By FCF Staff M-1 Global has announced that Kenny Garner, and not the injured Maxim Grishim, will face Guram Gugenishvili at the promotion’s upcoming October 28th event in St. Petersburg, Russia. The bout, which Grishim was forced to withdraw from due to a knee injury, will determine M-1 Global's heavyweight champion.
“Although unfortunate for Grishin, having Garner fill in on short notice makes for a spectacular matchup that was already slated to happen,” Evgeni Kogan, Director of Operations for M-1 Global was quoted saying in a press release from the promotion. “Garner is the first of our Americas Selection champions to come to Russia and he has the historic opportunity to become M-1 Global’s first-ever heavyweight champion. Garner will make an immediate impact with the Russian fans.”
“I’ve always wanted to represent the United States. This is my chance to fulfill a dream,” says Garner (pictured above). “I’m heading to Russia with one goal – to bring home the belt. I told everyone I was going to be the champ and here I come. Thank you M-1 and have a nice day.”
Garner (5-2) stopped Pat Bennet in the first round on September 18th to win the M-1 Global Americas tourney, while the Georgian wrestler Gugenishvili (9-0), is coming off a submission win over Vladimir Gerasimchik that same night. Gugenishvili is M-1 Global’s Western Europe champion.
Garner (5-2) stopped Pat Bennet in the first round on September 18th to win the M-1 Global Americas tourney, while the Georgian wrestler Gugenishvili (9-0), is coming off a submission win over Vladimir Gerasimchik that same night. Gugenishvili is M-1 Global’s Western Europe champion.
Here is the line-up to date for M-1 Global’s October 28th event:
Lightweight Title Fight:
Artiom Damkovsky, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (10-4) vs.
Mairbek Taisumov, M-1 Selection Western Europe 2010 champion (12-2)
Middleweight Title Fight:
Magomed Sultanakhmedov, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (28-4) vs.
Rafał Moks, M-1 Selection Western Europe 2010 champ (5-2)
Heavyweight Title Fight:
Kenny Garner, M-1 Selection Americas champion (5-2) vs.
Guram Gugenishvili, M-1 Selection Western Europe champion (9-0)
Alexei Nazarov (9-3) vs. Alexei Belyaev (10-4) Welterweight
Alexander Sarnavsky (10-0) vs. Victor Kuku (7-5-1) Lightweight
Rashid Magomedov (6-2) vs. Igor Araujo (18-5) Welterweight
Dmitry Samoilov (8-5-1) vs. Gadzhimurad Omarov (5-0) Light Heavyweight
