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BAMMA

M-1 CHALLENGE XXIV:
DAMKOVSKY vs. FIGUEROA

© Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com
March 25 2011
Photos by Bob Barton

All photos copyright M-1 Global

M-1 Challenge XXIV picked up where M-1 Challenge XXIII left off, delivering more action than a MAKS Air Show, and was headed by two Championship Titles.  M-1 Global is renowned for the toughness of its fighters and their unique blend of MMA skills and military combat techniques.  Their fighters have a reputation for hating to tap-out and they rarely allow a match to go to the judges.  These ingredients help to keep M-1’s brand of MMA excitingly fresh and provide less predictable outcomes than many other competitions.

M-1 Challenge XXIV came live from Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, Virginia – the same day Fedor Emelianenko’s movie “The Salamander Key” premiered in Moscow – and was presented by the Russian based M-1 Global and Showtime.  This was another MMA event that definitely delivered the goods.

M-1 CHALLENGE XXIV EARLY MATCH RESULTS:

Jason ‘G.I.’ Norwood def. Mojo Horne – unanimous decision
George Sheppard def. David Derby – KO
Jesse Riggleman def. Jason Hiliker – Guillotine Choke
Bryan Lashomb def. Marcus Daniels – TKO
Colton Smith def. Brian Nielson – RNC
Johnny Curtis def. Bobby Gurley – Verbal Submission (Strikes)
Bethany Marshall def. Stacy Grant – Heel Hook.

 M-1 CHALLENGE XXIV MAIN EVENTS

Alexander ‘The Tiger’ Sarnavskiy (Russia) vs. Beau Baker (USA)
– Lightweight
Referee: Todd McGovern

Round One
Wrestling-based Beau took this bout on short notice after Josh Bacallao withdrew due to injury.
4.55: Alexander delivers a brutal kick to Beau’s midsection; Beau catches the kick as Alexander wards off an attempted takedown.
4.57: They clinch and Beau attacks Alexander’s thighs with knee strikes and works on taking the Russian down.
4.16: Sarnavskiy resists the takedown before breaking free and tagging Baker with a sharp left hook.
4.11: Baker shoots in, only to be met by Sarnavskiy’s left knee.  ‘The Tiger’ unloads a barrage of looping fists, repels Baker’s takedowns, and dishes out more leather to his cornered opponent.
3.50: Baker escapes, but Sarnavskiy is hot in pursuit and delivers knees and punches.
3.40: Alexander adds kicks to his arsenal.
3.12: Beau shoots in as Alexander collapses on his back.
2.59: They stand in the clinch whilst Alexander administers rattling right uppercuts.
2.13: Alexander tees off with more knuckle packages.
1.57: The brave Beau returns fire before the pair ties up.
1.00: Beau is hell-bent on taking his opponent down; however Alexander intercepts him with more damaging uppercuts and jabs.

Round Two
4.52: Sarnavskiy looks extremely poised as he starts the second round with a leaping knee.
4.44: Baker ties them up and has Sarnavskiy shut down in the corner – Team Quest style.
3.56: They stray from the corner whilst still clinched and trade knee strikes.
3.28: Sarnavskiy has Baker backed into the corner and throws more uppercuts at the American before they separate.
2.43: After a scramble, Sarnavskiy leaps on Baker’s back, sinks in the RNC, wraps Baker’s body in an anaconda, and pulls him to the canvas.  They roll and Baker taps. 
Sarnavskiy earns Submission of the Night.

Result: Alexander Sarnavsky by rear naked choke – 2.32, Round Two.

Vinny Magalhaes (Brazil) vs. Jake Doerr (USA)
– Light Heavyweight
Referee: Todd McGovern

Round One
4.57: They no sooner touch gloves when Vinny tags Jake and drops him.  Vinny g’n’ps from half guard before Jake pulls him into full guard.
4.39: Magalhaes captures side control.
4.18: He returns to half guard.
4.09: Magalhaes levers Doerr’s legs open and hops from side control to the mount.
3.55: They roll as Magalhaes takes Doerr’s back, wraps him in an anaconda, then punishes him with more g’n’p.

Result: Vinny Magalhaes by TKO – 1.47, Round One.

Magomed ‘White Wolf’ Sultanakhmedov (Russia) vs. Tyson Jeffries (USA)
– Middleweight Championship
Referee: Scott Oats

Round One
Magomed comes into this bout fresh from his recent March 5 victory over Plinio Cruz at M-1 Challenge XXIII.  Also impressive is the White Wolf’s entrance music: the Rolling Stones classic “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”.
Tyson is in orthodox and Magomed in southpaw.
4.46: Tyson body-kicks.
4.27: He works his jab to keep Magomed at bay and lands another body kick.
4.22: Sultanakhmedov detonates big lefts and punctuates them with kicks to the body and inner leg.
3.51: Sultanakhmedov inside-kicks.  His kicks are savage.
3.11: The White Wolf counters Tyson’s takedown attempt with a Sambo throw and lands in side control.
2.54: Sultanakhmedov surrenders the dominant position, favoring the stand-up battlefield.
2.49: Magomed delivers high and low kicks.  He’s like an SU-25, mixing up his ordinance with heavy attacks to the head, body and legs.
1.35: Magomed rips a left hook into the head of Tyson, followed by a left kick to the midsection.  All of the White Wolf’s strikes resound through the arena like cannon fire.
1.17: He ignites another leg kick.
1.02: And again.
0.45: Tyson catches Magomed with a left hook.
0.39: The Russian continues targeting his opponent’s lead thigh.  What thunderous kicks!

Round Two
The American’s liver area is bright red; however his knee-length shorts conceal his left thigh, which also must be glowing.
4.44: Jeffries clinches and Sultanakhmedov avoids the takedown before shrugging Jeffries to the mat.
4.14: Sultanakhmedov drives a left mitt into Jeffries’s breadbasket.
4.09: And again.  He’s proving to be such a hard target for Jeffries to tag.
3.59: Tyson locks on and takes Magomed down at 3.45, before mounting Magomed as M-1 Global’s Director of Operations, Evgeni Kogan, eagerly watches the furious action from ringside.
3.35: Tyson looks for an arm triangle that Magomed evades.
2.56: Magomed uses his Sambo skills to topple Tyson before springing to his feet.
2.52: Sultanakhmedov zeros in on Jeffries’s liver with a meat cleaver disguised as a kick.  He detonates a brutal salvo of kicks, punches and knees.  Sultanakhmedov locks onto Jeffries with a Thai clinch and dismantles him with fists and knees.  No one’s strikes echo through the Constant Convocation Center like Sultanakhmedov’s.
Magomed earns KO of the Night.

Result: Magomed Sultanaknhedov by TKO – 3.07, Round Two.

Jose Figueroa (USA) vs. Artiom Damkovsky (Belarus)
– Lightweight Championship
Referee: Todd McGovern

Round One
Jose pumps out jabs, utilizing his reach advantage.
4.52: He checks Artiom’s leg kick.
4.42: The pair trades blows while Artiom mixes it up with low and high kicks.
4.14: Artiom thwarts a takedown and the toe-to-toe ensues.
3.37: They tie up before Jose gets the takedown and latches onto Artiom in the north/south position.
3.00: Damkovsky returns them to the stand-up.
2.53: He takes a menacing kick on the arms.
2.50: Figueroa lets rip with a jab and leg-kick combo.
2.38: Damkovsky hurls hands and feet, catches Figueroa’s kick, then leaps in with a knee that Figueroa blocks with his cup.  The banging continues.
1.22: Figueroa notches up a takedown and grabs half guard as blood flows from Damkovsky’s nose.
0.52: Damkovsky pulls Figueroa into full guard; however he gets dusted up by Figueroa’s g’n’p.

Round Two
Artiom comes out aggressively and ‘The People’s Champ’ won’t back off.
4.38: Jose jumps in as Artiom sweeps his right leg.  Jose catches Artiom’s left leg and sweeps his right leg to secure the takedown before falling into guard.  Jose uses his reach to g’n’p Artiom, who is forced to breathe through his mouth while blood trickles from his nose.
3.55: Jose takes side control, then the mount.
3.30: He grabs Artiom’s back and locks his legs around Artiom’s body.
3.14: Figueroa is in mount position, then half guard, and back in mount whilst unloading more g’n’p.
Todd McGovern pulls it up and Jose is awarded Fight of the Night.

Result: Jose Figueroa by TKO – 2.28, Round Two.

For more on the upcoming M-1 Challenge XXV: Zavurov vs. Magomedov II www.m-1global.com. 

Compounding Depth to M-1 Challenge XXV: Zavurov vs. Magomedov 2

New York, NY (April 4, 2011) – Closing out an action packed weekend of free, live streaming events which included the kickoff of the 2011 European M-1 Selection tournament, M-1 Global, Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion (MMA), continues adding exciting clashes to M-1 Challenge XXV: Zavurov vs. Magomedov 2. On April 28^th from the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, current welterweight (170 Lbs) champion Shamil Zavurov (19-1) looks to make his second successful title defense and avenge the sole loss on his otherwise unblemished record against top contender, Rashid Magomedov (8-1). Fans can capture the title tilt LIVE online on the official M-1 Global website, www.M-1Global.com and M-1 Global facebook fan page starting at 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST.

Undefeated welterweight prospect Christian Eckerlin makes his M-1 debut against Russian submission specialist, Alexander Yakovlev. In the card’s second middleweight (185 Lbs) contest, RusFighter warrior Murad Magomedov takes on Red Devil cornerstone Dmitry Samoilov, who is undefeated in his last four outings, and heavyweights (205+Lbs) Arsen Abdulkerimov and Alexander Volkov battle it out for title contention.

M-1 Challenge XXV Under Card:

Alexander Kosarev (1-2) vs. Denis Goltsov (2-1) Heavyweight (205+ Lbs.)

M-1 Challenge XXV Main Card (Streaming Live):

Christian Eckerlin (6-0) vs. Alexander Yakovlev (10-3) Welterweight

Murad Magomedov (6-6) vs. Dmitry Samoilov (11-5-1) Middleweight

Arsen Abdulkerimov (7-2) vs. Alexander Volkov (10-3) Heavyweight

Andrei Semenov (29-9-2) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (22-8) Middleweight

* Additional bouts to be announced shortly at www.m-1global.com

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