Tag Archives: Alexander Shlemenko

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

HISAKI KATO TAKES ON A.J. MATTHEWS IN MIDDLEWEIGHT CLASH AS BELLATOR MMA INVADES MEMPHIS ON OCT. 21

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GOITI YAMAUCHI-RYAN COUTURE SQUARE OFF IN LIGHTWEIGHT MAIN CARD BOUT – RICKY RAINEY VS. GILBERT SMITH CONFIRMED FOR PRELIMINARY CARD

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (September 16, 2016) – A middleweight pairing pitting Hisaki Kato (6-2) against A.J. Matthews (8-5) has been added to the main card of “Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove” at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on October 21.

In addition, a lightweight faceoff pitting  Goiti Yamauchi (19-3) against Ryan Couture (10-4) completes the SPIKE-televised main card. The first of what will be a stacked preliminary card is also official, with the news that Ricky “The Sniper” Rainey (11-4) will fight Gilbert “Chocolate Thunder” Smith (12-5). Additional undercard bouts will be announced shortly.

Tickets for the event are on sale now at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster or FedExForum Box Office. Main card action kicks off LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while prelims streams live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.

Since signing with Bellator MMA, the calm and subdued Kato has been in nothing but absolute barn burners once the cage door shuts. The exciting fights have even transcended combat sport iterations, when at “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 2” Kato delivered a spinning back fist that stopped Joe Schilling in his tracks, the second finish in as many tries for “The Japanese Musketeer” against “Stitch Em’ Up.” Currently situated in France, the 33-year-old has had one MMA contest thus far in 2016, stopping Yuta Watanabe in April.

When he’s not traveling the world in an effort to learn everything there is to know about the different martial arts disciplines, Matthews is putting his skills to the test under the Bellator MMA umbrella. A veteran of Strikeforce, “The Mercenary” has laced up the gloves seven times previously for the Viacom-owned promotion, stopping his opponent in all but one of his victories. Primarily training at Alliance MMA throughout his career, Matthews has spent much of his time as of late in Thailand, even taking a Muay Thai bout before meeting Ben Reiter at “Bellator 156: Galvao vs. Dantas 2.”

At just 23-years-old, Yamauchi is one of the premiere young talents in the sport of MMA today. Prior to joining Bellator MMA, the Japanese submission specialist amassed an unfathomable 14-1 record with 11 submissions and one knockout. Since merging with the Scott Coker-led promotion, Yamauchi has strung together a promising mark of 5-2 with three rear-naked choke submissions. Of his 19 career wins, 15 have come by way of submission, while no opponent has yet been able to finish the elusive fighter. Yamauchi will now jump up in weight class and join the lightweight division for a clash with one of the most legendary last names in MMA, Couture.

Known to many as the son of former world champion Randy Couture, Ryan has made 14 professional appearances over his career, all of which took place under the bright lights of a national promotion like Strikeforce or Bellator MMA. Residing in Las Vegas, the 34-year-old submission specialist enters the cage having won four of his past five contests, with each of his victories coming by way of rear-naked choke submission. Although there is a noticeable age difference between his opponent, Yamauchi made his professional debut a mere two months after Couture, in October of 2010. Tune in to SPIKE on October 21 to see which Bellator MMA lightweight powerhouse will emerge victorious.

 

Complete “Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs. Grove” Main Card:

Middleweight Main Event: Alexander Shlemenko (53-9) vs. Kendall Grove (23-15)

Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Bobby Lashley (14-2) vs. Josh Appelt (12-5)

Middleweight Feature Bout: Hisaki Kato (6-2) vs. A.J. Matthews (8-5)

Lightweight Feature Bout: Goiti Yamauchi (19-3) vs. Ryan Couture (10-4)

 

Preliminary Card:

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Ricky Rainey (11-4) vs. Gilbert Smith (12-5)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

BELLATOR MMA FORECASTS ‘STORM’ AT MEMPHIS’ FEDEXFORUM ON OCT. 21, WHEN ALEXANDER SHLEMENKO RETURNS TO FACE KENDALL GROVE

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BOBBY LASHLEY LOOKS TO SOLIDIFY HIMSELF AS TOP BELLATOR HEAVYWEIGHT AGAINST JOSH APPELT

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (August 29, 2016) – On Oct. 21, Bellator MMA will come to FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., when the Scott Coker-led promotion presents a card headlined by the return of former middleweight champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (53-9), who meets Kendall Grove(23-15) in middleweight action.

In addition, during the card’s co-main event, the always-exciting former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley (14-2) meets Josh Appelt (12-5) in heavyweight action.

Tickets for the event go on sale September 2 at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster or FedExForum Box Office. Bellator Nation (www.bellator.com/bellatornation) will have special access to a pre-sale offering from Aug. 31-Sept. 1. Main card action kicks off LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and additional main card and undercard bouts will be announced shortly.

A former Bellator MMA Middleweight Champion, the “Storm” has kept busy, racking up a pair of wins already in 2016, and adding to his seemingly endless resume of victories since turning pro in 2004. A natural born finisher, Shlemenko’s success in MMA has also translated to coaching, as he’s played a pivotal role in the ascension of current Bellator MMA welterweight kingpin Andrey Koreshkov.

Also of note, due to Shlemenko’s recent suspension, Bellator officials have enlisted the services of The Mohegan Department of Athletic Regulation to administer drug tests before and after Shlemenko’s fight against Grove. The former middleweight champion is presently licensed with the Mohegan commission.

Fixated on getting another shot a Bellator’s middleweight title, Grove has strung together two emphatic stoppage wins since losing his bid to attain gold at“Bellator 137: Halsey vs. Grove.” The winner of “The Ultimate Fighter: 3” on SPIKE, the Maui, Hawaii, native has also been competing professionally for longer than a decade, racking up victories and a plethora of finishes along the way. An experienced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and Muay Thai practitioner, Shlemenko will need to be on his A-game when the two square off in the card’s main event on Oct. 21.

Lashley is a must-see mixed martial artist, as well as professional wrestler, and will make his first appearance inside the Bellator cage in 2016 during the co-main event at FedExForum. “The Dominator” will be looking to run his current winning streak to eight fights, and five-straight finishes. With the heavyweight belt recently vacated, there’s an argument that can be made that the Aurora, Colo., native is the big man to beat in Bellator MMA’s heavyweight weight class.

Appelt was set to make his fifth appearance under the direction of Bellator MMA against Sergei Kharitonov at “Bellator 154: Davis vs. King Mo,” but after the 35-year-old Russian withdrew due to illness, Appelt was forced to wait. Now, “The Juggernaut” is once again set to return, and again, the 33-year-old California native will have his hands full. With ten stoppages in 12 victories, Appelt will look to use his striking ability to nullify the strong wrestling pedigree of Lashley.

Updated “Bellator MMA: Shlemenko vs. Grove” Main Card:

Middleweight Main Event: Alexander Shlemenko (53-9) vs. Kendall Grove (23-15)

Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Bobby Lashley (14-2) vs. Josh Appelt (12-5)

M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA

Shlemenko submits Vasilevsky to capture M-1 Grand Prix middleweight championship

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Volkov KOs Vegh to retain
M-1 Challenge heavyweight title
 
M-1 Challenge 68
OFFICIAL RESULTS
New M-1 Grand Prix middleweight champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (June 17, 2016) – Former three-time Bellator champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko submitted Vyacheslav Vasilevsky to capture the M-1 Grand Prix Middleweight Championship, while fellow Russian Alexander “Drago” Volkov knocked out Attila “Pumukli” Vegh, last night at M-1 Challenge 68 in St. Petersburg, Russia’s Yubileyny Sports Palace.
Shlemenko (53-9-0, M-1: 4-0-0) qualified for the M-1 Grand Prix middleweight final as did reigning M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev (14-3-0, M-1: 8-1-0).  Leading up to their showdown, however, Emeev suffered ligament damage to his elbow, forcing him out of his fight with Shlemenko.  Vasilevsky (28-5-0, M-1: 10-3-0), who Shlemenko had defeated by decision in the M-1 Grand Prix middleweight semifinals, accepted the challenge to replace Emeev a rematch. Shlemenko used a choke hold to submit the always tough Vasilevsky in the third round.
 
In his first M-1 Challenge heavyweight title defense, Volkov (26-6-0, M-1: 9-3-0) stopped Vegh (11-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0), fighting out of Slovakia, in the opening round.
 
M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Alexander “Drago” Volkov
 
In other main event fights, Russian welterweight Sergey Romonav (9-1-0, M-1: 2-0-0) defeated Andreas Birgels (12-10-0, M-1: 0-1-0), of Germany, by way of a first-round technical knockout, Russian welterweight Abukar Yandiev (5-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0) submitted Greek-born American Tony Christodoulou (12-7-0, M-1: 0-1-0) in the opening round,  Russian middleweight Valery “The Russian Hammer” Myasnikov (10-1-2, M-1: 1-1-2) and Spaniard Enoc Solves Torres (18-9-1, M-1: 5-6-1) fought to a three-round draw.
 
On the preliminary card, Ukrainian featherweight Andrei “Iron” Lezhnev (8-5-0, M-1: 2-2-0) choked out Russian foe Kuznetsov (5-2-0 (M-1: 2-2-0).  Russian lightweight Alexey “Ataman” Makhno (11-4-0, M-1: 3-1-0), Russian heavyweight Anton Vyazigin (6-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russian welterweight Maksim Grabovich (4-2-0, M-1: 4-0-0) and Belarussian lightweight Maksim Pugachev (3-0-00, M-1 1-0-0) all won their matches by unanimous three-round decisions.
 
Complete results and photo gallery below:
 
MAIN CARD
MAIN EVENT – M-1 GRAND PRIX MIDDLEWEIHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Alexander Shlemenko (53-9-0, M-1: 4-0-0), Russia
WSUB3
Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (28-5-0, M-1: 10-2-0), Russia
(Sclemenko won M-1 Grand Prix middleweight title)
CO-FEATURE – M-1 CHALLENGE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Alexander Volkov (26-6-0, M-1: 10-3-0), Russia
WKO1
Attila Vegh (11-2-0, M-1: 7-2-0), Slovakia
(Volkov retained M-1 Challenge heavyweight title)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Enoc Solves Torres (18-9-1, M-1: 5-6-1)
DRAW3
Valery Myasnikov (10-1-2, M-1: 1-1-2)
WELTERWEIGHTS
Sergei Romanov (9-1-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia
WTKO1
Andreas Birgels (12-10-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Germany
Abukar Yandiev (5-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Russia
WSUB1
Tony Christodoulou (12-7-0, M-1: 0-1-0), USA
PRELIMINARY CARD
HEAVYWEIGHTS
Anton Vyazigin (6-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia
WDEC3
Daniil Arepyev (5-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Russia
WELTERWEIGHTS
Maksim Grabovich (4-2-0, M-1: 4-0-0), Russia
WDEC3
Danila Prikaza (3-1-1, M-1: 2-1-0), Russia
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Alexey Makhno (11-4-0, M-1: 3-1-0), Russia
WDEC3
Felipe Rego (7-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Brazil
Murodzhon Kodirov (2-0-0), M-1: 1-0-0), Russia
WDEC3
Maksim Pugachev (2-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0)
FEATHERWEIGHTS
Andrei Lezhnev (8-5-0, M-1: 2-2-0), Ukraine
WSUB1
Mikhail Kuznetsov (5-2-0, M-1: 2-2-0), Russia
Vasilvesky & Shlemenko
Volkov & Vegh

Christodoulou & Yandiev

Torres & Myasnikov

Grabovich & Prikaza
  Kodirov & Pugachev
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M-1 CHALLENGE 68 OFFICIAL WEIGHTS

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PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
M-1 Challenge 68
WATCH ON M-1GLOBAL.TV
Thursday, June 16 at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT in U.S.A.
 
OFFICIAL WEIGHTS
MAIN CARD
MAIN EVENT – M-1 GRAND PRIX MIDDLEWEIHT CHAMPIONSHIP – 5 X 5
ALEXANDER “Storm” SHLEMENKO (52-9-0, M-1: 3-0-0), Russia 184 1/2 lbs. (83.7 kg)
vs.
VYACHESLAV VASILEVSKY (28-4-0, M-1: 10-2-0), Russia 185 lbs. (84.0 kg)
CO-FEATURE – M-1 CHALLENGE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP – 5 X 5
ALEXANDER “Drago” VOLKOV (25-6-0, M-1: 9-3-0), Russia 238 lbs. (108.0 kg)
vs.
ATTILA “Pumukli” VEGH (11-1-0, M-1: 7-1-0), Slovakia 220 lbs. (100.1 kg)
WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
SERGEI ROMANOV (8-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia 169 1/2 lbs. (76.9 kg)
vs.
ANDREAS BIRGELS (12-9-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Germany 169 1/2 lbs. (76.9 kg)

ABUKAR YANDIEV (4-1-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Russia 175 lbs. (79.5 kg)
vs.
TONY CHRISTODOULOU (12-6-0, M-1: 0-0-0), USA 177 1/2 lbs. (80.5 kg)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS — 3 X 5
ENOC SOLVES TORRES (18-9-0, M-1: 5-6-0), Spain 183 1/2 lbs. (83.7 kg)
vs.
VALERY “The Russian Hammer” MYASNIKOV (10-1-1, M-1: 1-1-1), Russia 184 1/2 lbs. (83.7 kg)
PRELIMINARY CARD
HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
DANIIL AREPYEV (5-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Russia 271 lbs. (123.3 kg)
vs.
ANTON VYAZIGIN (5-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Russia 249 lbs. (113.5 kg)
WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
DANILA PRIKAZA (3-0-1, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia 169 1/2 lbs. (77.0 kg)
vs.
MAKSIM GRABOVICH (3-2-0, M-1: 3-0-0), Russia 169 1/2 lbs. (76.9 kg)
LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
FELIPE REGO (7-2-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Brazil 154 1/2 lbs. (70.2 kg)
vs.
ALEXEY “Ataman” MAKHNO (10-4-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Russia 154 1/2 lbs. (70.1 kg)
 

MURODZHON KODIROV (1-0-0), M-1: 0-0-0), Russia 151 1/2 lbs. (68.9 kg)
vs.
MAKSIM PUGACHEV (2-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0) 154 1/2 lbs. (70.2 kg)
FEATHERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
ANDREI “Iron” LEZHNEV (7-5-0, M-1: 1-2-0), Ukraine 145 lbs. (65.9 kg)
vs.
MIKHAIL KUZNETSOV (5-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Russia 144 1/2 lbs. (65.6 kg)
WHEN:             Thursday, June 16, 2016
WHERE:           St. Petersburg, Russia
PROMOTER:    M-1 Global
LIVE STREAM: www.m-1global.tv (11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT in USA) 
 
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Vyacheslav Vasilevsky replaces injured Ramazan Emeev vs. Alexander Shlemenko

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M-1 Grand Prix Middleweight Championship
 
 
M-1 Challenge 68, June 16 in St. Petersburg, Russia
 
(L-R) – Vyacheslav Vasilevsky & Alexander Shlemenko
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (May 17, 2016) – Former M-1 Challenge light heavyweight and middleweight champion Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (28-4-0, M-1: 10-2-0) has stepped up to replace injured Ramazan Emeev against Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (52-9-0, M-1: 3-0-0) in the final of the M-1 Grand Prix Middleweight Tournament, headlining
M-1 Challenge 68, June 16 at Yubileyny Sports Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Emeev (14-3-0, M-1: 8-1-0) suffered a torn ligament in his elbow during training camp. In a M-1 Challenge Grand Prix Middleweight Tournament semifinals match last February, Vasilevsky lost a majority decision to Shlemenko in the M-1 Challenge 64 Fight of the Night.
“We were in a very difficult situation after Ramazan Emeev got injured,” M-1 Global president Vadim Finkelchtein explained. “The whole event was in jeopardy. So, now, we’re grateful to Vyacheslav Vasilevsky for agreeing to step in and face Shlemenko in our M-1 Grand Prix finals being held on his (Vasilevsky) birthday.
“Due to our contract obligations, we were unable to postpone the event because it is officially included in the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, which is something every one of our fighters knew from the very beginning. There’s a paragraph in the Grand Prix fighters’ contract stating we can use one of the guys who fought in the semifinals of the tournament in case someone gets injured. Now we’re making one of the most anticipated rematches in the history of Russian MMA.”
M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Alexander “Drago” Volkov (25-6-0, M-1: 9-3-0) will make his first title defense against Attila “Pumuklo” Vegh (29-6-2, M-1: 0-0-0) at M-1 Challenge 68.  A match between Russian middleweight Valery “The Russian Hammer” Myasnikov (10-1-1, M-1: 1-1-1) and Spanish veteran Enoc Solves Torres (18-9-0, M-1: 5-6-0) has also been announced for the June 16th card.
“The M-1 Challenge 68 event is going to be huge,” Finkelchtein added.  “We’re stacking the card with Alexander Volkov vs Attila Vegh fighting in an M-1 Challenge heavyweight title fight. The Grand Prix winner, Shlemenko still gets $50,000.  As for Ramazan Emeev, we will put efforts into arranging his fight with Alexander Shlemenko this fall, if Shlemenko is still fighting in Russia. Emeev versus Shlemenko will provide the answer to all of the questions MMA fans still arguing about.”
M-1 Challenge 68 will be streamed live from St. Petersburg in high definition onwww.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
 
Upcoming M-1 Global Events:
 
May 27 – M-1 Challenge 66: Nemkov vs. Yusopov, Orenburg City, Russia
June 4 – M-1 Challenge 67: Buchinger vs. Idrisov, Baku, Azerbaijan
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Injury forces Ramazan Emeev to withdraw from M-1 Challenge 68 vs. Alexander Shlemenko June 16 in St. Petersburg, Russia

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For Immediate Release
 
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (May 14, 2016) – An elbow injury has forced M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev (pictured to left) to withdraw from his June 16thshowdown with  Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko at M-1 Challenge 68 at Yubileyny Sports Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Emeev (14-3-0, M-1: 8-1-0) suffered a torn ligament in his elbow during training camp, postponing his M-1 Grand Prix Middleweight Championship fight against Shlemenko (52-9-0, M-1: 3-0-0) to a future date pending Emeev’s recovery period.
 
M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Alexander “Drago” Volkov (25-6-0, M-1: 9-3-0) will make his first title defense against Attila “Pumuklo” Vegh (29-6-2, M-1: 0-0-0) at M-1 Challenge 68.  A match between Russian middleweight Valery “The Russian Hammer” Myasnikov (10-1-1, M-1: 1-1-1) and Spanish veteran Enoc Solves Torres (18-9-0, M-1: 5-6-0) has also been announced for the June 16th card.
“This is a tough blow for our organization because there is only one month before M-1 Challenge 68 and we have lost one of our main event fighters,” M-1 Global presidentVadim Finkelchtein said.  “It was the most anticipated fights for fans.  We still have a great heavyweight title fight between defending champion Alexander Volkov and challenger Attila Vegh and we’re looking for a suitable replacement for Emeev to fight Shlemenko.  M-1 Global has been working under a lot of pressure recently but, never-the-less, we continue to promote great events for our loyal fans.  We will do everything possible to keep our fans happy.”
M-1 Challenge 68 will be streamed live from St. Petersburg in high definition onwww.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
 
Upcoming M-1 Global Events:
 
May 27 – M-1 Challenge 66: Nemkov vs. Yusopov, Orenburg City, Russia
June 4 – M-1 Challenge 67: Buchinger vs. Idrisov, Baku, Azerbaijan
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Ramazan Emeev vs. Alexander Shlemenko M-1 Global Grand Prix Middleweight Championship;   Alexander Volkov makes 1st M-1 Challenge Heavyweight title defense vs. Attila Vegh

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M-1 Challenge 68, June 16 in St. Petersburg, Russia
(L-R) — Ramazan Emeev & Alexander Shlemenko
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (April 28, 2016) – M-1 Global has announced a blockbuster M-1 Challenge 68 event as Ramazan Emeev and Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko battle in the M-1 Global Grand Prix Middleweight Championship, while M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Alexander “Drago” Volkov makes his first title defense against Attila “Pumuklo” Vegh, Thursday night, June 16, at Yubileyny Sports Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia.
M-1 Challenge 68 will be streamed live from St. Petersburg in high definition onwww.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
 
Emeev (14-3-0, M-1: 8-1-0), fighting out of Russia by way of Dagestan, is the reigning M-1 Challenge middleweight champion, although his title belt will not be at stake against Shlemenko.  The 28-year-old Emeev, who was the 2015 M-1 Global Fighter of the Year, is a two-time M-1 Challenge middleweight champion.  He originally captured the coveted crown in 2012, taking a decision from Mario Miranda for the vacant title.  In his first title defense, Emeev lost to Vyacheslav Vasilevsky, who stopped the defending champion via punches in the fourth round.
 
In their much anticipated rematch April 10, 2015, Emeev recaptured the title from Vasilevsky, choking the defending champion into an opening-round submission.  Last December, Emeev successfully defended his title when Luigi Fiorvanti retired after four rounds.  Earlier this month at M-1 Challenge 65, Emeev defeated Maiquel Falcao in the M-1 Grand Prix semifinals, by way of a first-round submission (choke – see picture below), to qualify for the final versus Shlemenko.
 
 
The 31-year-old Shlemenko (52-9-0, M-1: 3-0-0) is a three-time Bellator champion from Omsk, Russia.  He returned to M-1 Global competition in February, taking a decision from Vasilevsky (see picture below) at M-1 Challenge 64.  The Siberian-born Shlemenko hadn’t competed in M-1 Global since 2005.
Volkov (25-6-0, M-1: 9-3-0), 27, also fought in Bellator for three years, 2012 to 2015, returning to M-1 Global action this past February for the first time in 5 ½ years.  The popular fighter from Moscow signed a promotional contract with M-1 Global, fighting Denis Smoldaraev Feb. 19, 2016 (see picture below) at M-1 Challenge 64 for the vacant M-1 Challenge heavyweight championship.  Volkov emerged victorious, using a choke in the third round to win with the Submission of the Night.
Vegh (29-6-2, M-1: 0-0-0), will make his M-1 Global debut versus Volkov in their M-1 Challenge title fight.  Fighting out of Slovakia by way of his native Czechoslovakia, Vegh (pictured below) is a former Bellator light heavyweight champion who is moving up one weight class to challenge Volkov.
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M-1 Challenge 65 Bonus Performances Announced

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M-1 Challenge 65 Fight of the Night:  Artem Frolov vs. Kristijan Perak
 
MOSCOW (April 19, 2016) – M-1 Global recently announced its M-1 Challenge 65 bonus performances, highlighted by the Fight of the Night award, along with Submission of the Night and KO of the Night.
 
The M-1 Challenge 65 Fight of the Night was between Russian middleweight prospect Artem Frolov (6-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0) against Kristijan “Klitschko” Perak (8-3-1, M-1: 0-2-1), in which Frolov won by way of an opening-round submission by way of an arm-bar.
 
M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev (14-3-0, M-1: 8-1-0) was awarded the Submission of the Night. The reigning M-1 Challenge middleweight champion, who advanced to the M-1 Global Grand Prix Middleweight Championship versusAlexander “Storm” Shlemenko (51-9-0, M-1: 2-0-0), used a choke hold on his Brazilian opponent, Maiquel “Big Rig” Facao (35-9-0, M-1: 0-1-0), midway through the first round to win the main event.
 
  M-1 Challenge 65 Submission of the Night:  Ramazan Emeev
 
Former M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Max Divnich (12-1-0, M-1: 6-1-0) captured KO of the Night honors with an impressive second-round stoppage (punches) of Robert “TQ” Turnquest (5-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0).
 
M-1 Challenge 65 KO of the Night: Max Divnich
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Emeev advances to M-1 Global Grand Prix Middleweight Championship

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Kunchenko captures
M-1 Challenge welterweight title
 
M-1 Challenge 65 Official Results

– Photo Gallery Below –
 
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (April 10, 2016) – M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev won last night at M-1 Challenge 65 to advance to the M-1 Global Grand Prix Middleweight Championship, while undefeated challenger Alexey Kunchenkodefeated defending champion Murad “Hunter” Abdulaev to become the new M-1 Challenge welterweight titlist, at CSC Sibur Arena in St. Petersburg, Russia.
 
Ramazan (14-3-0, M-1: 810), the 2015 M-1 Global Fighter of the Year, used a choke hold on his Brazilian opponent, Maiquel “Big Rig” Facao (35-9-0, M-1: 0-1-0), in their M-1 Grand Prix middleweight semifinals match.  The main event ended at the 2:50 mark of the opening round as Ramazan advances to face three-time Bellator champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (51-9-0, M-1: 2-0-0) in the upcoming M-1 Grand Prix Middleweight Championship showdown.
Emeev finishes off Falcao
 
In the co-feature, undefeated Russian Alexey Kunchenko (13-0-0, M-1: 5-0-0) wrested the M-1 Challenge welterweight title from his fellow countryman, defending champion Murad “Hunter” Abdulaev (14-1-0, M-1: 5-1-0), whose corner stopped the bout in the fourth round.
 
New champ Kunchenko strikes
 
Former M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Max Divnich (12-1-0, M-1: 6-1-0) put himself back into title contention with an impressive second-round stoppage on punches of M-1 Global-debuting American opponent Robert “TQ” Turnquest (5-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0).
 
Russian middleweight prospect Artem Frolov (6-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0) kept his unbeaten pro record intact, submitting Kristijan “Klitschko” Perak (8-3-1, M-1: 0-2-1) in the first round by way of an arm-bar.
 
Rounding out the main card, Russian welterweight Sergei Romanov (8-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0) stopped Brazilian Sergio “Sergingo” de Fatima (12-3-1, M-1: 0-1-0) in the first round of a battle featuring a pair making their M-1 Global debut.
 
On the preliminary card, Russian light heavyweight Murad Kamilov (6-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0) was victorious when the corner of Brazilian veteran Charles “Gracie” Andrade (28-28-0, M-1: 1-3-0) corner stopped the match in the second round, Russian welterweight Danila Prikaza(3-0-1, M-1: 2-0-0) remained unbeaten with a first-round stoppage of Azerbaijan foe Manaf Damirli (1-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Ukrainian lightweight Alexander “Iron Capture” Butenko(40-11-0, M-1: 7-1-0) won his 40th pro fight with a three-round decision over GermanSascha Sharma (8-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Russian lightweight Damir Ismagulov (5-2-0, M-1: 3-1-0) forced an opening-round submission of Ukrainian Vyacheslav Ten (12-8-2, M-1: 0-2-0) via a rear naked choke, and in a St. Petersburg MMA SuperCup match, RussianSalman Magomedov (3-0-0, M-1: 0-1-0) choked out Georgian pro-debuting Zurab Jojua (0-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0) with an arm triangle in the second round.
Complete results:
 
MAIN CARD
M-1 GLOBAL GRAND PRIX MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNAMENT – SEMIFINALS
Ramazan Emeev (14-3-0, M-1: 8-1-0), Russia
WSUB 1 (Choke – 2:50)
Maiquel Falcaio (35-6-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Brazil
M-1 CHALLENGE WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Alexey Kunchenko (13-0-0, M-1: 5-0-0), Russia
WTKO4 (Corner Stoppage – 3:12)
Murad “Hunter” Abdulaev (13-2-0, M-1: 4-2-0), Russia
 (Kunchenko won M-1 Challenge welterweight title)
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Maxim Divnich (12-1-0, M-1: 6-1-0), Russia
WKO/TKO2 (Punches – 4:40)
Robert “Turnquest (5-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0), USA
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Artem Frolov (6-0-0, (M-1: 3-0-0), Russia
WSUB1 (Armbar – 4:54
Kristijan Perak (8-3-1, M-1: 0-2-1), Croatia
WELTERWEIGHTS
Sergei Romanov (8-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia
WKO/TKO1 (Punches – 3:44)
Sergio de Fatima (12-2-1, M-1), Brazil
PRELIMINARY CARD
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Murad Kamilov (6-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Russia
WSUB2 (Corner Stoppage – 3:35)
Charles Andrade (28-28-0, M-1: 1-3-0), Brazil
Danila Prikaza (3-0-1, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia
WTKO1 (Punches – 4:33)
Manaf Damirli (1-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Azerbaijan
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Alexander Butenko (40-11-0, M-1: 7-1-0), Ukraine
WDEC3
Sascha Sharma (8-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Germany
Damir Ismagulov (5-2-0, M-1: 3-1-0), Russia
WSUB1 (Rear Naked Choke – 2:30)
Vyacheslav Ten (12-8-2, M-1: 0-2-0), Ukraine
Salman Magomedov (3-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia
(Arm Triangle Choke – 3:10)
Zurab Jojua (0-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Georgia
 
Emeev dominated



Kunchenko & Abdulaev
Divnich kicks Turnquest
Frolov & Perak
Romanov vs. de Fatima

Prikaza rocks Damirli

Butenko & Sharma
Ismagulov & Ten
 

Magomedov & Jojua

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M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA

M-1 Challenge 65:  OFFICIAL WEIGHTS

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April 9 in St. Petersburg, Russia
WATCH FOR FREE ON M1.GLOBAL.TV
 
MAIN CARD
MAIN EVENT – M-1 GLOBAL GRAND PRIX MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNAMENT – SEMIFINALS – 5 X 5
Ramazan Emeev (13-3-0, M-1: 7-1-0), Russia 185 lbs. (84 kg)
Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao (35-8-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Brazil 184 ½ lbs. (83.7 kg)
CO-FEATURE – M-1 CHALLENGE WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP – 5 X 5
Murad “Hunter” Abdulaev (13-1-0, M-1: 4-1-0), Champion, Russia 170 lbs. (77.15 kg)
Alexey Kunchenko (12-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0), Challenger, Russia 169 lbs. (76.9 kg)
LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Maxim Divnich (11-1-0, M-1: 5-1-0), Russia 154 ½ lbs. (70.3 kg)
Robert “TQ” Turnquest (5-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0), USA 159 lbs. (72.25 kg)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Kristijan “Klitschko” Perak (8-2-1, M-1: 0-1-1), Croatia 184 ½ lbs. (83.8 kg)
Artem Frolov (5-0-0 (M-1: 2-0-0), Russia 185 lbs. (84.0 kg)
 WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Sergio “Serginho” de Fatima (12-2-1, M-1), Brazil 169 ½ lbs. (77.1 kg)
Sergei Romanov (7-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Russia 169 ½ lbs. (77.1 kg)
PRELIMINARY CARD
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Charles “Gracie” Andrade (28-27-0, M-1: 1-2-0), Brazil 202 lbs. (91.95 kg)
Murad Kamilov (5-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Russia 200 ½ lbs. (91.1 kg)
Danila Prikaza (2-0-1, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia 169 ½ lbs. (77.05 kg)
Manaf Damirli (1-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Azerbaijan 169 lbs. (76.85 kg)
LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
 

Alexander “Iron Capture” Butenko (39-11-0, M-1: 6-1-0), Ukraine 154 lbs. (70.1 kg)
Sascha Sharma (8-2-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Germany 154 ½ lbs. (70.3 kg)
 Vyacheslav Ten (12-7-2, M-1: 0-1-0), Ukraine 154 lbs. (70.1 kg)
Damir Ismagulov (4-2-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Russia 154 ½ lbs. (70.3 kg)
Salman Magomedov (2-0-0), Russia 139 lbs. (63.1 kg)
Zurab Jojua (pro debut), Georgia 137 lbs. (62.3 kg)
 
WHAT:             M-1 Challenge 65
 
WHEN:             Saturday, April 8, 2016 (6 p.m. in Moscow, 10 a.m. in New York City)
WHERE:           CSC Sibur Arena, St. Petersburg, Russia
PROMOTER:    M-1 Global
M-1 Challenge 65 will be streamed for free, live from Moscow in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
 
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