'M-1 CHALLENGE 45' Smoldarev vs. Delija Photo Gallery

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (March 1, 2014) - Undefeated Estonian heavyweightDenis Smoldarev (6-0-0) earned a M-1 Global title fight shot by defeating Ante "Walking Trouble" Delija (8-2-0) in last night's  main event, headlining M-1 Challenge 45, at Atmosphere Hall in St. Petersburg, Russia. Known as "The Brock Lesnar of Estonia," the 6' 5", 266 ½ pound Smoldarev is now positioned to fight the winner of the M-1 Global heavyweight championship fight, March 14 at M-1 Challenge 46, between reigning champion Damian "Polish Pitbull" Grabowski (19-1-0) and challenger Marcin "Tybur" Tybura (9-0-0). The 6' 4", 247-pound Delija had a successful throw and took Smoldarev's back to start a great first round of action.  Smoldarev moved to Delija's guard, working from the top, and unleashed a volley of strong punches and leg kicks on the Croatian.    Smoldarev came out for the second round throwing a good left but Delija quickly went to the ground, taking Smoldarev's back and transitioning to a heel hook.  It wasn't tight enough and then Smoldarev took the top position, firing strikes and then locked in an "Americana."  Delija let out a scream that the referee considered a verbal submission ending the fight.  Delijia protested to no avail.                                                          PHOTO GALLERY BELOW:                                Denis Smoldarev (black trunks) - Ante Delija (blue trunks)

ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1998, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world's next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St Petersburg, Amsterdam and Los Angeles and affiliates in Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged more than 150 events worldwide, including the M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Gobal and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the Showtime network in the United States. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and matchups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport's top names, including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2014 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fuelled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global's Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global's greatest asset is renowned heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.

'M-1 CHALLENGE 45' RESULTS

Smoldarev earns heavyweight title shot Khamanaev rolls to non-title fight win

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (February 28, 2014) - Undefeated Estonian heavyweightDenis Smoldarev (6-0-0) earned a M-1 Global title fight shot by defeating Ante "Walking Trouble" Delija (8-2-0) in tonight's main event, headlining M-1 Challenge 45, at Atmosphere Hall in St. Petersburg, Russia. Known as "The Brock Lesnar of Estonia," the 6' 5", 266 ½ pound Smoldarev is now positioned to fight the winner of the M-1 Global heavyweight championship fight,March 14 at M-1 Challenge 46, between reigning champion Damian "Polish Pitbull" Grabowski (19-1-0) and challenger Marcin "Tybur" Tybura (9-0-0). The 6' 4", 247-pound Delija had a successful throw and took Smoldarev's back to start a great first round of action.  Smoldarev moved to Delija's guard, working from the top, and unleashed a volley of strong punches and leg kicks on the Croatian.    Smoldarev came out for the second round throwing a good left but Delija quickly went to the ground, taking Smoldarev's back and transitioning to a heel hook.  It wasn't tight enough and then Smoldarev took the top position, firing strikes and then locked in an "Americana."  Delija let out a scream that the referee considered a verbal submission and ended the fight.  Delijia protested to no avail. M-1 Global lightweight champ Musa Khamanaev takes down Vladimir Nikolaev M-1 Global lightweight champion Musa Khamanaev (14-3-0) outclassed Ukrainian fighter Vladimir Nikolaev (10-2-0) in their non-title fight. Khamanaev opened with a series of effective strikes and then, using his superior wrestling skills, the Russian took down Nikolaev whose nose was bloodied as he held on for his fighting life. Khamanaev overwhelmed Nikolaev, who was unable to escape, with strong strikes off his powerful ground-and-pound attack. The referee stopped the fight in the second round for a TKO win by Khamanaev. In an upset, Russian middleweight Rashid Yusupov (3-2-0) won a decision over Brazilian veteran Charles "Gracie" Andrade (27-16-0).  Yusupov, a striker, escaped a Kimura attempt by Andrade early in the first round and went on to dominate the first five minutes of the fight.  Outside of one successful Andrade takedown, Yusupov spent most of the second round in Andrade's closed guard.  The trend continued in the final round as Yusupov started with a short stand-up and takedown, in which there was little activity until the final minute of the fight when both fighters were back on their feet.  Yusupov landed some good strikes and kicks, highlighted by a spinning back-kick, to close the show. Russian lightweight Alexander "Iron Capture" Butenko (34-9-0) won a war of attrition in a battle of season veterans against Niko Puhakka (28-15-0), of Finland. Puhakka suffered a cut over his eye in the opening round that freely flowed during the entire fight.  Butenko was unable to submit the game Finn but he was in complete control en route to a solid win by decision. In an exciting match of skilled grapplers, Russian welterweight Ilya Doderkin (4-0-0) remained undefeated, as Nenad "Nino" Avramovich (0-2-0), of Spain, submitted in the second round.  The action was fast and furious as the two fighters constantly changed positions until Doderkin suddenly slapped on a triangle hold, resulting in his impressive victory. Striking prevailed over grappling as Sergei Andreev (6-2-0) took a decision from fellow Russian lightweight Rahman Makhazhiev (1-1-0).  Throughout the fight, Andreev wanted to fight on his feet and go for a knockout, while Makhadzhiev preferred fighting on the mat to try for a submission. Russian featherweight Yunus Evloev (13-6-0) outlasted his Ukrainian opponent,Vitali Branchuk (13-4-0), for a hard fought decision in a back-and-forth match from start to finish. Oleg Misikov (2-0-0) used his physical superiority over fellow Russian lightweightIvan Getman (1-1-0) to a dominant first-round round stoppage.  The referee halted the action early as Misikov landed powerful, unanswered strikes. Russian lightweight Kurbanali Abdusalamov (3-2-0) ruined the professional debut of Alejandro Kratz-Ferrer (0-1-0), trapping the Spanish fighter in a mount position and punching away until Kratz-Ferrer tapped out in the opening round.   Ukrainian lightweight Oleg Khachaturov (1-1-0) won his first professional fight by decision as his ground-and-pound attack was too much for pro-debuting St. Petersburg fighter Alexander Korneev (0-1-0) to handle. For more information about M-1 Global please visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244 Full results and photo gallery below. HEAVYWEIGHTS: DENIS SMOLDAREV (6-0-0), Estonia  WSUB2 ANTE DELIJA (8-2-0), Croatia    LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS: RASHID YUSUPOV (3-2-0), Russia WDEC3 CHARLES ANDRADE (27-16-0), Brazil WELTERWEIGHTS: ILYA DODERKIN (4-0-0), Russia                                       WSUB2 NENAD AVRAMOVICH (0-2-0), Spain LIGHTWEIGHTS: MUSA KHAMANAEV (14-3-0), Russia WTKO2 VLADIMIR NIKOLAEV (10-2-0), Ukraine ALEXANDER BUTENKO (34-9-0), Ukraine WDEC3 NIKO PUHAKKA (28-15-0), Finland SERGEI ANDREEV (6-2-0), Russia   WDEC3 RAHMAN MAKHAZHIEV (1-1-0), Russia     OLEG MISIKOV (2-0-0), Russia   WTKO1 IVAN GETMAN (1-1-0), Russia     KURBANALI ABDUSALAMOV (2-2-0), Russia WSUB1 ALEJANDRO KRATZ-FERRER (0-0-0), Russia OLEG KHACHATUROV (1-1-0), Ukraine   WDEC3 ALEXANDER KORNEEV (0-1-0), Russia FEATHERWEIGHTS: YUNUS EVLOEV (13-6-0), Russia   WDEC3 VITALI BRANCHUK (13-4-0), Ukraine  Musa Khamanaev (L) vs. Vladimir Nikolaev (R) Charles Andrade (L) and Rashid Yusupov (R) square off Alexander Butenko pounds Niko Puhakka Nenad Avramovich on top of Ilya Doderkin in exciting clash of grapplers Sergei Andreev kicks Rahman Makhazhiev Yunus Evloev escaped from this hold to defeat Vitali Branchuk Oleg Misikov congratulates Ivan Getman (black shirt) after their fight Kurbanali Abdusalamov (R) kicks Alejandro Kratz-Ferrer

Oleg Khachaturov (R) attacks Alexander Korneev (on mat)

ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1998, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world's next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St Petersburg, Amsterdam and Los Angeles and affiliates in Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged more than 150 events worldwide, including the M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Gobal and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the Showtime network in the United States. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and matchups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport's top names, including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2014 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fuelled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global's Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global's greatest asset is renowned heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.

M-1 Challenge 45 FACT SHEET

Presents M-1 Challenge 45 Feb. 28, 2014 * Atmosphere Hall * St. Petersburg, Russia

For Immediate Release This Friday in St. Petersburg, Russia MAIN EVENT - HEAVYWEIGHTS (206+ lbs.) - 3 X 5 DENIS SMOLDAREV (5-0-0), Estonia vs. ANTE "Walking Trouble" DELIJA (8-1-0), Croatia    LIGHTWEIGHTS (155 lbs.) - 3 X 5 MUSA KHAMANAEV (13-3-0), Russia vs. VLADIMIR NIKOLAEV (10-1-0), Ukraine LIGHTWEIGHTS (155 lbs.) - 3 X 5 NIKO PUHAKKA (28-14-0), Finland vs. MAXIM DIVNICH (7-0-0), Russia WELTERWEIGHTS (170 lbs.) - 3 X 5 ILYA DODERKIN (3-0-0), Russia                                     vs. NENAD "Nino" AVRAMOVIC (0-1-0), Spain LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (205 lbs.) - 3 X 5 MARCIN ZONTEK (12-8-0), Poland vs. RASHID YUSOPOV (2-2-0), Russia FEATHERWEIGHTS (135 lbs.) - 3 X 5 SOTIR KICHUKOV (12-1-0), Bulgaria vs. YUNUS EVOLEV (12-6-0), Russia LIGHTWEIGHTS (155 lbs.) - 3 X 5 RAKHMAN MAKHADZHIEV (1-0-0),Russia vs. SERGEI ANDREEV (5-2-0), Russia LIGHTWEIGHTS (155 lbs. - 3 X 5) IVAN GETMAN (1-0-0), Russia vs. OLEG MISIKOV (1-0-0), Russia MIDDLEWEIGHTS (185 lbs. - 3 X 5) CHARLES "Gracie" ANDRADE (27-15-0), Brazil vs. RASHID YUSUPOV (2-2-0), Russia (all fights & fighters subject to change) WHEN:        Friday, February 28, 2014 WHERE:      Atmosphere Show Hall in St. Petersburg, Russia PROMOTER:  M-1 Global TELEVISION: Live on Russia 2 throughout Russia and the Commonwealth of Individual States (CIS), as well as across the Middle East on Abu Dhabi Sports Channels INFORMATION:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244 ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1998, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world's next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St Petersburg, Amsterdam and Los Angeles and affiliates in Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged more than 150 events worldwide, including the M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Gobal and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the Showtime network in the United States. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and matchups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport's top names, including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2014 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fuelled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global's Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global's greatest asset is renowned heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.

M-1 Challenge 45

Presents Feb. 28, 2014 * Atmosphere Hall * St. Petersburg, Russia For Immediate Release 'The Brock Lesnar of Estonia' Denis Smoldarev The New breed of MMA heavyweights 'M-1 Challenge 45' Feb. 28 in St. Petersburg, Russia ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (February 13, 2014) - The new breed of MMA heavyweights, M-1 Global Heavyweight contender Denis Smoldarev, will be unleashed February 28 in the main event of M-1 Challenge 45 against Ante "Walking Trouble" Delija, at Atmosphere Show Hall in St. Petersburg, Russia. M-1 Challenge 45 will air live on Russia 2, the terrestrial channel, throughout Russia and the Commonwealth of Individual States (CIS), as well as across the Middle East on Abu Dhabi Sports Channels. Smoldarev (5-0-0, 2 KO/TKO, 1 SUB), known as "The Brock Lesnar of Estonia," battles the man billed as the next great Croatian MMA star, Delila (9-1-0, 3 KO/TKO, 1 SUB), in a M-1 Global title elimination fight to determine the No. 1 heavyweight contender. Standing 6' 5" and tipping the scales at 250-pounds, Smoldarev (pictured to left) is a physically imposing athlete who was the heavyweight winner of the M-1 Selection Grand Prix. Only 24 years old, he advanced to the semifinals of the 2013 M-1 Heavyweight Grand Prix but was forced out of the competition only two days prior to his scheduled fight due to a knee injury. "I definitely consider myself a new generation of MMA fighter, as diversified as possible," said Smoldarev, who started studying judo at the age of 12.  "I can fight both on my feet and wrestle on the ground.  I prefer to win via decision but always look forward to an error my opponent makes so I can finish him early, if possible.  I believe I've already made an impact in my first few fights."   At 6' 4 ¾" and 230-pounds, Delila has stopped all nine of his defeated opponents within the distance.  "He is tall, strong, heavy, fast and versatile," Smoldarev noted. "Overall, he is a very good opponent.  We're going to go at it!" The main event between Smoldarev and Delila (pictured to right) also has world title implications with the coveted M-1 Global top heavyweight contender position on the line.  This summer the Smoldarev-Delila winner will most likely fight for the M-1 Global Heavyweight Championship, against either defending champion Damian Grabowski or his upcoming challenger Marcin Tybura. "I recently found out about this but I don't feel any pressure," Smoldarev spoke about his title eliminator fight with Delilja.  "I think that I will deserve to fight for the title with a victory in this fight.  Either fighter (Grabowski or Tybura) will be a good opponent." The M-1 Challenge 45 undercard is loaded with many of the best MMA fighters in the world battling in five Super Fights. Finnish star and M-1 Global lightweight title challenger Nikko Puhakka (28-14-0, 5 KO/TKO, 8 SUB) faces undefeated Russian kick-boxing specialist, hot prospect Maxim Divnich (7-0-0, 4 KO/TKO). Spanish welterweight Daniel "The Gladiator" Tabera (17-5-3, 4 KO/TKO, 7 SUB) meets unbeaten Russian Sambo Master Ilya Doderkin (3-0, 3 SUB).     Former M-1 Global light heavyweight Marcin Zontek (12-8-0, 6 KO/TKO, 5 SUB), of Poland, takes on 20-year-old Russian striker Rashid Yusupov (2-2-0, 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB).  Bulgarian featherweight prospect Sotir Kichukov (12-1, 2 KOs, 7 SUB) brings his  seven-fight win streak into his throw-down with Russian grappling artist Yunus Evloev (12-6-0, 4 KO/TKO, 6 SUB). Rakhman Makhadzhiev (1-0-0, 1 SUB), a standout grappler, fights wrestling specialist  Sergey Andreev (5-2-0, 2 SUB) in a match-up between a talented pair of 23-year-old Russian lightweights. All fights and fighters are subject to change. Go Facebook for more information about M-1 Global and M-1 Challenge 45 athttps://www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244. ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1998, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world's next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St Petersburg, Amsterdam and Los Angeles and affiliates in Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged more than 150 events worldwide, including the M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Gobal and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the Showtime network in the United States. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and matchups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport's top names, including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2014 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fuelled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global's Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global's greatest asset is renowned heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.

Smoldarev vs. Delija headlines 'M-1 Challenge 45' Feb. 28 in St. Petersburg, Russia

Presents M-1 Challenge 45 February 28, 2014 * Atmosphere Hall * St. Petersburg, Russia

For Immediate Release ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (February 4, 2014) -- M-1 Global Heavyweight contender Denis Smoldarev headlines M-1 Challenge 45 on Friday night, February 28 against Ante "Walking Trouble" Delija at Atmosphere Show Hall in St. Petersburg, Russia. The main event is an intriguing heavyweight showdown between Estonia's undefeated Smoldarev (5-0-0, 2 KO/TKO, 1 SUB) and Delila (9-1-0, 3 KO/TKO, 1 SUB), who has been billed as the next great Croatian MMA star. The 6' 5", 250-pound Smoldarev, who has a judo and sambo background, was the heavyweight winner of the M-1 Selection Grand Prix. The 24-year-old advanced to the semifinals of the 2013 M-1 Heavyweight Grand Prix but was forced to pull out only two days prior to the fight due to a knee injury. Delila, who stands 6' 4 ¾" and weighs 230-pounds, is best known for his killer instinct having stopped within the distance all nine of the opponents he has defeated. M-1 Challenge 45 will air live on Russia 2, the terrestrial channel, throughout Russia and the Commonwealth of Individual States (CIS), as well as across the Middle East on Abu Dhabi Sports Channels. "This first event of 2014 for M-1 Global kicks off with some great rivalries and important fights to determine who is going to fight for the title," M1 Global president Vadim Finkelchtein said. "This fight is for the No. 1 Heavyweight contender between two very talented and enormous young prospects. Smoldarev is unbeaten in seven bouts while Delija has only one loss and is considered to be the next big thing in Croatian MMA. Whoever wins is likely to challenge the M-1 Global Heavyweight Champion (champion Damian Grabowski will defend next vs. Marcin Tybura) in the summer." M-1 Global is the No. 1 European MMA organization, as well as one of the oldest in the world, dating back to 1998. Superstar Fedor Emelianenko, considered by many to be the greatest fighter in MMA history, has been the face of M-1 Global around the combat sports world for the past decade. The M-1 Challenge series has traditionally introduced a new wave of potential MMA stars, showcasing elite athletes from Russia and across Europe. Many fighters who fall into the aforementioned category will be showcased on M-1 Challenge 45. The M-1 Challenge 45 event is stacked from top-to-bottom, featuring five Super Fights to go along with the main event. M-1 Global lightweight title challenger Nikko Puhakka (28-14-0, 5 KO/TKO, 8 SUB) meets undefeated Russian prospect Maxim Divnich (7-0-0, 4 KO/TKO). Puhakka's a skilled submission artist with tremendous stamina. He was one of the best Team Finland fighters in the 2009 M-1 Challenge Team Championships. Divnich is a high-regarded kick-boxer who, of course, prefers to fight on his feet. Tough Spanish welterweight Daniel "The Gladiator" Tabera (17-5-3, 4 KO/TKO, 7 SUB) faces unbeaten Russian sensation Ilya Doderkin (3-0, 3 SUB). Tabera will be making his welterweight debut having previously fought in all weight divisions between middleweight and heavyweight, while Doderkin has achieved status of Master of Sports in Sambo (Russian Federation). Battle-tested Polish light heavyweight Marcin Zontek (12-8-0, 6 KO/TKO, 5 SUB) will battle 20-year-old Russian striker Rashid Yusupov (2-2-0, 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB). A past M-1 Global light heavyweight title challenger, Zontek has never been knocked out and he returns to action after a lengthy lay-off due to multiple injuries following his "Best Fight of 2013" effort against Sergey Korneev. Yusupov graduated to professional MMA after winning top honors in Russian and World Amateur MMA tournaments last year, in which he stopped all of his opponents in the latter competition.   Hot Bulgarian prospect Sotir Kichukov (12-1, 2 KOs, 7 SUB) rides a seven-fight win streak into his match-up with veteran Russian featherweight Yunus Evloev (12-6-0, 4 KO/TKO, 6 SUB). The 23-year-old Kichukov is an outstanding grappler and Maxfight Bantamweight Champion back in his country. The winner of multiple international grappling tournaments, Evloev started his MMA career in 2005 as a lightweight. A pair of 23-year-old Russian lightweights, Rakhman Makhadzhiev (1-0-0, 1 SUB) and Sergey Andreev (5-2-0, 2 SUB), round-out the M-1 Challenge 45 event. Another standout grappler, Makhadzhiev is dropping down from the welterweight division. He was a 2012 Russian National and European Amateur MMA Champion. Andreev is an aggressive fighter with a solid wrestling base. He won a four-man amateur tournament at M-1 Challenge 41. All fights and fighters are subject to change. Go Facebook for more information about M-1 Global and M-1 Challenge 45 athttps://www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244. ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1998, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world's next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St Petersburg, Amsterdam and Los Angeles and affiliates in Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged more than 150 events worldwide, including the M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Gobal and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the Showtime network in the United States. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and matchups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport's top names, including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2014 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fuelled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global's Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global's greatest asset is renowned heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.