For the first time this season, HD-Net resident correspondent Ron Kruck (who should be given all of Kenny Rice’s MMA broadcast assignments) opens up the show with a recap of the past two rounds of action – which HD-Net hasn’t aired.
This is the second time that the series has jumped sequence. In the previous instance, one explanation given was that technical compatibility problems between the recorded footage and HD-Net’s broadcast standards prevented certain episodes from airing. Because M-1 Challenge takes place in different countries, different production teams are used, and subsequently, some teams’ equipment does not record with the same quality as that which HD-Net broadcasts.
Strangely enough, Kruck narrates over highlight footage of the two recent missing meets, Team Korea vs. Team USA and Team Japan vs. Team Germany / World Team, which would indicate that compatibility problems weren’t the issue here. These meets took place on August 29th of this year in Seoul, Korea.
Regardless, tonight’s M-1 Challenge looks to be an homage to the great icons of the Cold War: Reagan, Gorbachev, Balboa, Drago, Duggan, Rhodes, Magnum T.A., and the Koloffs, as Team USA faces Team Russia Red Devil.
As always, announcers Sean Wheelock and Fight Quest’s Jimmy Smith are on-hand to call the matches. This meet originally took place on September 27th of this year at the Harvey Hadden Sports Centre in Nottingham, England.
Lightweight Division: Mikhail Malutin (Team Russia Red Devil) vs. Beau King (Team USA)
Beau King and Mikhail Malutin are even across the board, at 27 years old and both weighing in at 153 lbs. The only small discrepancy is with King’s 2-3 record, built up on local shows in Southern California, while Malutin comes in at 27-8. Wait, what did I just write?
Round One: Despite this disgusting experience difference, King is undeterred, as he sets the pace with a jab-spinning backfist-kick combination. Malutin takes King down and works from the guard. King is calm, keeping Malutin tied up with underhooks and working intently for a gogoplata. Malutin counters with body shots, scrambles around to sink his hooks in, and works a body triangle from the side. King gets on top and eventually passes to side control. They scramble to their feet, only to end up in north-south position after Malutin rocks King with a combination. Malutin spins to King’s back and takes control, hooks and everything. King struggles to escape, but Malutin sinks in the rear naked choke, flattens King to his stomach, and gets the tapout just as the bell signals the end of the round.
Malutin is awarded the victory and Team Russia Red Devil opens up with a 1-0 lead.
Cameo of the night goes to Ian “The Machine” Freeman, reigning Cage Rage British Light Heavyweight champion, who is doing the ring announcing for the night. And guest star of the night is Affliction, which is all over the mat and the referee with sponsorship signage.
Welterweight Division: Erik Oganov (Team Russia Red Devil) vs. Brandon Magana (Team USA)
Magana is a former U.S. Marine who, after fighting sporadically since 2005, has gone into overdrive in 2008. This is his fourth match of the year, with the third match being just one week before, at the “Strikeforce: Playboy Mansion II” event. The last time we saw Oganov, who, like his teammate, also claims well over 20 matches, he ended Janne Tulirinta’s (Team Finland) three-match win streak.
Round Two (joined in progress): Color commentator Jimmy Smith sets the stage by scoring round one as 10-9 for Oganov. Magana and Oganov trade strikes cautiously. Oganov hits a hard liver kick and scores a single-leg takedown. Magana keeps Oganov clinched tight on the ground, using rubber guard to get in position for a triangle. Oganov is nonplussed. The two end up standing in the corner before the referee restarts them in the middle of the ring. Magana charges Oganov into the corner, where the rest of the match takes place. Magana works for the double-leg, while Oganov mutes him with a guillotine choke. The second round ends with the bell and Erik Oganov takes the match by unspectacular majority (split) decision.
Team Russia Red Devil pulls ahead in the meet, 2-0.
Middleweight Division: Dmitry Samoilov (Team Russia Red Devil) vs. Bryan Harper (Team USA)
Bryan Harper is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who was previously knocked out by Min-soo Na of Team Korea in the first round. Samoilov, a sambo expert, previously won a majority decision against Nikolas Weinberg of Team Finland.
Round Two (joined in progress): Harper pushes Samoilov back with a double jab and clinch, but Samoilov uses the corner to his benefit, working a kimura lock. Samoilov tries a trip to the ground which Harper almost counters by balancing on Samoilov’s back, but they scramble to escape bottom position and end up on their feet. A few more exchanges. Harper pushes Samoilov back into the corner again and throws a high knee. Samoilov counters with punches, taking control of the pace of the match. Harper is now evading engagement, fading back and keeping distance with combinations. The match was Harper’s to lose, and as it transforms into a boxing match, Harper does so.
Dmitry Samoilov takes the match by majority decision as Team Russia Red Devil claims the MMA Cold War with a 3-0 split.
Light Heavyweight Division: Mikhail Zayats (Team Russia Red Devil) vs. John Cornett (Team USA)
John Cornett is a Jiu-Jitsu expert from the Midwest. He’s cornered by Team Quest coach Heath Sims and former King of the Cage light heavyweight champion James Lee. Zayats goes into this match with a 5-1 record, whose last win was a controversial decision against Lucio Linhares (Team Finland).
Round One: Cornett loves to bang and wastes no time in throwing some big right bombs. Zayats takes Cornett down with a single leg. There’s not a lot of action, which results in a restart in the center. Zayats is trying to ground-and-pound on Cornett, who minimizes the damage with a tight guard. These two keep working themselves into the corner and under the ropes, as Zayats G & P’s Cornett, who shrimp-crawls his way to the ropes. Cornett would not do well in Ring of Honor with the rope breaks. Finally, the ref restarts them standing. Zayats moves to shoot in, but stops short just as Cornett counters with an overhand right that misses. Zayats pushes Cornett into the corner with some wild haymakers, then himself gets spun into the ropes. Zayats gets a verbal warning, perhaps for knees in the groinal neighborhood. By now, he’s really intent on getting the overhand right one-punch KO. Cornett, the reputed striker of this match, is now cautious about engaging. Zayats may have gotten in Cornett’s head with that last flurry.
Round Two: Right from jump street, these two are swinging for the fences. Zayats drops Cornett and tries to finish with hammerfists, but the American escapes to his feet. Only to be taken down again with a double-leg. They almost fly out of the ring under the blue corner. Getting back up, Cornett looks to the referee and verbally submits 44 seconds into the second round. Announcer Sean Wheelock reports that Cornett broke his right hand and has to concede the match.
Team Russia Red Devil adds insult to injury with a fourth victory of the night.
Heavyweight Division: Kiril Sidelnikov (Team Russia Red Devil) vs. James Jack (Team USA)
James Jack, a former collegiate All-American in wrestling and football, is wasting no time building up his MMA record. All six of his career matches (3-2-1) have occurred this year. In his last outing, he lost by submission to Malick N’diaye by submission.
Conversely, Sidelnikov’s nickname is “Baby Fedor.” Nuff said.
Round One: Jack comes in with a 30-pound weight advantage over Sidelnikov. Jack is also wearing wrestling shoes, which automatically prohibits him from throwing head kicks, even standing. Talk about giving your opponent the handicap. Sidelnikov has an interesting side stance that reminds me of Lyoto Machida. Jack shoots for the takedown and gets it in the corner. Jack tries to keep Sidelnikov down with his weight but Sidelnikov walks his back up the corner padding and is able to outpower the larger American. He lands a solid right hand which rocks Jack, but not to the point of going to his knees. Perhaps this is just a delayed reaction, because Jack immediately shoots for a single-leg. He hangs on to buy time, but Sidelnikov pounds away until the referee jumps in and stops the fight at 4:20 of the first round.
In one night, Team Russia Red Devil singlehandedly erases all the patriotic work that Sylvester Stallone did against the evil Russians in Rocky IV, Rambo II, and Rambo III. Somewhere in Colorado, the Eckhert brothers are rolling over in their graves, while Danny and Erica carve out Team USA’s names on Partisan Rock.
Best Match**: John Cornett vs. Mikhail Zayats. There were some wicked slugfest exchanges in this second round, and with the action spilling out of the ring several times, these two delivered great fireworks. Unfortunately, Cornett’s hand injury was an anticlimactic finish, but until that point, it was the best action of the night.
Worst Match**: Erik Oganov vs. .Brandon Magana. Very lackluster finish here, as Oganov just rode the last minute to the end of the round with guillotine choke in the corner.
** (based on footage aired)
With their individual fight sweep, Team Russia Red Devil takes the lead with a 2-1 team challenge record and a definitive 11-4 record over Team Finland, which has a 9-6 record from the same number of meets. Team USA is condemned to fourth place, with a 1-3 team challenge record and a 6-14 individual fight record that is going to be difficult to turn around.
Next week, Team Russia Legion looks to redeem themselves against Team Germany / World Team.
Mixed Martial Thoughts from the Tan Dynasty 