M-1 CHALLENGE SET FOR DEC. 3 IN SAINT PETERSBURG

(PRESS RELEASE) -- After traveling to over 7 countries on 4 continents, holding 130 fights featuring over 150 fighters, the 2009 season of the "M-1 CHALLENGE" comes to conclusion Thursday December 3, 2009 at “The Ice Palace” in Saint Petersburg Russia as Team USA EAST will face off with Team Russia Legion.

Both teams head to the finals following dominating performances in their semi-final match ups and have set the stage for a renewal of a classic sports rivalry that holds the M-1 Challenge Championship Cup in the balance.

When Russia Legion faces USA East, it will look to keep the M-1 Challenge Championship Cup in Russia. Known as Russia Red Devil at the time and now known as Russia Imperial, Fedor Emelianenko's team of talented proteges won the first-ever M-1 Challenge last January in Amsterdam when it defeated Holland (now known as Team Benelux) by a 4-1 score.

In addition to the M-1 Challenge Championship Finals, the finals for the M-1 Selection will also be held as well. The M-1 Selection is a secondary fight series designed to determine qualifying teams in respective countries for the 2010 M-1 Challenge. The first-ever M-1 Selection finals on Dec. 3 will help determine which team from Russia will represent its home country next year. The M-1 Selection finals will be streamed live on www.sherdog.com will be providing live streaming coverage of the M-1 Challenge finals as it takes place for qualifying countries who are not subject to blackout. Fight footage of the M-1 Challenge finals will be made available in the United States in coming weeks on HDNet. Be sure to check M-1Global.com and HDNetFights.com for an exact air date.

Official lineups are available below:

USA EAST VS. RUSSIA LEGION -

2. Lightweight (154 lbs./-70 kg): Ivan Jorge vs. Yura Ivlev
3. Welterweight (167.2 lbs./-76 kg): Gerson Dos Santos vs. Magomed Shikshabekov
4. Middleweight (184.8 lbs./-84 kg): Danilo Pereira vs. Ansar Chalangov
5. Light Heavyweight (204.8 lbs./-93 kg): Chuck Grigsby vs. Besiki Gerenava
6. Heavyweight (+204.8 lbs./+93 kg): Lloyd “Kadillac” Marshbanks vs. Akhmed Sultanov

About M-1 GLOBAL (www.m-1global.com) has been one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organizations in the world for over a decade.

Home to the undisputed heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi, and Sherdog.com's number one European MMA prospect Karl Amoussou, M-1 has a stable featuring some of the world's greatest fighters.

M-1 produces fight series such as the M-1 Challenge, the World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts, the M-1 Selection, and its brand new premium fight series "M-1 Breakthrough."