After traveling to 3 continents, holding 50 fights, the 2010 season of the “M-1 SELECTION” comes to the US. ‘The M-1 Selection Americas opening round’ will take place on Saturday April 3, 2010 at “Bally’s Casino Hotel” in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event will feature several up and coming MMA fighters who will try to earn their spot in the M-1 Challenge later this year.

M-1 Selection tournament lightweight matches 155lbs

1.      Dennis Bermudez, USA (2-0)        vs        Don Carlo-Clauss, USA (6-3)

2.      George Sheppard, USA (6-2)         vs        Mervin Rodriguez, USA (3-4)

Two fighters who will battle in the lightweight category are George Sheppard (6-2) and Mervin Rodriguez (3-4). Sheppard who beat David Yoder last February is ready to start working on his winning streak again and the always aggressive starter Marvelous Melvin Rodriquez knows he will have to go for it!

M-1 Selection tournament welterweight matches 170lbs

1.      Patrick Audinwood, USA (8-0-1)             vs        Robert Conner, USA (7-2)

A interesting fight in the in the welterweight category will be the fight between Patrick ‘awesomly awesome’ Audinwood and Robert  Conner.  Conner who just lost his first fight after a 8 fight winning streak is determined to get back on track. Winning all his professional fights by submission he is confident to face Audinwood.  His opponent, former high school wrestler  Audinwood is one of the top East Coast prospects having won eight of nine pro fights with one draw. Audinwood is a protégé of his cousin, IFL veteran and WEC fighter John Franchi, who strongly influenced Pat into a pro MMA career.

2.      Ryan Quinn, USA (2-1)                                vs        Colin Schrader, USA (2-0)

3.      Brian DeMuro, USA (2-6)                          vs        Mike Winters, USA (3-0)

M-1 Selection tournament middleweight matches 185lbs

1.      Todd Chattelle, USA (5-3)                         vs        Mike Geurin, USA (6-1)

2.      Vagner Fernandes, USA (0-1)                 vs        Tom Moreau, USA (2-1)

3.      Plinio Cruz, USA (2-2)                                 vs        John Doyle, USA (8-11)

In the middleweight category several fighters have a good chance of winning the tournament. There is the experienced Mike Geurin (7-1) who only lost once since his pro-debut and has several KO-victories.  There is John Doyle- John is a three-time veteran of M-1 and was just added to M-1 Selection in recent days due as an injury replacement. He is extremely excited to be back. He made his M-1 debut last June in Kansas City, fighting on just 24 hours notice (he flew in Friday morning and fought the same day). Despite the short notice, he fought to a split decision loss with Ryan Sturdy that many felt should have gone to an overtime round. John then return to M-1 in early August competing in Amsterdam, where he defeated Dutch MMA legend Richard Plug. Then, after multiple injuries to the opponent of Karl Amoussou, John was featured in a co-main event matchup against Karl as an injury replacement. And last but not least we have Tom Moreau (4-0) who won his previous fights by Sub, KO and Decision so he can be seen as a very all-rounded Mixed Martial Artist.

Besides the tournament there will be three superfights;

1.      (135lbs) Rami Ibrahim, USA (0-1)               vs        Lennox Chance, USA (0-1)

The first superfight futures Kuwait-native Rami ‘Arabian nightmare’ Ibrahim against Lennox Chance. Ibrahim is a true all-around fighter, acclaimed for his Muay Thai silks, in addition to being a professional boxer and now a mixed-martial-arts competitor.He was a 2-time All-Public wrestler at Northeast High School. In 2005, Rami became a pro boxer and due to his status as a world-class Muay Thai fighter, Ibrahim was awarded a prestigious Sitan Fight Gym franchise, which he owns and operates in Philadelphia. Now pursuing a career in his third combat sport, the 27-year-old Ibrahim makes his long anticipated MMA debut in “M1 Global: Selection.

2.      (135lbs) Sedico Honorio, USA (5-1)             vs        Josh Rave, USA (18-6)

Sedico Honorio will fight the submission specialist form Sioux Falls, Josh ‘the rage’ Rave. Sedico is from Brazil but moved to the U.S. several years ago in order to pursue a better life and fulfill his dreams of becoming an MMA champion.

3.      (155lbs) Renato Migliaccio, USA (6-0)        vs        John Salgado, USA (3-2-1)

The last superfight will go between local boy John Salgado from New York and the undefeated M-1 veteran Renato Migliaccio. Migliaccio who is a grappling specialist just returned from Holland to give several seminars and to train his stand-up skills for this up-coming fight!