Vinny Magalhaes (left) squares off with Mikhail Zayats at the M-1 Challenge 27 weigh ins.

PHOENIX, Ariz. -– M-1Challenge 27: Magalhaes vs. Zayats takes place this evening at the Grand Canyon University Arena in Phoenix, Ariz. The event airs live on Showtime at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) and will feature two title bouts from the new 5,500 seat Arena.

M-1 Challenge 27 is headlined with an M-1 Global Light Heavyweight (205 Lbs.) title bout featuring the champion and ADCC Submission Wrestling World Champion Vinny Magalhaes (8-5) making his first title defense against versatile Russian fighter Mikhail Zayats (14-5).

In the co-main event , the M-1 Global Interim Heavyweight title is on the line between the 2010 M-1 Selection Americas Tournament heavyweight winner Kenny ‘Deuce’ Garner (7-3) and M-1 Global Eastern European Heavyweight Champion Maxim Grishin (11-5).

M-1 Challenge 27 quick results:

MAIN CARD (Showtime)

  • Vinny  Magalhaes def. Mikhail Zayats via TKO (strikes) Rd 3 (1:13)
  • Kenny Garner def. Maxim Grishin via submission (strikes) Rd 5 (4:07)
  • Arthur Guseinov def. Eddie Arizmendi via submission (heel hook) Rd 1 (:50)
  • Yasubey Enomoto def. Josh Thorpe via submission (triangle choke) Rd 1 (1:07)
  • Daniel Madrid def. Tom Gallicchio via submission (armbar) Rd 1 (:48)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Not Televised)

  • Ryan Crouch def. Fredrik Lumpkin via TKO (punches) Rd 2

M-1 Challenge 27 play-by-play

Tom Gallicchio vs. Daniel Madrid

Round 1 – Madrid knocks out Gallicchio’s mouthpiece with punches but Gallicchio puts Madrid on his back. Madrid throws up a belly down armbar and this fight is over just like that as Gallicchio taps out.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Daniel Madrid def. Tom Gallicchio via submission (armbar) Rd 1 (:48)

Yasubey Enomoto vs. Josh Thorpe

Round 1 – Overhand right from Enomoto and Thorpe fires back with a left. Nice right from Thorpe, then a left, another left. Thorpe is a southpaw, shoots, puts Enomoto down. He throws up a triangle and my god, this fight is over as Thorpe taps out quickly. Sweet transition by Enomoto.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Yasubey Enomoto def. Josh Thorpe via submission (triangle choke) Rd 1 (1:07)

Arthur Guseinov vs. Eddie Arizmendi

Round 1 – Guseinov misses a spinning back kick, again. Arizmendi takes him down but ends up on the bottom with Guseinov inside his guard. Guseinov rains down some bombs before locking on a lightning fast heel hook, he rolls with it and this fight is over my friends as Arizmendi taps out. Very fast fight! These guys are quick! Arizmendi is very slow to get up and is limping. He very well could be hurt. Guseinov improves to 9-2.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Arthur Guseinov def. Eddie Arizmendi via submission (heel hook) Rd 1 (:50)

Interim Heavyweight Championship
Kenny Garner vs. Maxim Grishin

Grishim hails from Stary Oskol and is a training partner of MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko.

Round 1 – Left hand from Garner as he attacks first, knee to the belly as they clinch and Garner pushes him into the corner, body shots from Garner. Grishin turns him around and puts Garner in the corner. They struggle in the clinch still in the corner as Garner turns him around. Time is called as Garner lands a low blow with a knee. Touch of gloves. Leg kick from Grishin. Two left hooks from Garner staggers Grishin, he lands another one. Garner gets a whizzer take down but Grishin is right up, lands a knee. Garner lands a straight right before clinching up. He pushes Grishin to the corner. Body shot, again, again, again. More body shots from Garner. They struggle in the clinch, knee to the chin from Grishin. Garner ties him up and Grishin throws him off. Garner comes back swinging for the fences. Grishin escapes and dodges an overhand right. Garner ties him up against the ropes. Under a minute to go. Garner pushes him into the corner. Knee and a right from Grishin. Garner counters with a left, they tie up. Garner gets a trip takedown, lands in side control. A whistle sounds for a 10 second warning, Garner thinks it’s the bell and almost gets up. Grishin goes for an armlock at the bell. 10-9 Garner.

Round 2 -Bell sounds, jumping knee from Grishin, push kick. Garner head hunts with a big right. They lock up. Knees from Garner to the thighs as he pushes Grishin against the ropes, another knee, Grishin catches it but lets it go. Garner backs up and throws a big punch that Grishin ducks. He ties Grishin up again. Body shot. Again. He drops levels and gets a double leg takedown. Garner inside full guard. Garner stands up and the ref lets Grishin up, he’s very slow to get up. Garner misses a big left. Garner lands some body shots as they tie up. Garner swings big and Grishin dodges the punches a la Fedor. Garner ties him up, knee to the body. Grishin uses a body lock and gets a takedown. Inside Garner’s guard, he stands up, passes guard to side control, moves to full mount. Beautiful transitions. Only 10 seconds left and Grishin goes for an armbar, Garner defends it well and escapes at the bell. 10-9 Garner.

Round 3 – They tie up, body shots from Garner. They tie up and Grishin muscles him to the ground. Garner rolls under the ropes and forces the stand up. Body shot from Garner and a low kick from Grishin. Garner ties him up and pushes Grishin to the corner. Ref calls for action. Big body shots from Garner. Push kick from Grishin. Left hand right hand from Garner stuns Grishin as he tries to use head movement to dodge the punches. Push kick from Grishin. One two from Garner and they tie up. He pushes Grishin against the ropes. Grishin goes for a takedown and ends up on his back. He looks exhausted. But he gets a reversal and ends up on top of Garner, goes for Garner’s leg and loses position. Garner now on top in half guard. Big right from Garner. Another one. Grishin with an illegal kick to the head of a grounded opponent. Ref stands them up and warns Grishin. He asks Garner if he’s okay. Garner is slow to answer. And there’s some confusion as ref starts the round, but the round is over as Garner’s glove needs tape. 10-9 Garner.

Round 4 – Garner comes out swinging and Grishin flops to his back. Garner  gets on top of him in side control, gets a crucifix and batters Grishin’s face with punches. Grishin moves under the ropes and forces the stand up. However, Grishin can barely get up. Oh, the ref moves them to the center and restarts them with Grishin on the bottom. Completely opposite of what he did with Garner. Push kick from Grishin and a backfist. Garner ties him up, knee from Grishin. Grishin pushes him against the ropes but Garner pushes back. Grishin explodes and takes him down with  a body lock. Garner immediately reverses and ends up inside full guard. Ref calls for action. Two minutes to go. Grishin goes for an armlock but lets it go. Garner postures up, stands and drops a big right hand. Grishin turtles up and Garner puts him back down, lays on top inside half guard. Grishin seems to be the more exhausted. Ref stands them up and Grishin can hardly stand. Garner comes out strong and Grishin flops to the ground, crawls under the ropes. The crowd boos. This is why the ring is not good for MMA . Grishin’s arms are down. Knee from Garner, they lock up against the ropes and ride out the last ten seconds as the crowd screams, “knock him out”. 10-9 Garner.

Round 5 – Leg kick from Grishin. Right hand from Garner. They tie up. Knee from Garner. Again, more knees to the thighs. This fight is coming down to conditioning. Grishin is all but done. He’s in full zombie mode. Body shots from Garner. Grishin locks on a standing guillotine but has no strength left as he tries to crank it. Knee from Grishin to the body, Garner fires back with his own. Grishin gets a body lock and backs Garner against the ropes. He tries to muscle Garner down but can’t get it. Grishin finally gets a takedown but Garner gets up and Garner gets up and gets taken down again. Grishin has a second wind as he locks up an armbar. Nasty position but Garner escapes it. Grishin locks on a triangle. Garner stands over him and escapes and now has side control. Big right hand to the face and another and the ref stops it saying Grishin tapped out. A little anti-climatic as Grishin taps out to strikes with less than a minute to go. Those submission attempts from Grishin took every little last bit of energy he had. Heavyweight champ Guram Gugenishvili looks on from the crowd smiling and shaking his head.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Kenny Garner def. Maxim Grishin via submission (strikes) Rd 5 (4:07)

Garner will now face heavyweight champ Guram Gugenishvili to unify the titles.

Light Heavyweight Championship
Vinny Magalhaes vs. Mikhail Zayats

Round 1 – Vinny’s corner told him to use a high kick. He comes out and kicks high and misses. Leg kick. Tries a high kick again, blocked. Zayats swings. Knee from Vinny from the Thai clinch. Left hook from Zayats is blocked. Vinny ties him up, moves him against the ropes and lands several big knees to the body. Powerful. Vinny tries a throw, Zayats stuffs it but Vinny goes ahead and pulls guard and Zayats wants none of it and backs out and stands up. Vinny looks much improved on his feet. Huge leg kick from Zayats. Zayats moving side to side. Vinny ties him up with a body lock. Zayats escapes and gets underhooks and a body lock. Vinny gets out, goes for a double leg and Zayats uses the rope to prevent the takedown. Ref warns him and restarts. They square up. Big leg kick from Zayats. Zuperman punch. Vinny checks a leg kick. Zayats just misses a big uppercut. Spinning backfist from Zayats is blocked. 10-9 Vinny.

Round 2 – Miletich gave round one to Zayats. I can see it. Right hand from Zayats connects. Zayats gets Vinny looking at his hands and kicks his front leg out from under him. Big overhand right lands on top of Vinny’s head. Punch to the body from Zayats. Punch, leg kick from Zayats. He catches Vinny’s kick and throws him to the ground. Zayats kicks his leg as Vinny lays on his back. Zayats kicks Vinny’s hand. Ref lets Vinny up. Big leg kick from Zayats again. Vinny has got to check those. Vinny is being very timid now. Big leg kick again. Vinny shoots, gets the takedown and lands in mount. Wow, Zayats reversed him, ends up inside Vinny’s full guard. Zayats postures up with punches. Vinny sweeps him but Zayats goes out the back door. Ref lets him up. Great fight. Leg kick from Zayats. Vinny swings and Zayats puts him on his back. Zayats backs out and stands. Ref lets Vinny up. Big body shots from Zayats. 10-9 Zayats. HERE IS A PROBLEM… M-1 IS USING A WHISTLE FOR THE 10 SECOND NOTICE AND THE FIGHTERS ARE MISTAKING IT FOR THE BELL. TERRIBLE CHOICE OF USING A WHISTLE. NEED A CLAPPER.

Round 3 – Jab jab, shoot from Vinny, stuffed. They tie up and Zayats slings him off. Leg kick inside from Zayats. Nice jab from Vinny. Holy cow — Zayats throws a leg kick, Vinny counters with a right and immediately throws a soccer-style head kick that connects solid behind the head, knocking Zayats down. Vinny jumps on the hurt Zayats with several punches and the ref stops it. Zayats was hurt badly. Looked like a flash KO. Pretty cool to see a world champion grappler knocking guys out with head kicks.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Vinny  Magalhaes def. Mikhail Zayats via TKO (strikes) Rd 3 (1:13)

One thought on “M-1 Challenge 27 LIVE results and play-by-play”
  1. Very fun fight to watch. I hope Kenny Garner vs. Maxim Grishin can have a rematch BTW. Does anyone know where I would be able to get a hold of a sample PHQ-9 A2663B version to edit ?

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