In the headline bout at M-1 Challenge XXI, American Top Team heavyweight, Kenny ‘Deuce’ Garner became the latest victim to fall prey to the Georgian powerhouse, Guram Gugenishvili; Guram now improves his unblemished record to 10-0 after choking Garner unconscious with a standing guillotine choke that earns him Submission of the Night honors.
“This was a great fight between two very well-matched opponents,” says M-1 Global Director of Operations, Evgeni Kogan. “Kenny exposed weaknesses in Guram’s game which need to be rectified; there will come a time when brute strength will no longer be enough to win. Congratulations to our first-ever M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion and ‘hats off’ to Kenny for a great fight. We look forward to seeing both men back in the M-1 ring.”
In an eventful first round, Garner came out of the corner looking to press the action and stuffing Guram’s early take down attempts. After being re-started after the pair broke through the ropes, Guram worked through an array of submission attempts and a wicked neck crank reminiscent of his previous victories. Fighting from his back, Garner absorbed a left from up high which opened a gash dangerously close to his right eye, causing the referee to stall for a quick inspection by the ringside physician who gave the bout the green light to continue. From here out, Garner worked bottom and top position as he controlled the rest of the frame with the judges’ scorecards giving him a 10-9 round.
The tide only took 54 more seconds to change as Guram dodged a looping right hand to start the second round and caught the American in a head-and-arm choke; the pair then shuffled into the red corner where Guram locked in the standing guillotine and choked Garner into a lifeless limp body that dropped to the canvass after the referee broke them apart.
Link to Guram vs. Garner: http://www..youtube.com/watch?v=QlMF-GWiJhY
With Guram delivering a solid performance, Gugenishvili now wears the M-1 Challenge championship gold around his waist; fans can expect to see him back inside the ring in early 2011 for his first title defense against Eastern Europe’s M-1 Selection tournament winner, Maxim Grishin.
Following on the heels of a phenomenal night of fights, M-1 Global proudly announces its sophomore super-event for 2010 with M-1 Challenge XXII: Gallicchio vs. Zavurov Friday December 10th from the Druzhba Arena in Moscow, Russia. The evening crowns the remaining Challenge series champions with battles in the Light Heavyweight, Middleweight and Welterweight divisions.