The 2011 M-1 Challenge season was the fourth season of mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting presented by the M-1 Global promotion. The season began on March 5.
Events
M-1 Challenge XXIII: Grishin vs. Guram
The first M-1 Challenge event of 2011 took place on March 5, 2011, at the Crocus City in Moscow, Russia.
Main card (Russia 2 TV)
Heavyweight Championship bout: Guram Gugenishvili (c) vs. Maxim Grishin
Gugenishvili defeated Grishin via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:03 of round 1.
Welterweight Championship bout: Shamil Zavurov vs. Tom Gallicchio
Zavurov defeated Gallicchio via TKO (strikes) at 1:11 of round 2.
Due to problems with his visa Arthur Guseinov was unable to compete. Josh Bakkalao got injured during practice and was unable to face Alexander Sarnavskiy. He was replaced by Beau Baker.
Main card (Showtime TV)
Lightweight Championship bout: Artiom Damkovsky (c) vs. Jose Figueroa
Figueroa defeated Damkovsky via TKO (punches) at 2:28 of round 2 to become the new M-1 Global Lightweight Champion.
Middleweight Championship bout: Magomed Sultanakhmedov vs. Tyson Jeffries
Sultanakhmedov defeated Jeffries via TKO (knees to the body) at 3:07 of round 2.
Smith defeated Nielson via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:19 of round 1.
Heavyweight bout: Johnny Curtis vs. Bobby Gurley
Curtis defeated Gurley via KO (punch to the body) at 0:36 of round 1.
Lightweight bout: George Sheppard vs. David Derby
Sheppard defeated Derby via TKO (punches) at 1:50 of round 1.
Bantamweight bout: Jessie Riggleman vs. Jason Hilliker
Riggleman defeated Hilliker via submission (guillotine choke) at 3:13 of round 1.
M-1 Challenge XXV: Zavurov vs. Enomoto
28 April 2011 Ice Palace Saint Petersburg in St.Petersburg, Russia.
Today it was announced that Dmitry Samoilov and Mike Guerin were injured during the training process and, unfortunately, will not be able to take part in the tournament M-1 Challenge XXV. Zavurov vs Magomedov. Rashid Magomedov was seriously injured and was out of title bout with Shamil Zavurov. M-1 Global has made every effort to in such a short period of time to find a worthy replacement, and literally a few minutes ago to sign the exclusive contract with M-1 Global has put Swiss welterweight Yasubi Enomoto, who last year was a finalist at the Grand Prix at Sengoku in his weight class.
Adamchuk defeated Sinkevich via KO (punch) at 2:47 of 2 round.
Welterweight bout: Vladimir Opanasenko vs. Syanan Yusibov
Opanasenko defeated Yusibov via submission (armbar) at 0:41 of 1 round.
Welterweight bout: Vasily Novikov vs. Alexander Nimerenko
Novikov defeated Nimerenko via submission (armbar) at 3:10 of 2 round.
Middleweight bout: Alexander Dolotenko vs. Filip Anasovich
Dolotenko defeated Anasovich via submission (armbar) at 1:15 of 1 round.
M-1 Challenge XXVI: Bennett vs. Garner II
The second M-1 Challenge event to air on Showtime took place on July 8, 2011, in Costa Mesa, California.[3] Guram Gugenishvili was originally announced for the main event, but suffered a hand injury and was replaced by Garner.[3]
Main card (Showtime TV)
Heavyweight bout: Kenny Garner vs. Pat Bennett
Garner defeated Bennett via KO (punch) at 1:15 of round 2.
Middleweight bout: Arthur Guseinov vs. Tyson Jeffries
Guseinov defeated Jeffries via KO (back fist) at 1:32 of round 1.
Lightweight bout: Mairbek Taisumov vs. Josh Bakkalao
Taisumov defeated Bakkalao via KO (punch) at 2:01 of round 1.
Lightweight bout: Daniel Weichel vs. Beau Baker
Weichel defeated Baker by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-25).
Middleweight bout: Eddie Arizmendi vs. Jason Norwood
Arizmendi defeated Norwood via KO (punch) at 4:55 of round 2.
Preliminary card (Allboxing.tv)
Lightweight bout: Max Martyniouk vs. Mike De Robles
Martyniouk defeated Robles via TKO (punches) at 2:30 of 1 round.
Lightweight bout: Diman Morris vs. Brandon Michaels
Morris defeated Michaels by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28).
М-1 Challenge XXVII: Magalhaes vs. Zayats
The third M-1 Challenge show on Showtime took place on October 14, 2011, at the Grand Canyon University Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.
Heavyweight champion Guram Gugenishvili was originally set to defend his title in a rematch against Kenny Garner, but pulled out of the bout due to an elbow injury.[4]
At the end of the heavyweight bout, Vladimir Putin entered the ring to congratulate the winner, Fedor Emelianenko, and gave a speech. The crowd booed during the speech; although some Russian media reports claimed that they had been booing the American loser, Jeff Monson, BBC News reported that several crowd members had stressed that they were booing Putin, and regarded Monson as an honorable loser.[7]
Volkov defeated Abdulkerimov via TKO (punches) at 1:00 of round 1.
Light Heavyweight bout: Salim Davidov vs. Sergey Kornev
Davidov defeated Kornev by unanimous decision.
Lightweight bout: Mikhail Malyutin vs. Seydina Seck
Malyutin defeated Seck via KO (punch) at 0:47 of round 1.
Lightweight bout: Nicholas Kaushansky vs. Alexander Vinogradov
Kaushansky defeated Vinogradov via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:23 of round 2.
M-1 Challenge XXX: Shamil Zavurov vs. Yasubey Enomoto II
This event took place on December 9, 2011, at The Hangar at the O.C. Fair and Events Center in Costa Mesa, California. It aired live on the Showtime cable network.
Alexander Sarnavskiy was scheduled to face Francisco Drinaldo, but the bout was cancelled when Drinaldo suffered an injury. Sarnavskiy instead faced Sergio Cortez.[8]
