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M-1 Challenge 66

Viktor Nemkov vs. Rashid Yusopov

M-1 Challenge Light Heavyweight Championship

May 27, 2016 * Orenburg City, Russia

Yusopov upsets Nemkov to become new

M-1 Challenge Light Heavyweight Champion

Puetz decisions Seledtsov

M-1 CHALLENGE 66 OFFICIAL RESULTS

ORENBURG CITY, Russia (May 28, 2016) - Last night's M-1 Challenge 66 event had its share of upsets, leading with a main event split decision victory by Rashid Yusopov over defending M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion Viktor Nemkov, in Orenburg City, Russia.

Former M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion Stephan "T-800" Puetz took a unanimous 3-round decision from Andrey Seledtsov in the co-feature.

Russian challenger Yusopov (7-2-0, M-1: 4-1-0) won a hard fought 5-round split decision over defending champion Nemkov (23-6-0, M-1: 14-5-0), fighting out of Russia by way of Kazakhstan, who was making his initial title defense.  

Nemkov had captured the coveted M-1 Challenge light heavyweight title this past December, taking a 5-round decision from defending champion Puetz, who had won a 5-round split decision April, 2014 against Nemkov for the title.  Nemkov is a two-time M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion having defeated Vasily Babich (WSUB3 - arm-lock) for the vacant title that he then lost in his first title defense to Puetz.

The 23-year-old Yusupov was riding a 4-fight win streak going into his fight with Nemkov.  A former Russian, European and World Amateur MMA champion, Yusupov is known as a dangerous striker whose signature moves are powerful kicks. 

Puetz vs. Seledtsov was billed as "Terminator" vs. "Spetsnev" and it lived up to its name as Puetz won a unanimous 3-round decision.   Puetz, of Germany, had successfully defended his M-1 Challenge light heavyweight title twice, after beating Nemkov in their original championship match, against Luis Fernando Miranda (SUB2 - choke) August 15, 2014 at M-1 Challenge 50, and Valery Myasnikov (KO/TKO2 - punches) December 17, 2014 at M-1 Challenge 54. In a non-title fight this past May, Puetz stopped then-M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Marcin Tybura in the third round due to a severely damaged broken nose. 

Seledtsov, 28, is a former Spetsnev solider known for his powerful boxing, combat samba and MMA background.  A local White-Rex promotion champion, the Russian was making his M-1 Global debut.

In other M-1 Challenge 66 fights, Damir Ismagulov (7-2-0, M-1: 4-1-0) stopped Georgian lightweight Raul Tutarauli (6-3-0, M-1: 3-1-1) near the end of the third round on punches, American bantamweight Josh "The Finisher" Rettinghouse (13-4-0, M-1: 1-0-0) made an impressive M-1 Global debut when the doctor stopped his fight against Belarussian Vadim Zhlobich (4-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0) in the opening round, Timur Nagibin (8-1-0, M-1: 3-0-0) won a 3-round decision over fellow Russian countryman Mikhail Korobkov (9-1-1, M-1: 0-1-1), and Russian featherweight Movsar Evloev (3-0-0, M-1: 3-0-0) punched out Alexander Krupemkin (1-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), fighting out of Ukraine.

Complete results & photo gallery below:

MAIN CARD

M-1 CHALLENGE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

RASHID YUSOPOV (7-2-0, M-1: 4-1-0), Russia

WDEC5

VIKTOR NEMKOV (23-6-0, M-1: 14-5-0), Russia by way of Kazakhstan

(Yusopov M-1 Challenge light heavyweight title)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS - 3 X 5

STEPHAN PUETZ (14-2-0, M-1: 5-1-0), Germany

WDEC3

ANDREY SELEDTSOV (5-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Russia

LIGHTWEIGHTS - 3 X 5

DAMIR ISMAGULOV (7-2-0, M-1: 3-2-0), Russia by way of Kazakhstan

WKO/TKO3 (Punches - 3:49)

RAUL TUTARAULI (6-3-0, M-1: 3-1-0), Georgia

BANTWAMWEIGHTS - 3 X 5

JOSH RETTINGHOUSE (13-4-0, M-1: 1-0-0), United States

WKO/TKO1 (Doctor Stoppage - 3:10)

VADIM ZHLOBICH (4-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Belarus

FEATHERWEIGHTS - 3 X 5

TIMUR NAGIBIN (8-1-0, M-1: 3-0-0), Russia

WDEC3

MIKHAIL KOROBKOV (9-1-1, M-1: 0-1-1), Russia

MOVSAR EVLOEV (3-0-0, M-1: 3-0-0)

WKO/TKO1 (Punches - 4:09)

ALEXANDER KRUPEMKIN (0-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Ukraine

Yusopov strikes Nemkov

(L-R) - Yusopov & Nemkov

(L-R) -- Yusopov & Nemkov

(L-R) -- Puetz & Seledtsov

Vadim Zhlobich fight vs. Josh Rettinghouse was stopped by the doctor due to these cuts

Nagibin & Korobkov

Upcoming Events:  

June 4, 2016 - M-1 Challenge 67: Buchinger vs. Idrisov @ Baku, Azerbaijan.

June 16, 2016 - M-1 Challenge 68: Shlemenko vs. Vasilevsky @ St. Petersburg, Russia

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