M-1 Challenge
28-09-2008, 18:52
M-1 Challenge Nr 7
Nottingham September 27th 2008.
Photo’s by: Payap Photography
It is a long long time ago that Robin Hood fought the evil Prince John out of Sherwood forest. The fighters that entered the ring of the 7th M-1 Challenge in Nothingham didn’t use bow and arrow or swords but they faced each other fair and square with just miniscule gloves in a man to man battle in the toughest fightsport there is. Mixed Martial Arts.
Not only did Tony Mc Donaugh from Warrior promotions brought the Worldwide Challenge to England, he also staged a seminar of Alexander Emilianenko and the UK’s own MMA legend Ian “the Machine” Freeman who came out of retirement at 42 to conquer the Cage rage Championship. At the same afternoon a few exhibition techniques were featured by Dan “the outlaw” Hardy, Gegard Mousasi the Dream middleweight GP Champion and Jimmy Wallhead with the Leicester Tiger RFC squad.
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/8/dsc5904dq5.jpg
Fate is a mysterious thing that has its own ways and even if you’re not religious you will have to agree that there is more between heaven and earth then the human mind can comprehend,
How else could you explain that Alexander and Red Devil’s Mikhail Malyutin after being invited to some kind of combat Sambo tournament, were not on the plane that crashed near Perm in Russia early September. Everybody aboard was killed, but because the budget of the organizers was too small Alexander and Mikhail were called and told that they could not be afforded and that the tickets for the airplane had to be cancelled.
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/3360/dsc5901wc2.jpg
The venue of the event was the Harvey Hadden Sport Center and as usual the TV production was done by Jerry Millen, commentators were Jimmy Smith and Sean Wheelock, camera and pictures were handled by Kevin Hewitt and the ring announcer was nobody less then Ian “The Machine” Freeman.
Chief of the officials and rules enforcer was Ino Alberga. Referees as well as judges were Marco Broersen from Holland, Mika Sinkkonen from Finland and Marc Goddard from the UK. Barry Foley was invited as a judge and the timekeeper was Rachel Wheatley, a schoolteacher and submission grappler who reached the Abu Dhabi finals in 2007.
Marc Caulkin, Adam Layland and Phil Watson from “Cage Medics” were there to treat the injuries of fighters.
The show was well attended, in fact it was a full house and we were told that a boxing event in a neighboring town was canceled due to the competition they had from M-1 Challenge
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/4939/dsc5140uj3.jpg
Russia Legion vs World Team
Legion as well as the World team came with four replacements. Sultanov was the only one that fought before in the Legion squad and so was Deputter in the World team.
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/1599/dsc5144fm5.jpg
Musa Khamanaev (69.7 kg) vs Wim Deputter (69.8 kg)
Referee: Mika Sinkkonen
Khamanaev is the 2008 Russian combat Sambo champion and Belgian Wim Deputter, a ground specialist is one of the top ten European lightweights.
Deputter entered dancing and the way the crowd applauded him made that we couldn’t wait for the fights between the British fighters.
Deputter was coached by Dream GP champion Gegard Musashi but in the first round it was all Khamanaev who made the effort to finish the fight while the Belgian was on the defending end. The second round gave the same picture so the result was no surprise. Khamanaev winner on points.
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/8531/dsc5176ev7.jpg
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/5684/dsc5235ij4.jpg
Sergey Verdesh (75.8 kg) vs Jason Ponet (75.9 kg)
Referee: Mika Sinkkonen
Verdesh is another combat sambo champion. He won the title in 2006. The unknown Jason Ponet from France replaced fellow countryman Norman Paraisy who was injured.
First round was quite even on the ground and there was no stand up fight at all. The second started standing up with Verdesh looking for the thunderpunch to knock Ponet out while the Frenchman kept him off with inside lowkicks.
When it went to the floor Ponet was the one making the fight with efforts to punch Verdesh out. Unanimous winner Jason Ponet.
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/2047/dsc5350vu8.jpg
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/1774/dsc5408km2.jpg
Sergey Korneev (83.9 kg) vs Rosen Dimitrov (83.2 kg)
Referee: Marco Broersen
Korneev won 9 fights in a row among which the Pancrase Cup, the Championship Legion Fights and the WUFC tournament in Portugal in august 2008. The unknown Bulgarian Dimitrov replaced the experienced Jordan Radev. Dimitrov was more of a boxer then a grappler and standing up it was at least an equal fight. On the ground Korneev was tronger and after 2.59 in the second round the referee stopped the fight after heavy ground and pounding by the Russian. Korneev winner.
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/3618/dsc5444tm8.jpg
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/2451/dsc5536hx3.jpg
Gadzhimurad Omarov (92.4 kg) vs Nils van Noord (90.7 kg)
Referee: Marco Broersen
Omarov, a former Pancrase cup winner and the European Pankration Champion faced the young Dutch Nils van Noord.
First time ever in the Challenge there was an extra round because after two rounds the judges could not decide who was the winner. Omarov dominated the extra round and took the unanimous decision after that.
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/2671/dsc5644tz8.jpg
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/4311/dsc5693xu2.jpg
Akhmed Sultanov (104.4 kg) vs Sylvester Oleksy (106.2 kg)
Referee: Marc Goddard
Sultanov who defeated the 154 kg King of the Cage superheavyweight Champion Eric Pele in a BodogFIGHT fought Polish Sylvester Oleksy who made his debut in MMA.
First round ended with Oleksy bleeding from a cut above the right eye, but the second round he surprised everybody by scoring often with punches agains Sultanov who was just as exhausted as he was. Unanimous winner on points Sultanov.
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/6922/dsc5777sq7.jpg
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/283/dsc5806qr2.jpg
Superfight
Christian Smith (83.9 kg) vs Cliff Hall (83.5 kg)
Referee: Marc Goddard
Of these two local fighters, Smith is best known for his Stand-up skills while Hall is an expert grappler. Both were looking forward to impress the attending M-1 scouts with their skills so they could be selected for the UK M-1 team that will be part of the Challenge in 2008.
Whistling, yelling, shouting on the top of their lungs. The crowd went berserk when the two British heroes entered the ring. Hometown fighter Hall against Smith from Mansfield.
What a fight. Words fail to describe it. Puncher Smith was dominating the first round and a few times Hall narrowly escaped being KO´d on the ground. Just 33 seconds after the bell of the 2th round Hall was mounted again and this time lady luck left him. He needed serious care after a heavy G&P knockout. Christian Smith winner by KO G&P of this fantastic superfight.
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/8199/dsc5847hs5.jpg
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/6814/dsc5848mh3.jpg
Nottingham September 27th 2008.
Photo’s by: Payap Photography
It is a long long time ago that Robin Hood fought the evil Prince John out of Sherwood forest. The fighters that entered the ring of the 7th M-1 Challenge in Nothingham didn’t use bow and arrow or swords but they faced each other fair and square with just miniscule gloves in a man to man battle in the toughest fightsport there is. Mixed Martial Arts.
Not only did Tony Mc Donaugh from Warrior promotions brought the Worldwide Challenge to England, he also staged a seminar of Alexander Emilianenko and the UK’s own MMA legend Ian “the Machine” Freeman who came out of retirement at 42 to conquer the Cage rage Championship. At the same afternoon a few exhibition techniques were featured by Dan “the outlaw” Hardy, Gegard Mousasi the Dream middleweight GP Champion and Jimmy Wallhead with the Leicester Tiger RFC squad.
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/8/dsc5904dq5.jpg
Fate is a mysterious thing that has its own ways and even if you’re not religious you will have to agree that there is more between heaven and earth then the human mind can comprehend,
How else could you explain that Alexander and Red Devil’s Mikhail Malyutin after being invited to some kind of combat Sambo tournament, were not on the plane that crashed near Perm in Russia early September. Everybody aboard was killed, but because the budget of the organizers was too small Alexander and Mikhail were called and told that they could not be afforded and that the tickets for the airplane had to be cancelled.
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/3360/dsc5901wc2.jpg
The venue of the event was the Harvey Hadden Sport Center and as usual the TV production was done by Jerry Millen, commentators were Jimmy Smith and Sean Wheelock, camera and pictures were handled by Kevin Hewitt and the ring announcer was nobody less then Ian “The Machine” Freeman.
Chief of the officials and rules enforcer was Ino Alberga. Referees as well as judges were Marco Broersen from Holland, Mika Sinkkonen from Finland and Marc Goddard from the UK. Barry Foley was invited as a judge and the timekeeper was Rachel Wheatley, a schoolteacher and submission grappler who reached the Abu Dhabi finals in 2007.
Marc Caulkin, Adam Layland and Phil Watson from “Cage Medics” were there to treat the injuries of fighters.
The show was well attended, in fact it was a full house and we were told that a boxing event in a neighboring town was canceled due to the competition they had from M-1 Challenge
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/4939/dsc5140uj3.jpg
Russia Legion vs World Team
Legion as well as the World team came with four replacements. Sultanov was the only one that fought before in the Legion squad and so was Deputter in the World team.
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/1599/dsc5144fm5.jpg
Musa Khamanaev (69.7 kg) vs Wim Deputter (69.8 kg)
Referee: Mika Sinkkonen
Khamanaev is the 2008 Russian combat Sambo champion and Belgian Wim Deputter, a ground specialist is one of the top ten European lightweights.
Deputter entered dancing and the way the crowd applauded him made that we couldn’t wait for the fights between the British fighters.
Deputter was coached by Dream GP champion Gegard Musashi but in the first round it was all Khamanaev who made the effort to finish the fight while the Belgian was on the defending end. The second round gave the same picture so the result was no surprise. Khamanaev winner on points.
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/8531/dsc5176ev7.jpg
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/5684/dsc5235ij4.jpg
Sergey Verdesh (75.8 kg) vs Jason Ponet (75.9 kg)
Referee: Mika Sinkkonen
Verdesh is another combat sambo champion. He won the title in 2006. The unknown Jason Ponet from France replaced fellow countryman Norman Paraisy who was injured.
First round was quite even on the ground and there was no stand up fight at all. The second started standing up with Verdesh looking for the thunderpunch to knock Ponet out while the Frenchman kept him off with inside lowkicks.
When it went to the floor Ponet was the one making the fight with efforts to punch Verdesh out. Unanimous winner Jason Ponet.
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/2047/dsc5350vu8.jpg
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/1774/dsc5408km2.jpg
Sergey Korneev (83.9 kg) vs Rosen Dimitrov (83.2 kg)
Referee: Marco Broersen
Korneev won 9 fights in a row among which the Pancrase Cup, the Championship Legion Fights and the WUFC tournament in Portugal in august 2008. The unknown Bulgarian Dimitrov replaced the experienced Jordan Radev. Dimitrov was more of a boxer then a grappler and standing up it was at least an equal fight. On the ground Korneev was tronger and after 2.59 in the second round the referee stopped the fight after heavy ground and pounding by the Russian. Korneev winner.
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/3618/dsc5444tm8.jpg
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/2451/dsc5536hx3.jpg
Gadzhimurad Omarov (92.4 kg) vs Nils van Noord (90.7 kg)
Referee: Marco Broersen
Omarov, a former Pancrase cup winner and the European Pankration Champion faced the young Dutch Nils van Noord.
First time ever in the Challenge there was an extra round because after two rounds the judges could not decide who was the winner. Omarov dominated the extra round and took the unanimous decision after that.
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/2671/dsc5644tz8.jpg
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/4311/dsc5693xu2.jpg
Akhmed Sultanov (104.4 kg) vs Sylvester Oleksy (106.2 kg)
Referee: Marc Goddard
Sultanov who defeated the 154 kg King of the Cage superheavyweight Champion Eric Pele in a BodogFIGHT fought Polish Sylvester Oleksy who made his debut in MMA.
First round ended with Oleksy bleeding from a cut above the right eye, but the second round he surprised everybody by scoring often with punches agains Sultanov who was just as exhausted as he was. Unanimous winner on points Sultanov.
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/6922/dsc5777sq7.jpg
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/283/dsc5806qr2.jpg
Superfight
Christian Smith (83.9 kg) vs Cliff Hall (83.5 kg)
Referee: Marc Goddard
Of these two local fighters, Smith is best known for his Stand-up skills while Hall is an expert grappler. Both were looking forward to impress the attending M-1 scouts with their skills so they could be selected for the UK M-1 team that will be part of the Challenge in 2008.
Whistling, yelling, shouting on the top of their lungs. The crowd went berserk when the two British heroes entered the ring. Hometown fighter Hall against Smith from Mansfield.
What a fight. Words fail to describe it. Puncher Smith was dominating the first round and a few times Hall narrowly escaped being KO´d on the ground. Just 33 seconds after the bell of the 2th round Hall was mounted again and this time lady luck left him. He needed serious care after a heavy G&P knockout. Christian Smith winner by KO G&P of this fantastic superfight.
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/8199/dsc5847hs5.jpg
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/6814/dsc5848mh3.jpg