(PRESS RELEASE) -- ORENBURG, Russia (May 2, 2015) - M-1 Challenge light heavyweight title holder Stephan Puetz defeated previously undefeated M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Marcin Tybura in tonight's heavyweight super fight that headlined M-1 Challenge 57: Battle in the Heart of the Continent in Orenburg, Russia.
Puetz (13-1-0, 6 KO/TKO, 4 SUB) established himself as a genuine MMA star by defeating the larger Tybura (12-1-0, 3 KO/TKO, 4 SUB). The ultra-talented German won his fourth straight M-1 Challenge fight with a third-round technical knockout of the Polish heavyweight, who was unbeaten in six previous M-1 Challenge bouts, resulting from the doctor's stoppage.
Barnaoui (12-2-0, 4 KO/TKO, 7 SUB), fighting out of France, stopped previously undefeated champion Divnich (11-1-0, 6 KO/TKO, 1 SUB), of Russia, in the second round via punches.
Also fighting on the main card, Russian welterweight Alexei Kunchenko (9-0-0, 6 KO/TKO, 2 SUB) knocked out British challenger Dez "The Arm Collector" Parker (4-2-0, 1 KO/TKO, 3 SUB) in the opening round, Russian featherweight Magomed Idrisov (5-0-0, 2 KO/TKO, 0 SUB) won a three-round decision over German invader Max Coga (11-4-0, 2 KO/TKO, SUB), and Russian featherweight Nikita "Piranha" Chistyakov (4-1-0, 0 KO/TKO, 1 SUB) took a hard fought three-round decision from Frenchman Moktar "Le Benkaci" Benkaci (11-6-0, 3 KO/TKO, 7 SUB).
In preliminary bouts, lightweight Murad Mirzabekov (2-1-0, 0 SUB) knocked out fellow Russian Fabrice Dato (6-2-0, 2 KO/TKO, 2 SUB) in the first round, Russian heavyweight Kurban Ibragimov (3-2-0, 2 KO/TKO, 0 SUB) punched his way to a second-round victory over Spaniard David Trallero (1-2-0, 1 KO/TKO), Russian light heavyweight Rashid Yusupov (5-1-0, 1 KO/TKO, 2 SUB) registered an impressive first-round KO of Russian Mitry Medvedev (7-5-0, 3 KO/TKO, 3 SUB), Adam "Beard" Yandiev (6-0-0, 3 KO/TKO, 3 SUB) remained undefeated with an opening-round submission (guillotine choke) win against Dmitriy Adeev (1-2-0, 1 KO/TKO) in a battle of Russian light heavyweights, Damir Ismagulov (2-1-0, 1 KO/TKO, 0 SUB) took a three-round unanimous decision from fellow Russian lightweight Sergey Andreev (5-4-0, 2 KO/TKO, 2 SUB), Kazakhstan welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov (2-0-0, 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB) punched out Bartos "Hulk" Chyrek (4-2-0, 4 SUB) in the first round, and Russian featherweight Timur Nagibin (7-1-0, 2 KO/TKO, 0 SUB) knocked out Akhmandjon Mamurov (0-1-0), of Tajikistan, in round one.
MAIN CARD
HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERFIGHT
Stephan Puetz (13-1-0), Germany WTKO3 (3:48) Marcin Tubura (12-1-0), Poland
M-1 CHALLENGE LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Mansour Barnaoui (13-2-0), France (WKO1 (punches - 4:48) Maxim Divnich (11-1-0), Russia
(Barnaoui won M-1 Challenge Lightweight Title)
WELTERWEIGHTS
Alexei Kunchenko (9-0-0), Russia WKO1 (punches - 2:55) Dez Parker (4-2-0), England
FEATHERWEIGHTS
Magomed Idrisov (5-0-0), Russia WDEC3 Max Coga (11-4-0), Germany
Nikita Chistyakov (4-1-0), Russia WDEC3 Moktar Benkaci (11-6-0), France
PRELIMINARY CARD
HEAVYWEIGHTS
Kurban Ibragimov (3-2-0), Russia WTKO2 (punches - 2:00) David Trallero (1-2-0), Spain
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Rashid Yusupov (5-1-0), Russia WKO1 (punches - 1:32) Mitry Medvedev (7-5-0), Russia
Adam Yandiev (6-0-0), Russia WSUB1 (guillotine choke - 1:14) Dmitry Adeev (1-2-0), Russia
WELTERWEIGHTS
Shavat Rakhmonov (2-0-0), Kazakhstan WKO1 (punches - 2:50) Bartos Chyrek (4-2-0), Poland
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Damir Ismagulov (2-1-0), Russia WDEC3 Sergey Andreev (5-4-0), Russia
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Murad Mirzabekov (2-1-0), Russia WKO1 (punches - 2:50) Fabrice Dato (6-2-0), Russia
FEATHERWEIGHTS
Timur Nagibin (7-1-0), Russia WKO1 (punches - 1:05) Akhmandjon Mamurov (0-1-0), Tajikistan