M-1 Challenge 64 results & pictures from Moscow

(PRESS RELEASE) ? MOSCOW - Veteran Russian fighters Alexander Shlemenko and Alexander Volkov were the big winners in M-1 Challenge 64 action last night at Olympic Stadium in Moscow.

Shlemenko (52-9-0), a three-time Bellator champion, returned to M-1 Global in grand style, winning a close but unanimous decision over former 2-division M-1 Challenge division Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (28-3-0), of Russia, in their M-1 Global Grand Prix Middleweight Tournament match. Shlemenko advances to the championship final later this year to face the winner of the other semifinals fight (April 8) at M-1 Challenge 65 between reigning M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev (13-3-0) and Brazilian Maiquel "Big Rig" Falcao (35-8-0). Emeev was the 2015 M-1 Global Fighter of the Year.

M-1 Global's newly signed Alexander Volkov (25-6-0), of Russia, captured the vacant M-1 Challenge heavyweight championship, defeating Estonian strongman Denis Smoldarev (11-2-0) by way of a third-round submission via a triangle choke.

In the M-1 Challenge Bantamweight Semifinals Eliminator matches, Pavel Vitruk (13-2-0) and Ukrainian Vitaly Branchuk (21-5-0) both won unanimous decisions to advance to the championship final to determine the new M-1 Challenge bantamweight champion. Vitruk got past his previously undefeated Kazakh opponent Sergey Morozov (6-1-1), while Branchuk got the better of Antun Racic (18-7-0), of Croatia.

Late replacement Vladimir Kathyhin (32-6-1), of Ukraine, won a decision over American middleweight Joe Ray (13-5-0) in the other main card fight.

On the preliminary card, Russian middleweight Magomed Mutaev (7-2-0), Russian welterweight Maksin Grabovich (3-2-0) and Ukrainian featherweight Andrey Lezhnev (8-5-0) were all unanimous decision winners, respectively, against Ukrainian Vadim Orischak (5-5-0), German Stefan Larisch (8-4-0) and Russian Timur Nagibin.

Russian heavyweight Kurban Ibragimov (4-1-0) knocked out Dmitriy Mikutsa (5-3-0), of Ukraine, in the opening round, while Russian middleweight Valery Myasnikov (9-1-1) locked in a rear naked choke on Ukrainian foe Vyacheslav Bogomol (8-2-0) to win by second-round submission.

MAIN CARD

MAIN EVENT

M-1 GLOBAL GRAND PRIX MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNAMENT - SEMIFINALS

Alexander Shlemenko (52-9-0, M-1: 3-0-0), Russia WDEC5 Vyacheslav Vaselevsky (27-4-0, M-1: 10-2-0), Russia (Shlemenko advances to M-1 Global Grand Prix middleweight final)

CO-FEATURE

VACANT M-1 CHALLENGE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Alexander Volkov (25-6-0, M-1: 9-3-0), Russia WSUB3 (Triangle Choke - 0:32) Denis Smoldaraev (11-2-0, M-1: 7-2-0), Estonia (Volkov captures M-1 Challenge heavyweight title)

M-1 CHALLENGE BANTAMWEIGHT SEMIFINALS ELIMINATOR

Pavel Vitruk (13-2-0, M-1: 7-2-0), Russia WDEC3 Sergey Morozov (6-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Kazakhstan

Vitaly Branchuk (21-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Ukraine WDEC3 Antun Racic (18-7-0, M-1: 3-4-0), Croatia

(Vitruk & Branchuk advance to M-1 Challenge bantamweight title fight)

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Vladimir Katyhin (32-6-1, M-1: 2-0-0), Ukraine WDEC3 Joe Ray (13-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0, United States

PRELIMINARY CARD

HEAVYWEIGHTS

Kurban Ibragimov (4-1-0, M-1: 3-1-0, Russia WKO1 (4:33) Dmitriy Mikutsa (5-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Ukraine

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Magomed Mutaev (7-2-0, M-1: 4-0-0), Russia WDEC3 Vadim Orischak (5-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Russia

Valery Myasnikov (9-1-1, M-1: 1-1-1), Russia WSUB2 (Rear Naked Choke - 2:37) Vyacheslav Bogomol (5-2-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Russia

WELTERWEIGHTS

Maksin Grabovich (3-2-0, M-1: 3-0-0), Russia WDEC3 Stefan Larisch (8-4-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Germany

FEATHERWEIGHTS

Andrey Lezhnev (8-5-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Ukraine WDEC3 Timur Nagibin (5-2-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Russia