Living combat sports legends Fedor Emelianenko (second from left) and Roy Jones Jr. (fourth from left) were very special guests at M-1 Challenge 47

ORENBURG, Russia – Last night’s loaded top-to-bottom M-1 Challenge 47 Marat Gafurovevent, headlined by a legitimate MMA Fight of the Year candidate between M-1 Challenge Featherweight Champion and invading American challenger Lee “American Bulldog” Morrison, lived up to its advanced billing at Orenburgzhye Sport Hall in Orenburg, Russia.

Living boxing legend and future of Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. was a special guest.

Russian jiu-jitsu specialist Gafurov (9-0-0) successfully defended his title for the second time, defeating Morrison (13-4-0) in an action-packed match from start to finish.

Gufurov on top of Morrison

Morrison started quickly, getting Gufurov in a guillotine chock, switched to a triangle, and back to a guillotine.  Gufurov escaped the hold, kicked Morrison as they clinched, and then took down Morrison who reversed into another guillotine attempt.  A takedown by Morrison was followed by a reversal by Gufurov to end a fast-paced opening round.

Starting fast once again, Morrison went for a knee-bar and leg-lock but Gufirov escaped from a tough position.  Morrison got top position by way of a great throw and locked in a tight guillotine only to have Gufurov escape once again.  Back-and-forth the action went through another exciting round.

Countless submission attempts and escapes from both world-class fighters continued in the third round as Gufurov gained momentum with a series of knees to Morrison’s hamstrings.  Gufurov had a strong fourth round as he picked-up his attacks with knees and strikes on the ground.

Gufurov has Morrison

Gufurov kept clinching and kneeing Morrison’s thighs as the two went all out in the final 90-seconds of an incredible match with Gufurov retaining his M-1 Challenge featherweight title belt with a unanimous five-round decision.

Ka pounds Monson

Undefeated Polish heavyweight Marcin “Tybur” Tybura (10-0-0) recorded a win by third round technical knockout, maintaining his No. 1 contender position, over Croatian Maro “Gladiator” Perak (23-4-1). Tybura took control from the opening bell, working from a half guard and establishing himself with his solid ground game. Perak managed to stand up but Tybura immediately took him down again, working from mount and going for an arm-bar that Perak escaped.  Perak’s great sprawl and reversal found him on top early in the second round. Tybura, however, answered with an impressive grappling performance, also pounding Perak with multiple punches. Perak ended the second round with some solid kicks.  Perak aggressively attacked at the beginning of the final round, taking down Tybura and working from the side mount.

Tybura pounds Perak

Slovanian lightweight Ivan “Buki” Buchinger (26-4-0) gained revenge against Russian veteran Sergey Golyaev (23-11-0), choking his tough opponent into a first-round submission Buchinger has won 14 of his last 17 fights but Golyaev needed only 21 seconds in their first match to become the first to knockout Buchinger.  Golyaev came out punching but Buchinger weathered the early storm and escaped from a tight triangle.  The fight became quickly featured exciting grappling and striking on the ground.  Buchinger soon took Govyaev’s back and submitted him with a rear naked choke.

Welterweight Julien “J-Smoove” Williams (5-1-0) was the only American fighter to register a victory at M-1 Challenge 47 with the first knockout of his professional career in his M-1 Global debut coming in the first round against previously unbeaten Russian Rasul Abdulaev (3-1-0). Abdulaev had an advantage in the first round that was a tactical wrestling match.  A tiring Abdulaev got caught in the nose with several punches by Williams that need the doctor’s attention. Williams kept pressing, took mount and punched from the top until the referee ended the fight.

Polish lightweight prospect Kamil Maron (5-1-0) took a three-round unanimous decision from Russian Georgy Fursov (2-2-0, 1 KO/TKO).  In a fight of attrition, Fursov slowed in the second round after a back-and-forth opening round.  Maron was in full mount and beat Fursov with strikes for most of this round.  The two fighters closed the show very strong as Maron earned the decision.

Brazilian light heavyweight Luis Fernando “Hulk” Miranda (12-1-0) ruined Ukrainian National MMA champion Vasily Babich’s (7-1-0) perfect pro record.  The Brazilian landed an awesome punch and slapped on a very tight guillotine, ending the action in the first round by way of submission.

Russian welterweight Alexei Kunchenko (3-0-0) kept his undefeated record intact, stopping Ukrainian veteran Anatoly Safronov (19-21-0) in a fight featuring contrasting styles.  The stronger Kunchenko wanted to stand up and fight while Safronov preferred to be on the ground.  One of Kunchenko’s punches broke Safronov’s nose to finish the fight in the third round.

Opening the card, Said Maadziev (1-1-0) won his first pro fight against Murad Mirzabekov (1-1-0) in a battle of Russian featherweights.

Full results & photo gallery below: 

(Winners listed first each fight)

M-1 CHALLENGE FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

MARAT GAFUROV (9-0-0, 1 KO/TKO, 5 SUB), Champion, Dagestan, Russia

WDEC5

LEE MORRISON (13-4-0, 4 KO/TKO, 4 SUB), Challenger, Okanogan, Washington, USA

(Gufaurov retains M-1 Challenge featherweight title)

HEAVYWEIGHTS

CHABAN KA (7-3-1, 1 KO/TKO, 5 SUB), Villeneuve-d’ Ascq, France

WTKO1

JEFF MONSON (49-18-1, 3 KO/TKO, 29 SUB), Miami, Florida, USA

Marcin TYBURA (10-0-0, 4 KO/TKO, 4 SUB), Lodz, Poland

WKO/TKO3

MARIO PEREK (23-34-1, 12 KO/TKO, 7 SUB), Dubrovnik, Croatia

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

LUIS FERNANDO MIRANDA (12-0-1, 4 KO/TKO), 7 SUB), Rio Grande, Rio Grande Do Sol, Brazil

WSUB1 (Guillotine Choke)

VASILY BABICH (9-3-0, 3 KO/TKO, 5 SUB), Yeupatoria, Ukraine

WELTERWEIGHTS

JULIEN WILLIAMS (5-1-0, 1 KO/TKO, 4 SUB), Orlando, Florida, USA

WKO2

RASUL ABDULAEV (3-1-0, 1 KO/TKO, 0 SUB), Kolpino, Russia

ALEXEI KUNCHENKO (3-0-0, 1 KO/TKO, 2 SUB), Tyumen, Russia

WSUB3 (Verbal)

ANATOLY SAFRONEV (19-21-0, 3 KO/TKO, 8 SUB), Kharkiv, Ukraine

LIGHTWEIGHTS

IVAN BUCHINGER (26-4-0, 6 KO/TKO, 16 SUB), Gabcikovo, Slovania

WSUB1 (Rear Naked Choke)

SERGEY GOLYAEV (23-11-0, 6 KO/TKO, 12 SUB), St. Petersburg, Russia

FEATHERWEIGHTS

KAMIL MARON (5-1-0, 0 KO/TKO, 3 SUB), Tarnov, Poland

WDEC3

GEORGY FUROV (2-2-0, 1 KO/TKO, 0 SUB), Orenburg, Russia

SAID MAADZIEV (1-1-0, 1 SUB)), St. Petersburg, Russia

WSUB1 (Arm Bar)

MURAD MIRZABEKOV (1-1-0, 0 KO/TKO, 0 SUB), Orenburg, Russia

 Lee Morrison nails Marat Gafurov

 Gafurov on top of Morrison

 Julien Williams celebrates win over Rasul Abdulaev

 Inside and then…..

 Gerogy Fursov and Kamil Maron go outside of the ropes