਾਹਮਣਾ Sergey Morozov (4-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0) with the winner advancing to fight for thevacant M-1 Challenge bantamweight title with the victor of a soon-to-be announced second title eliminator