(PRESS RELEASE) -- INGUSHETIA, Russia - M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Marcin Tybura retained his title, technically winning by first round knockout as challenger Ante Delija broke his leg, in tonight's M-1 Challenge 61: Battle of Narts at Ingushetia, Russia.
Against Russian challenger Delija (14-3-0, 14-3-o, 5 KO/TKO, 7 SUB) in M-1Challenge 61, Delija broke his lower leg when a kick was blocked by Tybura, who pounced on his fallen foe until the referee stopped the fight when he saw Delija's grotesquely injured leg.
Three of the other four main card fights ended in decisions. In the co-feature, Antun "Killer" Racic (18-6-0, 0 KO/TKO, 13 SUB), of Croatia, halted Russian featherweight Alexey Nevzorev's (9-2-0, 1 KO/TKO, 4 SUB) unbeaten M-1 record at 3-0, taking a unanimous decision.
In a pair of featherweights matches, both decided by unanimous decisions, Russian prospect Magomed Idrisov (6-0-0, 2 KO/TKO, 0 SUB) remained undefeated against Lithuanian veteran Sergej Grecicho (21-7-0, 2 KO/TKO, 15 SUB), while Ukrainian Alexander Panasyuk (6-1-0, 1 KO/TKO, 4 SUB) got the best of Russian Lom-Ali Nalgiev (3-4-0, 0 KO/TKO, 2 SUB).
Brazilian light heavyweight Carlos Alexander "Indio" Pereira (33-10-0, 22 KO/TKO, 9 SUB) was impressive in his M-1 debut, locking an arm-bar on late replacement Ruslan Zhemukhov (5-2-0, 0 KO/TKO, 2 SUB), of Russia, in the opening round.
Judges were needed in six of eight preliminary fights. Russian lightweight Ramazan Esenbaev (9-1-0, 2 KO/TKO, 2 SUB) and his countryman, welterweight Rustam Gadzhiev (6-3-0, 2 KO/TKO, 0 SUB), were unanimous decision winners, respectively, over Kazakh-native Damir Ismagulov (4-2-0, 3 KO/TKO, 0 SUB) and Ukrainian Vyachseslav Ten (10-5-2, 4 KO/TKO, 6 SUB).
Split-decision victors were Russian welterweight Maksim Grabovich (2-0-0, 1 KO/TKO, 0 SUB), who ruined Adam Elmirziev's (0-1-0) professional debut, and Elmar Mamedov versus Ruslan Esmurziev (3-1-0, 2 KO/TKO) in a battle of Russian featherweights.
Russian light heavyweight Akramat Evkurov (5-1-0, 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB) used an arm-bar in his first-round submission win against Ukrainian Sergey Kutsy (2-3-0, 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB). Russian heavyweight Murad Ismailov (5-0-0, 5 KO/TKO) went 5-for-5 with 5 KO wins in his young pro MMA career stopping Evgeni Boldyrev (8-6-0, 3 KO/TKO, 2 SUB), of Ukraine, in the first round on punches.
Complete results below:
MAIN CARD (winners listed first)
M-1 CHALLENGE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP Marcin Tybura (12-1-0), Lodz, Poland WKO/TKO1 (Injury - 2:21) Ante Delija (14-3-0), Russia (Tybura retained M-1 Challenge heavyweight title)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Carlos Alexander Pereira (33-10-0), Brazil WSUB1 (Armbar - 4:02) Ruslan Zhemukhov (5-1-0), Russia
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Alexander Panasyuk (6-1-0), Ukraine WDEC3 Lom-Ali Nalgiev (3-4-0), Russia
FEATHERWEIGHTS
Magomed Idrisov (6-0-0), Russia WDEC3 Sergej Grecicho (21-7-0), Lithuania
Antun Racic (18-6-0), Croatia WDEC 3 Alexey Nevzorov (9-2-0), Russia
PRELIMINARY CARD
HEAVYWEIGHTS
Evgeni Boldyrev (9-5-0), Ukraine WKO/TKO1 (Punches - 1:38) Murad Izmailov (4-1-0), Russia
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Mikhail Ragozin (3-1-0), Russia WKO/TKO3 (Punches - 2:00) Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (10-5-0), Ukraine
Akramat Evkurov (5-1-0), Russia WSUB1 (Armbar - 1:00) Sergey Kutsy (2-3-0), Ukraine
WELTERWEIGHTS
Rustam Gadzhiev (6-3-0), Russia WDEC3 Vyacheslav Ten (10-5-2), Ukraine
Maksim Grabovich (2-0-0), Russia WDEC3 Adam Elmirziev (0-1-0), Russia
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Ramazan Ezenbaev (9-1-0), Russia WDEC3 Damir Ismagulov (4-2-0), Russia
FEATHERWEIGHTS
Elmar Mamedov (2-0-0), Russia WDEC3 Ruslan Esmurziev (2-2-0), Russia
Upcoming Event: Oct. 10, 2015 - M-1 Challenge 62 in Sochi, Russia
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