M-1 Challenge 60 results from Russia: Nemkov decisions Perak

(PRESS RELEASE) -- OREL, Russia - Former M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion Viktor Nemkov positioned himself for a rematch with the fighter who took his title belt last year, Stephan Puetz, by winning a three-round decision in tonight's M-1 Challenge 60: Battle in Orel main event against Maro "Mean Machine" Perak at Grimm Arena in Orel, Russia.

Nemkov (22-5-0, 4 KO/TKO, 10 SUB), fighting out of Russia, was the 2011 World Combat Sambo champion. He lost his first M-1 Challenge light heavyweight title fight in 2011 by third-round submission (Gogoplata neck crank)) to Vinny Magalhaes at M-1 Challenge 25. Nemkov rebounded in 2013 at M-1 Challenge 43, defeating Vasily Baboch by way of a second-round submission (arm lock) for the vacant M-1 Challenge light heavyweight championship.

In his first title defense (March 14, 2014), Nemkov lost a five-round split decision to Puetz in a major upset. Since losing to Puetz, Nemkov had fought only once going into tonight's fight due to a series of injuries that kept him sidelined the past 1 ½ years.

Perak (23-6-1, 12 KO/TKO, 7 SUB), fighting out of Croatia, made his light heavyweight debut versus Nemkov having dropped down one weight class, after campaigning strictly as a heavyweight during his professional career.

In the co-feature, Russian light heavyweight Maksim Futin (5-2-0, 4 KO/TKO, 1 SUB) locked on a rear naked choke on Poland's Marcin Zontek (14-9-0, 6 KO/TKO, 5 SUB) for a first-round victory by submission.

Also fighting on the main card, Russian featherweight Zalimbek Omarov (5-1-1, 1 KO/TKO, 2 SUB) won a three-round decision over Brazilian Marcelo Costa (11-3-1, 3 KO/TKO, 5 SUB), Russian bantamweight Evgeni Lazukov (8-2-0, 2 KO/TKO, 1 SUB) won when the corner of Algerian Elias Boudegzdame (9-4-0, 1 KO/TKO, 8 SUB) stopped the bout midway through the second round, and Alexey "Ataman" Makhno (10-3-0, 4 KO/TKO, 1 SUB) won a majority three-round decision from Zulfikar Usmanov (7-5-1, 1 KO/TKO, 4 SUB) in a fight between a pair of Russian lightweights.

All fight fights on the preliminary card ended in the opening round. Russian welterweight Denis Genyuk (7-4-0) defeated Croatian Josip "Arti" Artukovic (11-5-0), Georgian lightweight Raul Tutarauli (5-2-0) stopped Italian Valeriu Mircea (4-2-0) and Azerbaijan middleweight Telekh Nadzhaafadze (4-1-0) beat Russian Ivan Zakabunya (1-1-0), all in first-round knockouts via punches.

Also fighting on the preliminary card, Spanish lightweight Javier Fuentas (7-2-0) used a rear naked choke to force Russian Alexander Sankov (2-2-0) into a submission, while Russian bantamweight Alexander Kolesnik's shoulder hold forced Americana shoulder hold forced Ukrainian Dmitry Shvetc (2-2-0) to tap out.

Complete results below:

MAIN CARD (all winners listed first)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

Viktor Nemkov (22-5-0), Russia

WDEC3

Maro Perak (23-6-1), Croatia

Maxiim Futin (5-2-0), Russia

WSUB1 (Rear Naked Choke - 3:07)

Marcin Zontek (14-9-0), Poland

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Zulfikar Usmanov (8-4-1), Russia

WDEC3

Alexey Makhno (9-4-0), Russia

FEATHERWEIGHTS

Zalimbek Omarov (5-1-1), Russia

WDEC3

Marcelo Costa (11-3-1), Brazil

BANTAMWEIGHTS

Evgeni Lazukov (8-2-0), Russia

WKO/TKO2 (Corner Stoppage - 3:19)

Elias Boudegzdame (9-4-0), Algeria

PRELIMINARY CARD

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Telekh Nadzhafadze (4-1-0), Azerbaijan

WKO/TKO1 (Punches - 2:28)

Ivan Zakabunya (1-1-0), Russia

WELTERWEIGHTS

Denis Genyuk (7-4-0), Russia

WKO1 (Punches - 1:01)

Josip Artukovic (11-5-0), Croatia

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Raul Tutarauli (5-2-0), Georgia

WKO/TKO1 (Punches - 3:18)

Valeriu Mircea (4-2-0), Italy

Javier Fuentas (7-2-0), Spain

Wsub1 (Rear Naked Choke - 2:06)

Alexander Sankov (2-2-0), Russia

BANTAMWEIGHTS

Alexander Kolesnik (2-0-0), Russia

WDUB1 (Shoulder - 2:04)

Dmitry Shvetc (2-2-0), Ukraine