Illness Alters Main Event for Saturday’s M-1 Challenge 67 in Azerbaijan

M-1 Global has shuffled the card for this weekend’s M-1 Challenge 67 due to 145-pound contender Magomed Idrisov being struck down by an unspecified illness.

Idrisov was scheduled to face M-1 Challenge featherweight champion Ivan Buchinger as the main event of Saturday’s show in Baku, Azerbaijan. On Wednesday, the Russian organization announced that Buchinger will remain on the card against late replacement Mikhail Korobkov. However, with Korobkov coming off his first career defeat at last week’s M-1 Challenge 66, the fight has been downgraded to a non-title bout and will be moved to the co-main event slot.

The show’s new main event will see former M-1 champ Artiom Damkovsky and experienced Ukrainian Alexander Butenko vying for the company’s vacant lightweight title. The belt was left vacant last year when Mansour Barnaoui opted to move down the scale to featherweight.

M-1 Challenge 67 takes place this Saturday, June 4, and will stream live online via YouTube.