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
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)