‘The Tiger’ Scores Submission of the Night at M-1 Challenge: Damkovsky vs. Figueroa
Mar 29, 2011
(PRESS RELEASE) -- Considered one of the most promising young
fighters coming out of Russia, Alexander ‘The Tiger’ Sarnavskiy
continues to live up to his hype. Seeming to handle the mounting
pressure associated with maintaining an undefeated record,
Sarnavskiy ventured across the Atlantic and delivered a stunning
performance against local fan-favourite, Beau Baker, last Friday
night to kick-off M-1 Global’s debut event on SHOWTIME;
Sarnavskiy’s high-light reel rear-naked-choke submission made a
definitive impression with North American fans who made ‘The Tiger’
a highly debated topic in forum discussions over the weekend.
Touching gloves to start the contest, Baker made no delay in pressing forward to engage ‘The Tiger’ however his aggressive pursuit was quickly side-stepped and Sarnavskiy fed his foe a rib-smashing body kick to counter. Sarnavskiy calmly continued to shut down and stuff Baker’s repeated take down attempts and revealed incredible balance and an ability to sprawl, aspects of his game that had yet to be seen. Noticeably frustrated with his ineffective takedowns, Baker elected to stand with the much faster Russian who capitalized on the exchanges and lamped Baker from every angle, nearly landing his trademark spinning back-fist. With the distinct advantage in striking, Sarnavskiy closed the gap to engage the clinch where he busted through Baker’s defense like a sieve, landing relentless knees, upper cuts and hooks at will to close out an action-packed first round; with the first frame setting the tone for what to expect on M-1’s debut on SHOWTIME, fans couldn’t have asked for more.
To start the second, a wobbly Baker continued to look for single and double leg takedowns but Sarnavskiy’s balance was unshakeable; caught with his head down, Baker ate non-stop knees to the head and body, leaving him in noticeable pain. In a last ditch effort to mount an offensive, Baker drove Sarnavskiy to the ropes where ‘The Tiger’ leveraged the momentum to shoot back. With a single jump, Sarnavskiy went to the air and secured Baker’s back where he began the bout-ending submission sequence. Riding his opponent’s back and furiously wrenching in on Baker’s exposed neck, Sarnavskiy worked feverishly to scoop the chin and lock on to his bicep; in an effort to escape the in-coming choke, Baker hit the mat hard in an attempt to rattle Sarnavskiy off but there was no way out once the pair were on the canvass. Staying steadfast and locking in, Sarnavskiy forced the tap at 2:32 of the second frame and improved to an impressive 13-0.
Successful in his debut on American soil, Sarnavskiy is sits as a top contender in the lightweight division and his exciting fighting style has made an impact with fans around the world. ‘The Tiger’ now waits patiently for his next prey and an outing to hunt down a future title fight.
M-1 Global is now in full-swing preparation for its third mega-event of 2011 scheduled for Thursday April 28th from the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Current Welterweight Champion, Shamil Zavurov looks to avenge his record’s sole blemish in the headline bout at M-1 Challenge XXV: Zavurov vs. Magomedov II. Free LIVE broadcast coverage of the entire event will be available to viewers worldwide on the official M-1 Global website (www.M-1Global.com) and select affiliate partner sites starting at 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST.
Touching gloves to start the contest, Baker made no delay in pressing forward to engage ‘The Tiger’ however his aggressive pursuit was quickly side-stepped and Sarnavskiy fed his foe a rib-smashing body kick to counter. Sarnavskiy calmly continued to shut down and stuff Baker’s repeated take down attempts and revealed incredible balance and an ability to sprawl, aspects of his game that had yet to be seen. Noticeably frustrated with his ineffective takedowns, Baker elected to stand with the much faster Russian who capitalized on the exchanges and lamped Baker from every angle, nearly landing his trademark spinning back-fist. With the distinct advantage in striking, Sarnavskiy closed the gap to engage the clinch where he busted through Baker’s defense like a sieve, landing relentless knees, upper cuts and hooks at will to close out an action-packed first round; with the first frame setting the tone for what to expect on M-1’s debut on SHOWTIME, fans couldn’t have asked for more.
To start the second, a wobbly Baker continued to look for single and double leg takedowns but Sarnavskiy’s balance was unshakeable; caught with his head down, Baker ate non-stop knees to the head and body, leaving him in noticeable pain. In a last ditch effort to mount an offensive, Baker drove Sarnavskiy to the ropes where ‘The Tiger’ leveraged the momentum to shoot back. With a single jump, Sarnavskiy went to the air and secured Baker’s back where he began the bout-ending submission sequence. Riding his opponent’s back and furiously wrenching in on Baker’s exposed neck, Sarnavskiy worked feverishly to scoop the chin and lock on to his bicep; in an effort to escape the in-coming choke, Baker hit the mat hard in an attempt to rattle Sarnavskiy off but there was no way out once the pair were on the canvass. Staying steadfast and locking in, Sarnavskiy forced the tap at 2:32 of the second frame and improved to an impressive 13-0.
Successful in his debut on American soil, Sarnavskiy is sits as a top contender in the lightweight division and his exciting fighting style has made an impact with fans around the world. ‘The Tiger’ now waits patiently for his next prey and an outing to hunt down a future title fight.
M-1 Global is now in full-swing preparation for its third mega-event of 2011 scheduled for Thursday April 28th from the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Current Welterweight Champion, Shamil Zavurov looks to avenge his record’s sole blemish in the headline bout at M-1 Challenge XXV: Zavurov vs. Magomedov II. Free LIVE broadcast coverage of the entire event will be available to viewers worldwide on the official M-1 Global website (www.M-1Global.com) and select affiliate partner sites starting at 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST.
