For those watching the 2010 Americas Selection tournament since the beginning, it would be safe to say that the Middleweight Finals battle between Team Quest’s Tyson Jeffries and Team Bombsquad’s Mike Geurin not only took ‘fight of the night’ honours but can even be called the highlight bout of the tournament. When you tie in Jeffries’ miraculous triangle into the equation, it’s no wonder why this fight also captured the ‘submission of the night’ award as well. Jeffries vs. Geurin was the evening’s and tournament’s tri-fecta of exciting MMA action.
“How Jeffries was able to secure the arm bar was astonishing,” says M1-Global’s Director of Operations, Evgeni Kogan. “Geurin was bloody and sweaty and somehow Jeffries locked on. It was an amazing fight by both athletes. This bout defines what the Selections tournament is designed to accomplish.”
Without surprise, the bout started with Geurin’s early offensive and Jeffries sitting back and effectively countering Geurin while maintaining awareness for the takedown threat. The pair circled and attacked with Jeffries landing magnificent overhand counters off of Guerin’s leg kicks thanks to the stellar coaching abilities of Olympic silver-medalist, Matt ‘The Law’ Lindland who was bellowing combinations from the corner.
The second round marked an improvement in Geurin’s ability to showcase his wrestling skills as he cut off the ring, worked single leg takedown attempts and continued to chop Jeffries down with stinging leg and body kicks. Late in the second, the Bombsquad fighter lit Jeffries up with a straight right leaving him wobbly; although staggered, Jeffries composure remained steadfast and a final round was forced.
Entering the third frame, it was clear that Geurin’s camp felt they were behind in the score cards and clearly needed to win the round should the bout be left to the judges. Geurin came out with fury in his fists and looked to unleash in a series of heavy exchanges; with opportunities being created by controlling ring position, Geurin was able to shoot in and secure takedowns but was unable to keep Jeffries on the mat for longer than a split second.
At one point, Geurin took his foe to the mat, took side control and inflicted some heavy damage on Jeffries. After referee Big Dan Miragliotta re-positioned and restarted the action, Geurin rocked Jeffries who was forced to pull guard in an effort to stay alive. And then, like the Gods of MMA swept in with some last minute coaching, Jeffries transitioned, rolled and locked in an elbow-snapping armbar.
Geurin attempted to slam his way out of the submission which did nothing but allow Jeffries to crank the arm further and enabled a suffocating triangle choke to be secured, forcing Geurin to submit at the 3:43 mark of the final round leaving judges, fans and coaches left wondering ‘how on earth did he just pull that off’. It was a truly miraculous, 11th hour, highlight reel submission victory for Jeffries.
With his win, Jeffries will join the M-1 Selection 2010 – Americas champions who will square off in bouts for the M-1 Challenge championship belts in the coming months.
The M-1 Challenge events will transition away from the previous ‘team vs. team’ concept and are positioned to drive the M-1 brand further into the US and European markets as mega-event spectaculars.
October 28 in St. Petersburg, Russia is the setting for M-1 Challenge XXI: Guram vs. Grishin where the first ever M-1 Challenge championship belts will be awarded in the Lightweight, Middleweight and Heavyweight divisions.
M-1 Challenge XXII hits Atlantic City December 11thand the crowning of the Welterweight and Light Heavyweight champs.
February 2011 marks the first of six M-1 Challenge events with M-1 Challenge XXIII where the newly crowned M-1 Champions will look to defend their titles against the top fighters in the contention system.
Fuelled with stacked undercards featuring new and returning warriors, the M-1 Challenge events will rival promotions for unsurpassed excitement, delivering live audiences and viewers worldwide the ultimate fan experience.
2011 marks a full calendar of mixed martial arts action as M-1 Global continues to build upon a highly successful Selections tournament. Being added next year are two full Selections tournaments featuring 12 live events across Eastern and Western Europe and the Americas; future superstars will begin mapping out the steps necessary to become M-1 Champions. These Selections tournaments will drive the depth of the contenders ladder in each weight class as warriors cross oceans to battle for the right to face M-1 Global champions at the live, mega-spectacular M-1 Challenge events scheduled throughout the year.
Go to www.M-1Global.com for additional information.
