Showtime to air 4 M-1 Challenge events this year

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Showtime-to-Air-4-M-1-Challenge-Events-in-2011-Starting-March-25-30249

Strikeforce is no longer Showtime’s only partner in the MMA business.

Sherdog.com has learned from a source close to the situation that M-1 Global has joined with the premium cable network to broadcast four events in 2011, beginning with M-1 Challenge 24 on March 25. Subsequent events will likely air in July, October and December.

M-1 Challenge 24 -- the promotion’s first event of the year held in the United States -- will take place at the Ted Constant Convocation Center on the campus of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va.

The show will be headlined by a lightweight title tilt, as newly-crowned champion Artiom Damkovsky will defend his belt for the first time against 2010 M-1 Selection Americas tournament winner Jose Figueroa. Three weeks prior to that event, M-1 Challenge will kick off its fourth season with M-1 Challenge 23 “Guram vs. Grishin” on March 5 at Crocus City Hall in Moscow.

Damkovsky rides a five-fight winning streak into his first title defense. The Belarusian made his way through the 2010 M-1 Selection Eastern Europe lightweight bracket en route to capturing the tournament crown in July. The 26-year-old followed those three victories with the biggest win of his career, besting Mairbek Taisumov to capture the promotion’s world lightweight title.

A product of American Top Team Orlando, Figueroa recently snapped a three-fight skid with consecutive victories in the 2010 M-1 Selection Americas tournament. Prior to winning the tourney, Figueroa was defeated in his one and only Bellator Fighting Championships appearance by Luis Palomino at Bellator 21.

Noice, more MMA. Euro/Asia window.

suck on that Dana errrr I mean Andrew!

interesting.


I wonder the time slot these events will get, doubt the first one will be live with the fights being in Moscow.


Opens the door to a big talent pool of eastern euro fighters. But off the bat, there will be alot of unrecognizable names.

Hopefully once they are established we will see more cross promoted fights between the 2 orgs.

MMA conglomerate? Europe, Russia, Japan, US. There is a world of possiblities right there.

http://www.mmamania.com/2011/2/23/2010945/showtime-sports-and-m-1-global-announce-m-1-challenge-event-to-air
NEW YORK (Feb. 24, 2011) - SHOWTIME Sports and M-1 GLOBAL announced today an upcoming mixed martial arts (MMA) event entitled M-1 Challenge: Damkovsky vs. Figueroa featuring two M-1 GLOBAL title fights. The bouts will air LIVE on SHOWTIME on Friday, March 25 at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Artiom Damkovsky will defend his M-1 Challenge Lightweight (155 lbs.) championship against Jose Figueroa, while Tyson Jeffries and Magomed Sultanakhmedov will battle for the vacant M-1 Challenge Middleweight (185 lbs.) belt from Constant Center in Norfolk, Va.

In other action, Alexander Sarnavskiy will take on Josh Bacallao in a lightweight scrap and Vinny Magalhaes will fight an opponent to be named in a light heavyweight (205 lbs.) matchup.

OU wrote:

http://www.mmamania.com/2011/2/23/2010945/showtime-sports-and-m-1-global-announce-m-1-challenge-event-to-air
NEW YORK (Feb. 24, 2011) - SHOWTIME Sports and M-1 GLOBAL announced today an upcoming mixed martial arts (MMA) event entitled M-1 Challenge: Damkovsky vs. Figueroa featuring two M-1 GLOBAL title fights. The bouts will air LIVE on SHOWTIME on Friday, March 25 at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Artiom Damkovsky will defend his M-1 Challenge Lightweight (155 lbs.) championship against Jose Figueroa, while Tyson Jeffries and Magomed Sultanakhmedov will battle for the vacant M-1 Challenge Middleweight (185 lbs.) belt from Constant Center in Norfolk, Va.

In other action, Alexander Sarnavskiy will take on Josh Bacallao in a lightweight scrap and Vinny Magalhaes will fight an opponent to be named in a light heavyweight (205 lbs.) matchup.

Sweet, Sarnavski had the best spinning backfist KO of 2010. He looks like he could be a decent contender someday.

Won't M-1 be out of business soon?

josh200612 wrote:

Won't M-1 be out of business soon?

As much as you want M-1 and Fedor to die....ain't gonna happen

josh200612 wrote:

Won't M-1 be out of business soon?

Why would you think that?

LOL you guys know im fucking with ya. i had to do it.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/22608/vinny-magalhaes-vs-jake-doerr-in-the-works-for-m-1-challenge-on-showtime.mma

rumors are Vinny will be training with Fedor.

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/2/24/2011894/vinny-magalhas-to-join-fedor-camp

Who is watching tonight?
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/3/25/2064865/m-1-challenge-damkovsky-vs-figueroa-preview-and-predictions

Im in. I think the guy who beat Fedor in the sambo comp is on the card, but somehow will not be on the televised portion.

captain organic wrote:

Im in. I think the guy who beat Fedor in the sambo comp is on the card, but somehow will not be on the televised portion.

Not sure which event I'll watch live and which one I'll DVR. This or the Titan card.

Nope I was wrong, Ivanov is at Bellator.




Blagoi Ivanov vs. John "Doo Doo" Brown headlines Bellator 38 local-feature fights

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Mar 21, 2011 at 3:45 pm ET


Bellator Fighting Championships officials today announced the five-fight "local feature" card for this week's Bellator 38 event, and recent signee Blagoi Ivanov (8-0 MMA, 0-0 BFC) heads the list.

The man best known for a 2008 combat sambo win over Fedor Emelianenko meets Mississippi native John "Doo Doo" Brown (8-4 MMA, 0-0 BFC).

Featuring the four quarterfinal matchups of Bellator's debut light heavyweight tournament, Bellator 38 takes place Saturday at Harrah's Tunica Hotel and Casino in Tunica, Miss. The main card airs live on MTV2.

Brown and Ivanov each make their Bellator debut. While the fight is the highest-profile contest in Brown's four-year career, he does count losses to notables Ricco Rodriguez and Jeff Monson among his past experiences.

The 24-year-old Bulgarian Ivanov is currently training with Shawn Tompkins at Las Vegas' TapouT gym. Competing professionally since 2005, Ivanov's highest profile MMA bout to date is an August 2009 split-decision win over Kazuyuki Fujita under the Sengoku banner.

Additional contests include Austin Lyons (5-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC), who's currently riding a five-fight win streak, against Spartan Fighting Club's Jimmy Van Horn (2-0 MMA, 0-0 BFC), as well as submission specialist Tim Galluzzi (4-0 MMA, 0-0 BFC) against Jake Underwood (1-0 MMA, 0-0 BFC).

The fight card is rounded out with Brian Albin (6-4 MMA, 0-0 BFC) vs. Cody Donovan (5-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) and Amaechi Oselukwue (0-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) vs. Abe Wilson (2-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC).

With the local-feature fights now booked, Bellator 38's full card now includes:

MAIN CARD

* Tim Carpenter vs. Daniel Gracie (light heavyweight tourney quarterfinal)
* Raphael Davis vs. D.J. Linderman (light heavyweight tourney quarterfinal)
* Nik Fekete vs. Richard Hale (light heavyweight tourney quarterfinal)
* Chris Davis vs. Chrisitian M'Pumbu (light heavyweight tourney quarterfinal)

PRELIMINARY CARD (un-aired)

* John Brown vs. Blagoi Ivanov
* Austin Lyons vs. Jimmy Van Horn
* Tim Galluzzi vs. Jake Underwood
* Brian Albin vs. Cody Donovan
* Amaechi Oselukwue vs. Abe Wilson

I will be watching M-1. I m still sans HDNet.

hold on! they are still around?

wow, good 1st rnd between sarnavski and Baker.


Baker has a good wrestling base, 2 time virginia state champ in HS. but sarnavski was able to stuff every attempt. Layed a good beating on Baker as well. But Baker is tough.

2nd rnd stoppage, RNC.

Impressive stuff by sarnavski.

Yo GDP there is a title fight on this card that is not on the pick em. what up with that?

Snaovski should be fighting for their belt

Standard Showtime production. Mauro and Pat on the call.

Major differences being, the ring is in use, and also unlike the SF challengers and a major upgrade, Jimmy Lennon is making the intro's.

GDPofDRC wrote:

Snaovski should be fighting for their belt

yeah, Im lost on these guys. No clue who is who.