(PRESS RELEASE) -- Considered by many pundits to be nothing more than an opponent for Karl "Psycho" Amoussou, John "The Iron Bull" Doyle sent a message Thursday afternoon during weigh-ins for "HDNET FIGHTS PRESENTS M-1 BREAKTHROUGH" that he did not venture to Kansas City to lose.
After weighing in, both Doyle and Amoussou were asked to partake in a pre-fight stare down intended as nothing more than a photo opportunity. However, what ensued was nearly a premature start to "Breakthrough," with Amoussou and Doyle looking eager to lock horns a day early.
Amoussou, voted Sherdog.com's number one European MMA prospect, tried to psyche out Doyle much in the way that his idol, former PRIDE middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva, used to try to intimidate his opposition. However, when Amoussou pushed his forehead into Doyle's, the resurgent "Iron Bull" informed Amoussou that he didn't want to be touched.
A second attempt was made to take a face off photo but Amoussou once again tried to get into Doyle's head. With Amoussou not heeding his call, Doyle jammed his forehead into Amoussou before M-1 Global officials ended the photo opportunity early.
Amoussou is a French phenom who serves as an undercover police officer in his native France. With many International viewers not having access to HDNet, www.M-1Global.com is offering a special Internet pay-per-view stream (to order, simply visit M-1Global.com).
With the exception of three fighters, all of the combatants scheduled to compete on Friday successfully made weight. Spanish fighter Rogent Lloret, who will headline "Breakthrough's" undercard during a free Sherdog.com stream (8:15 p.m. ET), was granted permission to weigh-in on Friday after visa problems delayed his arrival to the U.S.
Additionally, former Tunisian Olympian Ferrid "The Hurricane" Kheder weighed in at 159 lbs, four pounds over the contracted lightweight limit for his bout against DREAM veteran Daisuke Nakamura. Despite Kheder's inability to make weight after having his flight from Los Angeles canceled Wednesday night, Nakamura did not let those expecting Nakamura vs. Kheder to steal tomorrow's show down, as he accepted the fight. For his troubles, Nakamura will receive 10% of Kheder's purse.
All remaining fighters made weight, including the headliners for "HDNET FIGHTS PRESENTS M-1 BREAKTHROUGH," "King" Mo Lawal and Mark "The Smashing Machine" Kerr. Kerr, once considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world is making one last attempt at a comeback in hopes of re-writing an infamous legacy. That legacy was chronicled in the critically acclaimed HBO documentary The Smashing Machine.
In addition to Lawal vs. Kerr, "Breakthrough" will also feature a special sparring exhibition between M-1 fighters "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko and newly-crowned Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi.
Below are complete results of today's weigh-in:
12. Heavyweight (3×5): Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (219 lbs.) vs. Mark "The Smashing Machine" Kerr (263 lbs.)
11. Special Sparring Exhibition: "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko vs. "The Dreamcatcher" Gegard Mousasi
10. Middleweight (3×5): Lucio "The Spartan" Linhares (185 lbs.) vs. Mikhail Zayats (185 lbs.)
9. Heavyweight (3×5): Jessie Gibbs (254 lbs.) vs. Rob Broughton (262 lbs.)
8. Middleweight (3×5): Karl "Psycho" Amoussou (185 lbs.) vs. "The Iron Bull" John Doyle (184 lbs.)
7. Heavyweight (3×5): Lloyd "Kadillac" Marshbanks (253 lbs.) vs. Michael Kita (230 lbs.)
6. Lightweight (3×5): Daisuke Nakamura (154 lbs.) vs. *Ferrid "The Hurricane" Kheder (159 lbs.)
5. Heavyweight (3×5): **Rogent Lloret (N/A) vs. Alexey Oleinik (234 lbs.)
4. Lightweight (3×5): Eric Marriott (155 lbs.) vs. Tim Bazer (153 lbs.)
3. Lightweight (3×5): Sean "P-Town" Wilson (155 lbs.) vs. Josh Arocho (154 lbs.)
2. Welterweight (3×5): Rudy Bears (175 lbs.) vs. Brendan Seguin (175 lbs.)
1. Female 150 lbs. (3×3): **Andria Caplan (155 lbs.) vs. Mollie Ahlers-Estes (149 lbs.)
* Denotes fight changed from 155 lbs. to catchweight of 159 lbs. with Nakamura receiving 10% of Kheder's purse
** Denotes that due to visa issues, Lloret will be allowed to weigh-in Friday.
*** Denotes that bout changed to catchweight of 155 lbs. and that fight has been changed from pro status to amateur status.
In addition to Lawal vs. Kerr, "HDNET FIGHTS PRESENTS M-1 GLOBAL BREAKTHROUGH" will also feature a special sparring exhibition between "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko and newly-crowned Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi. Additionally, number one Sherdog.com European MMA prospect Karl "Psycho" Amoussou will fight on live TV in the U.S. for the first time as he looks to end the Cinderella comeback of John "The Iron Bull" Doyle.
HDNET's telecast will begin on Friday, Aug. 28 at 10:00 p.m. ET with the local undercard at the Historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City beginning at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com and all local Ticketmaster outlets.
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL AND THE "M-1 CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY AFFLICTION:"
M-1 Global (www.M-1Global.com) has been one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organizations in the world for over a decade. International MMA stars who have fought under the M-1 banner have included Fedor Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Karl Amoussou, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Daisuke Nakamura, Keith Jardine, Alistair Overeem, Yushin Okami, Ben Rothwell, Mike Pyle, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zenstov, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, and Chalid Arrab, to name a few.
Billed as the "World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts," the M-1 Challenge is a full season of MMA events sponsored by partner Affliction that showcases some of the best up and coming MMA fighters in the world. Broadcast to over 80 countries around the world, including HDNet in the United States, the M-1 Challenge pits teams of five fighters representing their respective countries against each other for international bragging rights and the title of M-1 Challenge Champions.
The "M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction" affords MMA prospects all over the world an opportunity to test their skills, gain valuable experience at the international level, and become future stars in the sport of MMA. Fighters who succeed on the M-1 Challenge's international breeding ground will earn the opportunity to participate in major MMA events presented by M-1 Global and their promotional partners such as Affliction Entertainment.