Vinny Magalhaes will vie for M-1 gold on April 28. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
M-1 Global officially announced Tuesday the addition of another title confrontation at M-1 Challenge 25, taking place April 28 at the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia.
“We’ve been impressed with how Magalhaes and Nemkov have been performing in their last outings. This has been a fight we’ve been looking to put together for a while and with both fighters healthy and on solid winning streaks, this matchup made sense to make happen sooner than later,” said Evgeni Kogan, director of operations for M-1 Global. “Both men have been vocal about wanting a title shot, and now they will meet to determine our light heavyweight champ.”
The event, which streams live online over M-1Global.com, will also feature a pair of middleweight confrontations, as UFC veterans Andrei Semenov and Luigi Fioravanti toe the line, while Spaniard Juan Manuel Suarez locks up with Russian Arsen Temirkhanov.
Magalhaes rides a three-fight winning streak heading into the bout. A decorated jiu-jitsu player, the Brazilian owns six of his seven career wins by submission.
A product of the Red Devil Sport Club, Nemkov has also won three straight bouts. A gold medalist in the 2011 Combat Sambo World Championships, the 24-year-old has finished all but one of his career victims through his three-year pro career.