M-1 Challenge Set For December 3 In Saint Petersburg, Russia

USA East & Russia Legion Set to Battle for the M-1 Championship.

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.

M-1Global.com and Mixfight.ru 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