title: 2009 M-1 Challenge season
text: # 2009 M-1 Challenge season
  
  The 2009 M-1 Challenge season was the second season of the M-1 Challenge series presented by M-1 Global. It started on February 21, 2009 and concluded on December 3, 2009. 16 teams from around the world competed in the 2009 M-1 Challenge Season, up from the 9 teams that competed in 2008. The teams typically featured top MMA prospects. The Season was won by the Russian Legion team.
  
  ## Background
  
  M-1 Challenge is a team-based competition organized with a series of events held in different places around the world where MMA clubs compete against each other. The teams consist of five fighters, one in each of the five major MMA weight classes- Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight.
  
  ## Team Results
  
  ### Group Stage Standings
  
  | Group A | team record | overall record |
  | - | - | - |
  | x- England | 2-1 | 10-5 |
  | Japan | 2-1 | 8-7 |
  | France | 1-2 | 8-7 |
  | Spain | 1-2 | 4-11 |
  | Group B | team record | overall record |
  | x- USA West | 3-0 | 13-2 |
  | Brazil | 2-1 | 10-5 |
  | South Korea | 1-2 | 5-10 |
  | Imperial Team | 0-3 | 2-13 |
  | Group C | team record | overall record |
  | x- USA East | 2-1 | 10-5 |
  | Finland | 2-1 | 10-5 |
  | Benelux | 1-2 | 6-9 |
  | Bulgaria | 1-2 | 4-11 |
  | Group D | team record | overall record |
  | x- Russian Legion | 3-0 | 13-2 |
  | Germany | 2-1 | 10-5 |
  | World Team | 1-2 | 6-9 |
  | Turkey | 0-3 | 1-14 |
  
  x-clinched group title and semifinal playoff berth
  
  ### Semi-finals
  
  USA East defeats USA West (4-1)
  
  Russian Legion defeats United Kingdom (4-1)
  
  ### Finals
  
  Russian Legion defeats USA East to claim the second M-1 Challenge (5-0)
  
  ## Season Results
  
  21 February 2009 (Seattle, USA) Sang Soo Lee
  
  Finland vs. Benelux (4-1)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Danny van Bergen defeats Juha-Pekka Vainikainen via unanimous decision.
  * Welterweight bout: Janne Tulirinta defeats Tommy Depret via submission (D'arce choke) at 2:30 of Round 1.
  * Middleweight bout: Lucio Linhares defeats Kamil Uygun via submission (armbar) at 1:22 of Round 1.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Marcus Vänttinen defeats Jason Jones by unanimous decision.
  * Heavyweight bout: Toni Valtonen defeats Sander Duyvis via TKO (punches) at 0:18 of Round 1.
  
  South Korea vs. The Imperial Team (3-2)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Do Hyung Kim defeats Mikhail Malyutin via unanimous decision.
  * Welterweight bout: Myung Ho Bae defeats Erik Oganov via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:12 of Round 2.
  * Middleweight bout: Dmitri Samoylov defeats Hyun Gyu Lim via unanimous decision.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Jae Young Kim defeats Mikhail Zayats via TKO (head kick) at 4:02 of Round 2.
  * Heavyweight bout: Alexey Oleinik defeats Sang Soo Lee via submission (ezekiel choke) at 4:27 of Round 2.
  
  USA West vs. Brazil (3-2)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Dave Jansen defeats Flavio Roberto Alvaro via unanimous decision.
  * Welterweight bout: Eduardo Pamplona defeats Dylan Clay via TKO (punches) at 2:48 of Round 3.
  * Middleweight bout: Reggie Orr defeats Juliano Cioffi Belgine via split decision.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Raphael Davis defeats Jair Goncalves Junior via TKO (punches) at 4:05 of Round 1.
  * Heavyweight bout: Jose Edson dos Santos Franca defeats Carl Seumanutafa via split decision.
  
  28 March 2009 (Bourgas, Bulgaria)
  
  USA East vs. Bulgaria (5-0)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Renato Migliaccio defeats Yanko Yanev via submission (armbar) at 4:45 of Round 1.
  * Welterweight bout: Steve Carl defeats Ivan Ivanov via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:31 of Round 1.
  * Middleweight bout: Herbert Goodman defeats Jordan Radev via knockout at 4:59 of Round 2.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Chuck Grigsby defeats Atanas Dzhambazov via unanimous decision.
  * Heavyweight bout: Lloyd Marshbanks defeats Emil Samoilov via submission (heel hook) at 3:27 of Round 1.
  
  Germany vs. Turkey (5-0)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Franco de Leonardis defeats Akin Duran via submission (triangle choke) at 2:29 of Round 1.
  * Welterweight bout: Daniel Weichel defeats Fatih Dogan via submission (d'arce choke) at 2:29 of Round 1.
  * Middleweight bout: Gregor Herb defeats Ahmed Bayrak via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:00 of Round 2.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Martin Zawada defeats Samy Turky via TKO at 2:38 of Round 1.
  * Heavyweight bout: David Baziak defeats Tugrul Okay via TKO at 0:52 of Round 2.
  
  Legion Sport Club vs. World Team (4-1)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Yuri Ivlev defeats Romano de los Reyes via unanimous decision.
  * Welterweight bout: Magomed Shikhshabekov defeats Jason Ponet via submission (triangle choke) at 1:34 of Round 1.
  * Middleweight bout: Sergey Kornev defeats Nathan Schouteren via KO at 0:12 of Round 1.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Gadzhimurad Omarov defeats Nils van Noord via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:24 of Round 1.
  * Heavyweight bout: Michal Kita defeats Ahmed Sultanov via KO at 2:30 of Round 1.
  
  29 April 2009 (Tokyo, Japan)
  
  England vs. Japan (4-1)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Luiz Andrade defeats Ian Butlin via submission (armbar) at 3:20 of Round 1.
  * Welterweight bout: Simon Phillips defeats Hidehiko Hasegawa via KO at 0:20 of Round 1.
  * Middleweight bout: Matt Thorpe defeats Yusuke Masuda via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:30 of Round 2.
  * Lightheavyweight bout: Tom Blackledge defeats Tatsuya Mizuno via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:22 of Round 1.
  * Heavyweight bout: Rob Broughton defeats Yusuke Kawaguchi via unanimous decision.
  
  Spain vs. France (3-2)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Jose Luis Zapater defeats Makhtar Gueye via disqualification (illegal kick) at 1:21 of Round 3.
  * Welterweight bout: Abner Lloveras defeats Gael Grimaud via split decision.
  * Middleweight bout: Christophe Dafreville defeats Rayco Silva via submission (Anaconda choke) at 2:48 of Round 1.
  * Lightheavyweight bout: Christian M'Pumbu defeats Enoc Solves via submission (armbar) at 4:59 of Round 1.
  * Heavyweight bout: Rogent Lloret defeats Soufian Elgarne via submission (anaconda choke) at 2:44 of Round 1.
  
  USA West vs. South Korea (5-0)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Dave Jansen defeats Yui Chul Nam via unanimous decision.
  * Welterweight bout: Fábio Nascimento defeats Myung Ho Bae via majority decision.
  * Middleweight bout: Givanildo Santana defeats Min Suk Heo via submission (armbar) at 4:05 of Round 1.
  * Lightheavyweight bout: Raphael Davis defeats Jae Young Kim via TKO (punches) at 3:45 of Round 2.
  * Heavyweight bout: Shane Del Rosario defeats Dool Hee Lee via KO (head kick) at 2:27 of Round 1.
  
  9 May 2009 (São Paulo, Brazil)
  
  Bulgaria vs. Benelux (3-2)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Yanko Yanev defeats Danny van Bergen via submission (armbar) at 2:23 of Round 1.
  * Welterweight bout: Raymond Jarman defeats Ivan Ivanov via TKO (flying knee) at 0:35 of Round 1.
  * Middleweight bout: Jordan Radev defeats Danny Smit via unanimous decision.
  * Lightheavyweight bout: Emil Samoilov defeats Jason Jones via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) at 2:09 of Round 1.
  * Heavyweight bout: Jessie Gibbs defeats Nikola Dipchkov via submission (strikes) at 1:37 of Round 1.
  
  Legion Sport Club vs. Germany (4-1)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Yura Ivlev defeats Franco de Leonardis via TKO (strikes) at 2:14 of Round 2.
  * Welterweight bout: Magomed Shikhshabekov defeats Sven Heising via knockout (strikes) at 4:27 of Round 1.
  * Middleweight bout: Gregor Herb defeats Sergey Kornev via submission (armbar) at 4:32 of Round 1.
  * Lightheavyweight bout: Gadzimurad Omarov defeats Ismail Centinkaya via submission (strikes) at 1:09 of Round 1.
  * Heavyweight bout: Akhmed Sultanov defeats Lars Klug via submission (armbar) at 1:21 of Round 1.
  
  Brazil vs. The Imperial Team (5-0)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Hacran Dias defeats Amirkhan Mazikhov via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:58 of Round 1.
  * Welterweight bout: Eduardo Pamplona defeats Erik Oganov via majority decision.
  * Middleweight bout: Leandro Silva defeats Dmitri Samoylov via unanimous decision.
  * Lightheavyweight bout: Alexander Machado defeats Mikhail Zayats via unanimous decision.
  * Heavyweight bout: Joaquim Ferreira defeats Maxim Grishin via submission (North/South Choke) at 3:57 of Round 1.
  
  5 June 2009 (Kansas City, USA)
  
  World Team vs. Turkey (4-1)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Akin Duran defeats Romano De Los Reyes via TKO (strikes) at 1:57 of Round 3.
  * Welterweight bout: Diego Gonzalez defeats Fatih Dogan via TKO (strikes) at 2:16 of Round 1.
  * Middleweight bout: Nathan Schouteren defeats Ahmed Bayrak via TKO (strikes) at 3:21 of Round 1.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Ryan Sturdy defeats John Doyle via majority decision.
  * Heavyweight bout: Michał Kita defeats Liron Wilson via TKO (strikes) at 3:27 of Round 1.
  
  France vs. England (4-1)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Makhtar Gueye defeats Ian Butlin via TKO (strikes) at 0:09 of Round 1.
  * Welterweight bout: Gael Grimaud defeats Simon Phillips via submission (triangle) 1:29 of Round 1.
  * Middleweight bout: Christophe Dafreville defeats Matt Thorpe via submission (triangle) at 4:32 of Round 1.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Johan Romming defeats Danny Giblin via submission (North/South choke) at 1:59 of Round 1.
  * Heavyweight bout: Rob Broughton defeats Soufian Elgarne via corner stoppage (injury) at 2:02 of Round 1.
  
  USA East vs. Finland (3-2)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Renato Migliaccio defeats Niko Puhakka via submission (armbar) at 4:18 of Round 1.
  * Welterweight bout: Janne Tulirinta defeats Anthony Ford via TKO (strikes) at 0:11 of Round 1.
  * Middleweight bout: Lucio Linhares defeats Valdir Araujo via knockout at 1:25 of Round 1.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Rodney Wallace defeats Marcus Vänttinen via unanimous decision.
  * Heavyweight bout: Lloyd Marshbanks defeats Toni Valtonen via submission (neck crank/side headlock) at 0:55 of Round 2.
  
  4 July 2009 (Seoul, South Korea)
  
  Finland vs. Bulgaria (4-1)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Niko Puhakka defeats Yanko Yanev via TKO (strikes) at 2:16 of Round 1.
  * Welterweight bout: Janne Tulirinta defeats Ivan Ivanov via TKO (strikes) at 3:44 of Round 1.
  * Middleweight bout: Rosen Dimitrov defeats Mikko Suvanto via majority decision.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Marcus Vänttinen defeats Emil Samoilov via submission (verbal) at 3:42 of Round 3.
  * Heavyweight bout: Toni Valtonen defeats Nikola Dipchkov via submission (triangle) at 4:49 of Round 1.
  
  USA West vs. The Imperial Team (5-0)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Dave Jansen defeats Amirkhan Mazikhov via submission (guillotine) at 0:22 of Round 1.
  * Welterweight bout: Fábio Nascimento defeats Marat Ilaev via submission (armbar) at 2:13 of Round 2.
  * Middleweight bout: Givanildo Santana defeats Radmir Gabdulin via submission (arm triangle) at 3:47 of Round 1.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Tony Lopez defeats Viktor Nemkov via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:06 of Round 2.
  * Heavyweight bout: Shane Del Rosario defeats Maksim Grishin via TKO (strikes) at 0:21 of Round 1.
  
  Brazil vs. South Korea (3-2)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Nam Yui Chul defeats Hacran Dias via unanimous decision.
  * Welterweight bout: Eduardo Pamplona defeats Do Hyung Kim via unanimous decision.
  * Middleweight bout: Daniel Acacio defeats Jae Young Kim via majority decision.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Alexander Machado defeats Dool Hee Lee via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:26 of Round 2.
  * Heavyweight bout: Hae Joon Yang defeats Joaquim Ferreira def. via knockout at 0:14 of Round 1.
  
  15 August 2009 (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
  
  England vs. Spain (5-0)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Scott Hewitt defeats Jose Roque via submission (armbar) at 1:35 of Round 2.
  * Welterweight bout: Simon Phillips defeats Jonathan Leon via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:29 of Round 1.
  * Middleweight bout: Matt Thorpe defeats Rafael Rodriguez via submission (triangle) at 0:56 of Round 1.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Tom Blackledge defeats Enoc Solves via KO (head kick) at 0:09 of Round 1.
  * Heavyweight bout: David Keeley defeats Paco Estevez via TKO (strikes) at 4:23 of Round 2.
  
  Japan vs. France (3-2)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Yoshiro Tomioka defeats Frederic Fernandez via submission (triangle) at 3:53 Round 1.
  * Welterweight bout: Yuya Shirai defeats Gael Grimaud via TKO (strikes) at 4:16 of Round 1.
  * Middleweight bout: Christophe Dafreville defeats Yusuke Masuda via submission (armbar) at 2:27 of Round 1.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Christian M'Pumbu defeats Hideto Tatsumi via TKO (strikes) at 4:53 of Round 2.
  * Heavyweight bout: Yoshiyuki Nakanishi defeats Akim Assenine via submission (Achilles lock) at 4:51 of Round 1.
  
  Germany vs. World Team (4-1)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Daniel Weichel defeats Danial Sharifi via submission (guillotine) at 2:53 of Round 2.
  * Welterweight bout: Diego Gonzalez* defeats Nordin Asrih via unanimous decision.
  * Middleweight bout: Nathan Schouteren defeats Ismael Cetinkaya via TKO (strikes) at 3:51 of Round 1.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Mathias Schuck defeats Johan Romming via unanimous decision.
  * Heavyweight bout: Thorsten Kronz defeats Miodrag Petkovic via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) at 3:08 of Round 2.
     * Despite winning the individual bout, Gonzales’ victory over Asrih was not valid as Gonzales failed to make weight within the M-1 Challenge designated time limit. Per M-1 Challenge rules, the fight was ruled a forfeit in Germany’s favor as it relates to the M-1 Challenge standings.
  
  16 August 2009 (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
  
  Japan vs. Spain (4-1)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Abner Lloveras defeats Luiz Andrade via unanimous decision.
  * Welterweight bout: Hidehiko Hasegawa defeats Jose Bertran via unanimous decision.
  * Middleweight bout: Rikuhei Fujii defeats Rayco Kakin via unanimous decision.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Tatsuya Mizuno defeats Rafael Rodriguez via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:20 of Round 1.
  * Heavyweight bout: Yusuke Kawaguchi defeats Cirio Tejera via unanimous decision.
  
  Legion Sport Club vs. Turkey (5-0)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Rustam Khabilov defeats Akin Duran via knockout (slam) at 0:28 of Round 1.
  * Welterweight bout: Magomed Shikhshabekov defeats Fatih Dogan via TKO (strikes) at 0:35 of Round 1.
  * Middleweight bout: Sergey Kornev defeats Ahmed Bayrak via submission (neck crank) at 1:04 of Round 2.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Besiki Gerenava defeats Abdullah Ahmady via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:51 of Round 2.
  * Heavyweight bout: Akhmed Sultanov defeats Gurhan Degirmenci via submission (triangle) at 1:07 of Round 1.
  
  Benelux vs. USA East (3-2)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Danny van Bergen defeats David Zitnik via TKO (strikes) at 2:07 of Round 1.
  * Welterweight bout: Shamar Bailey defeats Raymond Jarman via TKO (strikes) at 3:15 of Round 2.
  * Middleweight bout: John Doyle defeats Richard Plug via unanimous decision.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Jason Jones defeats Mike Connors via submission (strikes) at 1:00 of Round 1.
  * Heavyweight bout: Jessie Gibbs defeats Charles Grigsby via unanimous decision.
  
  ## Final round
  
  Semi-Finals
  
  26 September 2009 (Rostov-on-Don, Russia)
  
  USA East vs. USA West (4-1)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Ivan Jorge defeats Steve Magdaleno via unanimous decision.
  * Welterweight bout: Delson Heleno defeats Fabio Nascimento via unanimous decision.
  * Middleweight bout: Gerson Dos Santos defeats Joao Asis via TKO (strikes) at 3:50 of Round 1.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Chuck Grigsby defeats Spencer Hooker via unanimous decision.
  * Heavyweight bout: Shane Del Rosario defeats Lloyd Marshbanks via TKO at 1:34 of Round 1.
  
  Russian Legion vs. England(4-1)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Yuri Ivlev defeats Scott Hewitt via TKO (strikes) at 0:54 of Round 1.
  * Welterweight bout: Magomed Shikhshabekov defeats Simon Phillips via submission (reverse heel hook) at 0:15 of Round 1.
  * Middleweight bout: Ansar Chalangov defeats Matt Thorpe via submission (reverse heel hook) at 0:41 of Round 1.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Besiki Gerenava defeats Lee Austin via unanimous decision.
  * Heavyweight bout: Rob Broughton defeats Akhmed Sultanov via submission (keylock) at 4:31 of Round 1.
  
  Finals
  
  3 December 2009 (St. Petersburg, Russia)
  
  Russian Legion vs. USA East (5-0)
  
  * Lightweight bout: Yura Ivlev defeats Ivan Jorge via TKO (strikes) at 4:11 of Round 2.
  * Welterweight bout: Magomed Shikhshabekov defeats Gerson Dos Santos via submission (armbar) at 2:06 of Round 1.
  * Middleweight bout: Ansar Chalangov defeats Danilo Pereira via submission (heel hook) at 4:17 of Round 1.
  * Light Heavyweight bout: Besiki Gerenava defeats Chuck Grigsby via split decision.
  * Heavyweight bout: Gadzhimurad Omarov defeats Lloyd Marshbanks via corner stoppage at 4:07 of Round 3.
  