New York City, New York (September 9, 2010) – Veteran of the M-1 ring, Rashid Magomedov, collides with submission specialist, Igor Araujo, on October 28 at the glamorous Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, in a battle for welterweight contention at M-1 Challenge XXI. The event marks history for M-1 Global as the MMA organization crowns its first ever champions in the lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight divisions.
“This event is extremely special to M-1 Global and our fans around the world,” says Director of Operations, Evgeni Kogan. “Our first Championship belts will be awarded and the birth of our contention system comes to light. From here on the Challenge events will showcase top talent from around the world as our Selection tournaments fuel stacked undercards.”
Matchups include:
Rashid Magomedov (6-2) vs. Igor Araujo (18-5) Welterweight
Dmitry Samoilov (8-5-1) vs. Gadzhimurad Omarov (5-0) Light Heavyweight
· Additional undercard bouts to be announced
Lightweight Title Fight:
Artiom Damkovsky, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (10-4) clashes with
Mairbek Taisumov, M-1 Selection Western Europe 2010 champion (12-2)
Middleweight Title Fight:
Magomed Sultanakhmedov, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (28-4) meets
Rafał Moks, M-1 Selection Western Europe 2010 champ (5-2)
Heavyweight Title Fight:
Maxim Grishin, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe champion (7-4) battles the undefeated
Guram Gugenishvili, M-1 Selection Western Europe champion (8-0).
The Welterweight and Light Heavyweight championship bouts are being scheduled for December in the United States, establishing M-1 Challenge champions in all five weight classes. Once executed, a true contenders system will be established to fuel events throughout 2011, driving M-1 Global’s growth as a leading brand in the US and international markets.
2011 includes a full slate of M-1 Challenge events held in the United States and Europe. These are the mega-event spectaculars where Champions will be crowned, titles defended and contenders’ positions on the ladder will be determined. Feeding the stable of fighters will be two Selection tournaments in 2011 with details being announced shortly.
