Khadis Ibragimov Is the New M-1 Challenge Light Heavyweight Champion

[AdSense-A]

Undefeated Khadis Ibragimov (7-0-0) defeated Dmitry Mikutsa in last night’s M-1 Challenge 96 main event to capture the vacant M-1 Challenge light heavyweight title, at M-1 Arena in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

MMA fighters represented 10 different countries in this international event: Russia, United States, Ukraine, Brazil, France, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan and Georgia.

Ibragimov, fighting out of Russia, locked in a rear-naked choke to submit his Ukrainian opponent, Mikutsa (9-4-1), in the second round for the vacant M-1 Challenge light heavyweight crown.

In the co-featured event, Russian featherweight Viktor Kolesnik (15-3-1) finished off his American foe, Daniel “Agent Orange” Swain (18-9-1) in the opening round with damaging leg kicks.

Brazilian lightweight Michel “Sassariro” Silva (20-7-1) was too much for previously unbeaten Alexey “Phenomenal” Ilyenko (8-1-1), who succumbed to a vicious ground-and-pound attack.

Ukrainian featherweight Yuri Chobuka (10-1-0) took a unanimous decision from Steve Polifonte (13-6-0), of France.

Georgian flyweight Vazha Tsiptauri (6-1-0) handed Sanzhar Adilov (4-1-0), of Kazakhstan, his first loss as a professional by way of a unanimous decision.

On the undercard, Russian heavyweight Yuri Fedorov (2-0-0) ground-and-pounded his way to a third-round technical knockout of fellow countryman Sergey Goltsov (0-2-), Russian featherweight Akhmadkhan Bokov (4-3-0) edged pro-debuting Adam Borovec (0-1-0) via majority decision, and Russian featherweight Nikita Solonin (5-2-0) registered a unanimous decision victory against Rene Hackl (4-1-0), of Hungary).

Russian pro-debuting Vasily Kozlov (1-0-0), fighting at a 158 ½ catchweight, and Russian welterweight Boris Medvedev (3-0-0) were first-round, one-punch knockout winners, respectively, versus Jurand Lisieski (3-1-1), of Poland, and Ukrainian Dmitriy Tikhonyuk (0-1-0). Russian lightweight Artem Tarasov (3-1-0) used a barrage of punches to stop Filip Kovarik (3-1-0), of Poland, in round one.

MAIN CARD

MAIN EVENT
VACANT M-1 CHALLENGE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Khadis Ibragimov (7-0-0, M-1: 3-0-0), Russia
WSUB2 (4:30 – rear naked choke)
Dmitry Mikutsa (9-4-1, M-1: 2-2-0), Ukraine
(Ibragimov won the M-1 Challenge light heavyweight title)

CO-FEATURE – FEATHERWEIGHTS
Viktor Kolesnik (15-3-1, M-1: 4-1-1), Russia
WTKO1 (4:21 – leg kicks)
Daniel Swain (18-9-1, M-1: 1-1-1), USA

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Michel Silva (20-7-1, M-1: 2-2-0), Brazil
WTKO1 (1:34 – ground-and-pound)
Alexey Ilyenko (8-1-1, M-1: 1-1-0), Russia

FEATHERWEIGHTS
Yuri Chobuka (10-1-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Ukraine
WDEC3
Steve Polifonte (13-6-0, M-1: 0-1-0), France

FLYWEIGHTS
Vazha Tsiptauri (6-1-0, M-1: 4-0-0)
WDEC3
Sanzhar Adilov (4-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Kazakhstan

UNDERCARD

HEAVYWEIGHTS
Yuri Fedorov (2-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia
WTKO3 (1:11 – ground-and-pound)
Sergey Goltsov (0-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Russia

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Rafal Kijanczuk (4-0-0 (M-1: 2-0-0), Poland
WTKO1 (5:00 – injury)
Ibragim Sagov (4-2-0, M-1: 3-2-0), Russia

CATCHWEIGHT (72, kg, 158 ½ lbs.)
Vasily Kozlov (1-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia
WKO1 (0:42 – punch)
Jurand Lisieski (3-1-1, M-1: 0-1-0), Poland

WELTERWEIGHTS
Dmitriy Tikhonyuk (1-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Ukraine
WKO1 (1:07 – punch)
Boris Medvedev (2-1-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Russia

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Artem Tarasov (3-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia
WKO1 (1:57 – punches)
Filip Kovarik (3-1-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Poland

FEATHERWEIGHTS
Nikita Solonin (5-2-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Russia
WDEC3
Rene Hackl (4-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Hungary

Akhmadkhan Bokov (4-3-0, M-1: 4-1-0), Russia
WDEC3
Adam Borovec (0-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Czech Republic