From MMAFrenzy.com:
Tacoma, Washington – In a stunning upset, Team South Korea defeated the defending 2008 M-1 Challenge Champions Russia Imperial Team (formerly Russia Red Devil) by a score of 3-2 during the 2009 “M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction” season opener on Saturday night at the Emerald Queen Casino near Tacoma, Washington.
A capacity crowd witnessed an outstanding show featuring 30 fighters from six teams in three head-to-head matchups for a total of 15 fights. In addition to Russia Imperial Team’s upset, the debuting USA Team West gave the partial crowd in attendance a major upset victory by defeating the debut Brazil Naja team by a score of 3-2.
Finland also asserted itself as a legitimate contender for the 2009 championship with a dominant 4-1 victory over 2008 second-place finishers Team Benelux (formerly Team Holland).
South Korea’s Do Hyung Kim sent a message to the Imperial Team’s Mikhail Malyutin that his decision to move from welterweight to lightweight was made with the intention of displacing Malyutin as the M-1 Challenge’s top fighter at 155 pounds. After a spirited two rounds, the judges awarded Kim a unanimous decision victory.
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