USA West lightweight Dave Jansen
Considered by many M-1 Challenge insiders to be the team to beat for the championship in 2009, Team USA West is slated to return to the airwaves on Friday at 8 p.m. ET on HDNet.
Led by undefeated prospects Shane Del Rosario and Dave Jansen, USA West will be put to the test when it faces South Korea in Tokyo, Japan at Differ Ariake. The five-man American squad will look to preserve its perfect record as it prepares for its post-season debut in the fall.
Jansen, a product of Matt Lindland’s Team Quest, will put his perfect 10-0 record on the line when he faces Ui Cheol Nam, 8-1. The former college wrestling standout Jansen made his M-1 Challenge debut when USA West opened its season this past February in Tacoma, Wash.
Fighting on short notice against former Rio Heroes standout Flavio Alvaro of Brazil after having competed just 2 1/2 weeks prior, Jansen improved to 10-0 after recording a hard-fought unanimous decision. With non-M-1 wins over the likes of BodogFIGHT veteran Matt Lee and Xtreme Couture coach Dennis Davis, Friday night’s fight vs. Nam on HDNet represents his greatest challenge to date.
After missing the ’09 opener in Tacoma due to injury, Del Rosario will be making his formal M-1 Challenge debut when he takes on Korean heavyweight Dool Hee Lee. A former high school basketball standout, Del Rosario first received national television exposure on Showtime while competing for the now-defunct EliteXC promotion. Del Rosario, 5-0, has never had a fight go to a decision and has recorded first round finishes in four of his five fights.
Joining Del Rosario on the USA West roster is fellow former EliteXC alum, middleweight Giva Santana, 11-1. Santana, a former member of the Brazilian armed forces, earned his nickname as a result of winning 10 of his 11 victories by armbar submission. He will look to take yet another arm home back to Team Oyama in Orange County, Calif. when he faces Min Suk Heo.
In addition to Del Rosario, Jansen, and Santana, U.S. viewers will also get to see former IFL veteran Raphael Davis (5-1) and former Affliction welterweight Fabio “Negao” Nascimento (9-4) in action this Friday at 8 p.m. ET.
Davis will battle Jae Young Kim, who is coming off the biggest upset in M-1 history following his second round TKO victory over Mikhail Zayats this past February, while Negao will face Myeon Ho Bae in a contest that could challenge for “Fight of the Night” honors.
