Posts Tagged ‘m-1 global’

Vadim Finkelstein: “Fedor’s next fight will be in Russia” September 2, 2011 By Stan Kharlamov

Vadim Finkelstein, co-founder of M-1 Global, has confirmed today that Russian heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko will fight in his homeland for the first time since April 2007.

“Fedor is going to fight in late fall in Russia, we have already reached all the necessary agreements on his fight”

Date, place and opponent will be announced soon.

The Stepping Stone Ready to Become a Stumbling Block
© Marc Wickert www.knucklepit.com
Special thanks to Eric Nicholl

M-1 Global's Beau Baker at M-1 Challenge XXVI weigh-ins

On July 8, M-1 Challenge XXVI: Bennett vs. Garner will be coming LIVE on Showtime from The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California.  Germany’s lightweight sensation, Daniel Weichel, was originally slotted to face M-1 Lightweight Champion, Jose Figueroa, but an injury during training forced the champ out of the title match.

Stepping up to the plate to lock horns with Daniel Weichel (26-7) is former NCAA Division 1 collegiate wrestler, Beau Baker (8-4), who possesses a huge heart and a titanium jaw.  Beau commenced wrestling at age 10, and was a two-time State High School Champion in the Volunteer State of Tennessee.  Baker was keen to volunteer for this war with Weichel.

Possessing exceptional positioning and scrambling skills, Beau has been focusing on his BJJ abilities and intends upsetting the applecart on July 8.  He gained a wealth of experience from his recent bout with Alexander Sarnavskiy, dusted himself off, and says he’s on the boil for a showdown with Daniel Weichel.

Knucklepit caught up with Beau a week prior to this highly anticipated battle.

Daniel, how did you earn the nickname ‘Blackjack’?

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“I’mma Gonna Beat Pat’s Brains Out Once Again!”
© Marc Wickert www.knucklepit.com
Special thanks to Eric Nicholl

M-1 Global's Kenny Garner

On July 8, M-1 Challenge XXVI: Bennett vs Garner will be shown Live from the Hangar in Costa Mesa, California.

Originally billed as Guram vs. Bennett, Kenny ‘Deuce’ Garner stepped in to replace the injured Guram Gugenishvili for the main event.  It was actually Pat Bennett who requested Kenny Garner be his opponent, hoping to revenge his loss to Deuce at the M-1 Selection Americas tournament finals on September 18 last year.

Kenny Garner is one of the most colourful characters in MMA today and says he was glad to accept the invitation, again, after beating Pat Bennett by TKO at 2.31 into the first round of their last meeting.  In an exchange of quotable quotes, Pat Bennett declared, “I’m still training as if this were a five round fight.”  Kenny Garner replied, “I will end this fight faster than the last time I beat him, trust me.”

Kenny ‘Deuce’ Garner kindly took time between workouts at American Top Team in Port St. Lucie (ATTPSL) to chat with Knucklepit about his upcoming showdown at M-1 Challenge XXVI.

Kenny, what were your initial thoughts when you got the call for this rematch with Pat Bennett?

I couldn’t be happier about fighting for M-1 Global and I’mma gonna beat Pat’s brains out once again.

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M-1 Global Keeps Rolling Strong
© Marc Wickert www.knucklepit.com
Special thanks to Irina Rogozhina

M-1 Global's Director of Operations, Evgeni Kogan

In the mid sixties, there was a revolutionary underground rock sound that crept across the world, eventually surfacing in mainstream society and reshaping the way we would listen to music forever more.  Existing artists like Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles quickly adjusted their tunes to the new beat of such acts as The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream.

Today, there is another underground movement rapidly sweeping the planet in much the same way acid rock did all those years ago.  Although M-1 Global is already Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, the rest of the world is now being ‘turned on’ to M-1Global’s exciting new brand of MMA.

People worldwide are discovering Guram Gugenishvili, Magomed Sultanakhmedov and Pat Bennett, and talking about Yuri Ivlev’s combat sambo combinations the way they talked about Jack Bruce’s bass playing and Ginger Baker’s drum solos.

These are ground-breaking times in the sport of fighting and the Pied Piper for a lot of the interest in M-1 Global’s brand of mixed martial arts has been the world’s most successful MMA fighter of all time, Fedor Emelianenko, who will be facing off with Dan Henderson on July 30.

Joining Knucklepit to review what has been a huge start to 2011 for M-1 Global and to preview some of its incredible upcoming events is M-1 Global’s Director of Operations, Evgeni Kogan.

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 “I Turn It On Like Donkey Kong!”
© Marc Wickert www.knucklepit.com
Special thanks to Eric Nicholl

M-1 Global's Pat Bennett

One of the most highly anticipated battles in MMA this year will be the clash between heavyweight freight trains Pat Bennett and Guram Gugenishvili.  Guram is M-1’s reigning heavyweight titleholder and Pat is eager to snatch the belt when they meet on US soil on July 8.

Both men possess strong wrestling backgrounds, but both also have heavy hands and one-punch knockout power.  Pat is a three-time All American wrestler and Guram has a freestyle wrestling base with dangerous combat sambo skills in his arsenal.

Guram boasts an 11-0 MMA record and tends to fight a methodical game, whereas Pat sports a career record of 7-2 (five first-round TKOs) and often comes out barnstorming in a most unpredictable manner.  Bennett will have the hometown advantage.

Hopefully, Don Carlo-Clauss won’t be organizing the ring announcer’s microphone for this event – http://www.bombsquadmma.com.

Knucklepit checked in with Pat Bennett recently to see how his preparations were going for the M-1Heavyweight Challenge.

Pat, what training have you done today?

My training for this camp has been switched up a little bit, I’ve been doing a lot of training with  my freestyle coaches Gene Mills and Tim Boda, along with my new Muay Thai coach Primo, and of course all the guys at Team Bombsquad.

The “Guram Is Coming” campaign is drawing a lot of attention. Does that raise the stakes for you to win your upcoming title bout?

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“I Will Head to the USA to Win the Title!”
© Marc Wickert www.knucklepit.com
Special thanks to Eric Nicholl

M-1 Stars Daniel Weichel vs. Yuri Ivlev

M-1 Global has a reputation for presenting epic showdowns in the MMA arena, and Daniel Weichel vs. Jose Figueroa on July 8 is expected to be another classic battle.

Daniel is an explosive fighter, both in the stand-up and on the ground.  Against southpaw Yuri Ivlev at M-1 Challenge XXI, Daniel unleashed flying knees and Thai-clinch knees, smashing Yuri’s nose and cutting deeply into his forehead before winning by TKO. 

Weichel has knockout power in both fists and seems to effortlessly crash-tackle his opponents with either single-or double-leg takedowns, before unleashing savage g’n’p.  He is also very capable working from his back, as displayed in his match against Magomedrasul Khasbulaev at M-1 Challenge XXIII. 

Knucklepit had the pleasure of chatting with Daniel Weichel about his upcoming title challenge against Jose Figueroa.

Daniel, were you born in Michelstadt, Hessen, Germany?

Yes, I was born in Michelstadt on the 22^nd of November in 1984.

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M-1Global’s Heavyweight Champion
© Marc Wickert www.knucklepit.com
Special thanks to Eric Nicholl

Guram Gugenishvili, M-1's Heavyweight Champion

On July 8, 2011, M-1 Global’s reigning heavyweight champion, Guram Gugenishvili (11-0), will be defending his title for the second time.  Guram’s opponent for the main event at M-1 Challenge XXVI will be three time All-American wrestler Pat Bennett (4-2), a native of Marcellus, N.Y. who is looking forward to throwing down for the belt in front of his home crowd.

M-1 Global is already Europe’s leading MMA promotion and now the M-1 Challenge events are spreading like wildfire across the planet.  And M-1 is making sure the planet knows about Guram Gugenishvili, as revealed on their official site www.m-1global.com, where a “Who Is Guram” viral contest has been launched.

Knucklepit was fortunate to catch up with Guram Gugenishvili, who is helping to spread the buzz about M-1 Challenge through his barnstorming style of fighting and his jovial personality.

Hello Guram. Thank you for taking the time for this interview.

Thank you for the interest in me.

Where in Georgia were you born? 

I was born in Tbilisi.

 Do you consider yourself to be Georgian or Ukrainian?

(Laughs)  That sounds like a joke to me!  I am a 100 % Georgian; I have no Ukrainian blood.  I’m just training in Ukraine now.

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Evgeni Kogan chats about Fedor Emelianenko

Evgeni Kogan Chats with Knucklepit

© Marc Wickert www.knucklepit.com

On February 12, 2011, the man Randy Couture described as “the best pound for pound fighter in the world”, Fedor Emelianenko, suffered his second loss at the Strikeforce/M-1 Global/ Showtime World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament.  Prior to Fedor’s two consecutive losses, Emelianenko won his first 31 fights before suffering a genuine loss.  The only other top-level athlete with an MMA record similar to Fedor’s is fellow Ukrainian-born legend, Igor Vovchanchyn.

Although both MMA superstars have similar winning streaks to their credit – Vovchanchyn 32 no-losses with one bout being a draw, and Emelianenko with 31 no-losses – these best-of-the-best athletes come from decisively different martial arts backgrounds.  Igor was a World Kickboxing Champion before crossing to MMA, and Fedor is a former Combat Sambo World Champion.

One similarity Fedor’s fans don’t want to see come to fruition with these two legends is the knowledge that Igor Vovchanchyn retired at 32 and Fedor Emelianenko, 34, was contemplating retirement after his loss to Antonio Silva.  Fortunately, M-1 Global’s Vadim Finkelstein has already declared that Emelianenko does intend returning to competition.

And although any fan’s main concern would be for Fedor’s health and wellbeing, when Knucklepit caught up with M-1 Global’s Director of Operations, Evgeni Kogan, we were assured that Fedor is in good health and spirits.

It’s fine.  The orbital bone is not broken, and as far as I’m told, because Fedor is in Stary Oskol now and I’m in Holland, I’m told that he is okay.

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M-1 Global's Fedor Emelianenko

FEDOR VS. BARNETT

 ©Marc Wickert www.knucklepit.com
Special thanks to Jacob Schaap, Joost Raimond and M-1 Global

 On August 1, 2009 Fedor Emelianenko will be returning to the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, to defend his WAMMA World Heavyweight Title at Affliction M-1 Global ‘Trilogy’: Emelianenko vs. Barnett.

Although Trilogy is a whacker-packer stacked card, all eyes that evening will be focused on the main event as fans strive for an opportunity to witness the greatest fighter of our time appear before them.  This is the kind of experience people share half a century later when they’re asked by their grandkids, “Did you really see Fedor Emelianenko in person?”

After Fedor’s knockout of Andrei Arlovski at Affliction Banned, guest commentator and former UFC Champion, Tito Ortiz, stated: “You have to mention Fedor Emelianenko when you talk about the best fighters of all time”, whilst another commentator placed Fedor’s name on an elite pedestal with Tiger Woods, Muhammad Ali, Roger Federer and other world sporting giants.

In his book, Fedor: The Fighting System of the World’s Undisputed King of MMA, Emelianenko talks about how, as a child, he looked up to the Russian weightlifter known as the “Strongest Man on the Planet”, Yury Vlasov.  Today, people from all over the world look up to the most successful MMA fighter ever in much the same way.  And both legends are extremely humble about their status.

Emelianenko told Affliction, “I try to do whatever God’s will is… If He gives me the strength to win, that’s wonderful.  But I try to contain my emotions in respect of that because at any time the tables can turn.”

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