M-1 Challenge
30th October 2008, 04:39 PM
M-1 Challenge 8th Edition
October 29th 2008 Harrahs Casino
Kansas City
http://img374.imageshack.us/img374/7026/jpegir6.jpg
The late Chuck Berry sung “I’m going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come” and so did the Spanish, Japanese, Korean and French MMA fighters that participated in the 8th edition of the M-1 Challenge.
For this event M-1 teamed up with Affliction Entertainment and will continue to do so in the future.
The venue where it all happened was Harrahs Casino in North Kansas City and we can only say that promoter Joe Kelly and his wife Jacky from Titan Entertainment did a more then splendid job, especially if we consider the fact that Jacky was about to give birth to their baby in a week or two. The Voodoo room had the best lights the M-1 Challenge ever had and Harrahs John Hukill, who handled the lights like a real master. No wonder that Joost Raimond and Patrick de Witte from M-1 Global were more than happy with the whole show.
For those who still do not know the idea behind the M-1 Challenge, here it is in a nutshell.
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/2537/0002vy1.jpg
The M-1 Challenge is an international team competition for young talented upcoming fighters to gain experience and be given the opportunity to fight internationally. Most talented may be selected to participate in the major M-1 events. Teams consist of 5 members (one in each weight division being -70 kg, -76 kg, -84 kg, -93 kg and +93 kg and a coach. Every region/country will bring forward a team that will compete against other teams in an international competition that will last throughout 2008 with a grand finale at the end of the year. There will be two poules of five teams to start with. In each poule the teams will fight every other team. The winners of the poules will then fight for the M-1 Championship.The teams in poule A are: Holland, Japan, Russian Legion, Spain and the World team.In poule B are: Finland, France, Korea, Red Devil and the USA.
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/6999/0001ic9.jpg
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/4501/0005kt9.jpg
For France the confrontation with Korea in Kansas city was of utmost importance. If they won they would take the lead in Poule A with three wins out of three teamfights.
Spain versus Japan was of less importance for the ranking in poule B where Holland was leading, because even if Spain won with 5 – 0 Holland would keep the number 1 position.
At the weigh in the day before the fights all fighters made their weights although a few had to do some running. This proves that the strict rule of no leniency in the weight classes of the Challenge was becoming accepted by the teams because nobody complained although a few bystanders asked why the IMA rules were so strict on this item.
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/8065/0003te6.jpg
The answer is easy. If the fighters know that they can stretch the limit by a few hundred gram next time all of them will be just a little bit overweight. Which will result that in a few years for example the 84 kg weight category will become the 84.5 kg category.
Because the scale was in American pounds the kilo’s had to be converted to lbs.
-70 kg (154.0 lbs), -76 kg (167.2 lbs), -84 kg (184.8 lbs), -93 kg (204.6 lbs), + 93 kg (over 204.6 lbs).
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/9720/0006zc7.jpg
There were two superfights of 2 x 5 minutes, which will be called M-1 fights in the future and then will be three rounds of 5 minutes instead of two: Bobby Voelker of Overland Park KS (170 lbs) fought Hollywood’s Amir Rahnavardi (171,4 lbs) and Mike Whitehead from Las Vegas Nevada (257 lbs) faced Kansas city local Leo Pla (204,8 lbs)
Rules were as usual those of he IMA and Ino Alberga was the representative of this Association. Sean Wheelock and Jimmy Smit were the TV commentators of the life broadcasting and the HD TV registration was done by Gerald “Jerry”Millen and Kevin Hewit.American James Lee from Michigan was the referee for all the fights and the judges were Brett Miller, Jerry Griffin and Oral Saulter. Timekeeper was Marcia Champion. The ring physician was Dr. C. Lan Fotopoulos and Tim Lueckenhoff was the representative of the Missouri Office of Athletes without who’s cooperation the whole event could not have taken place.
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/4346/0004yb8.jpg
October 29th 2008 Harrahs Casino
Kansas City
http://img374.imageshack.us/img374/7026/jpegir6.jpg
The late Chuck Berry sung “I’m going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come” and so did the Spanish, Japanese, Korean and French MMA fighters that participated in the 8th edition of the M-1 Challenge.
For this event M-1 teamed up with Affliction Entertainment and will continue to do so in the future.
The venue where it all happened was Harrahs Casino in North Kansas City and we can only say that promoter Joe Kelly and his wife Jacky from Titan Entertainment did a more then splendid job, especially if we consider the fact that Jacky was about to give birth to their baby in a week or two. The Voodoo room had the best lights the M-1 Challenge ever had and Harrahs John Hukill, who handled the lights like a real master. No wonder that Joost Raimond and Patrick de Witte from M-1 Global were more than happy with the whole show.
For those who still do not know the idea behind the M-1 Challenge, here it is in a nutshell.
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/2537/0002vy1.jpg
The M-1 Challenge is an international team competition for young talented upcoming fighters to gain experience and be given the opportunity to fight internationally. Most talented may be selected to participate in the major M-1 events. Teams consist of 5 members (one in each weight division being -70 kg, -76 kg, -84 kg, -93 kg and +93 kg and a coach. Every region/country will bring forward a team that will compete against other teams in an international competition that will last throughout 2008 with a grand finale at the end of the year. There will be two poules of five teams to start with. In each poule the teams will fight every other team. The winners of the poules will then fight for the M-1 Championship.The teams in poule A are: Holland, Japan, Russian Legion, Spain and the World team.In poule B are: Finland, France, Korea, Red Devil and the USA.
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/6999/0001ic9.jpg
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/4501/0005kt9.jpg
For France the confrontation with Korea in Kansas city was of utmost importance. If they won they would take the lead in Poule A with three wins out of three teamfights.
Spain versus Japan was of less importance for the ranking in poule B where Holland was leading, because even if Spain won with 5 – 0 Holland would keep the number 1 position.
At the weigh in the day before the fights all fighters made their weights although a few had to do some running. This proves that the strict rule of no leniency in the weight classes of the Challenge was becoming accepted by the teams because nobody complained although a few bystanders asked why the IMA rules were so strict on this item.
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/8065/0003te6.jpg
The answer is easy. If the fighters know that they can stretch the limit by a few hundred gram next time all of them will be just a little bit overweight. Which will result that in a few years for example the 84 kg weight category will become the 84.5 kg category.
Because the scale was in American pounds the kilo’s had to be converted to lbs.
-70 kg (154.0 lbs), -76 kg (167.2 lbs), -84 kg (184.8 lbs), -93 kg (204.6 lbs), + 93 kg (over 204.6 lbs).
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/9720/0006zc7.jpg
There were two superfights of 2 x 5 minutes, which will be called M-1 fights in the future and then will be three rounds of 5 minutes instead of two: Bobby Voelker of Overland Park KS (170 lbs) fought Hollywood’s Amir Rahnavardi (171,4 lbs) and Mike Whitehead from Las Vegas Nevada (257 lbs) faced Kansas city local Leo Pla (204,8 lbs)
Rules were as usual those of he IMA and Ino Alberga was the representative of this Association. Sean Wheelock and Jimmy Smit were the TV commentators of the life broadcasting and the HD TV registration was done by Gerald “Jerry”Millen and Kevin Hewit.American James Lee from Michigan was the referee for all the fights and the judges were Brett Miller, Jerry Griffin and Oral Saulter. Timekeeper was Marcia Champion. The ring physician was Dr. C. Lan Fotopoulos and Tim Lueckenhoff was the representative of the Missouri Office of Athletes without who’s cooperation the whole event could not have taken place.
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/4346/0004yb8.jpg