A successful 3-0 regular season record in the '09 M-1 Challenge has earned USA West lightweight Dave Jansen a contract with the WEC.
Within just a few minutes of his M-1 Challenge debut this past February in Tacoma, Washington, it was obvious to even the untrained eye that Dave Jansen was a force to be reckoned with.
Signed to represent USA West on short notice as its lightweight representative after Brian Cobb had signed a contract with the UFC, Jansen recorded a unanimous decision victory against Brazil’s Flavio Alvaro during the M-1 Challenge 2009 season opener on Feb. 21.
Jansen’s victory over the Rio Heroes veteran allowed USA West to win its first challenge match of the season by a 3-2 score over Brazil (Naja).
Tacoma was just the beginning for Jansen, who finished the M-1 Challenge regular season with a 3-0 record followings wins in April over Ui Cheol Nam and in July over Amirkhan Mazihov. Jansen’s successful run in the M-1 Challenge allowed him to improve his overall record to 12-0.
Prior to joining the M-1 Challenge, the Team Quest product had been limited to regional events. However, the International exposure he gained by fighting for the M-1 Challenge and being featured on a television show distributed in over 100 countries has landed Jansen with a multi-fight contract with the Zuffa-owned World Extreme Cagefighting promotion.
Jansen’s signing with the WEC will preclude him for competing for USA West during its upcoming semifinal playoff bout set to take place during the fall. However, Jansen is yet another shining example in a line of fight prospects that the M-1 Challenge has been able to elevate to a greater level of notoriety.
Jansen will reportedly make his WEC debut on Sept. 2 at WEC 43.
In addition to Jansen, the M-1 Challenge is also responsible for having a hand in discovering Daniel Tabera (Bellator Fighting Championships), Karl Amoussou (M-1 Global), Alexey Oleinik (M-1 Global), Jessie Gibbs (Affliction M-1), Mikhail Zayats (Affliction M-1), Rob Broughton (Affliction M-1), Lucio Linhares (Affliction M-1), Stefan Struve (UFC), Daisuke Nakamura (DREAM), and David Gardner (DREAM).
M-1-contracted fighter Gegard Mousasi also earned the opportunity to compete in DREAM’s middleweight Grand Prix in 2008 thanks in large part to his performance as a member of Team Holland during the ’08 M-1 Challenge season.
Jansen is considered to be the first in a long line of gems that the 2009 M-1 Challenge has unearthed. Fighters who could potentially follow in Jansen’s footsteps include Shane Del Rosario (USA West), Giva Santana (USA West), Raphael Davis (USA West), Christian M’pumbu (France), Christophe Dafreville (France), Dmitry Samoilov (Russia Imperial), Janne Tulirinta (Finland), Magomed Shikshabekov (Russia Legion), Gadzimurad Omarov (Russia Legion), Lloyd Marshbanks (USA East), Eduardo Pamplona (Brazil Naja), Hacran Dias (Brazil Naja), and Joaquim “Mamute” Ferreira (Brazil Naja).
