2010 M-1 Selection Eastern European heavyweight tournament semi-finalist, Arsen Abdulkerimov is ready for action in his first trip to M-1’s big stage on Saturday March 5th. In a tough contention fight against heavy-handed Goncalo Salgado, the Russian prospect will look to re-establish himself in a division deep with talented warriors. Known for quick finishes, fans won’t want to turn away and miss this bout’s potential split-second ending.
Holding the title of “Master of Sport” in Kudo (Daido Juku) and a national Daido Juku champion, Abdulkerimov made a successful professional MMA debut in March 2008 and quickly showcased exceptional submission skills and equally impressive striking as he rallied together a 6-2 record. Known for putting on entertaining fights that end quickly, this well-rounded fighter is extremely popular in the European circuit.
Considered a rising prospect, he participated in the 2010 M-1 Selection Eastern Europe tournament. In opening round action, Abdulkerimov faced Denis Komkin in an awesome battle where Komkin was kept at bay with head-snapping strikes. Using vicious kicks to change up his offensive, Abdulkerimov set Komkin up perfectly and allowed his foe inside striking range. As Komkin pressed forward, Abdulkerimov nailed a perfect counter right-hook that landed perfectly on the chin and ended Komkin’s night with a sensational knock-out. Unfortunately his run was cut short in the semi-finals as he faced the eventual tournament winner, Maxim Grishin, who disposed of Abdulkerimov with a first-round TKO.
After the tournament he was invited to participate in Russia’s first-ever MMA reality show, “M-1 Fighter”, where he won all his fights in spectacular fashion to became the show’s inaugural heavyweight winner.
Ready to return to his winning ways and clamour into title contention, Abdulkerimov has the tough task of weathering Salgado’s heavy-handed arsenal. Should the crafty Russian elude the early barrage and engage in effective counter-striking, Abdulkerimov can wear down Salgado for the win. Should the pair elect to stand and trade, this fight is a coin-flip as both possess one-punch knock-out power.
Ultimately, Abdulkerimov wants to walk away victorious and keep a close eye on the last person to defeat him as Maxim Grishin faces Guram Gugenishvili for the heavyweight belt in M-1 Challenge XXIII’s main-event bout; their potential future rematch could end up with the belt on the line.
Abdulkerimov and Salgado will battle it out from inside the Crocus City arena in Moscow, Russia on Saturday, March 5th and fans can catch all the action by tuning-in to the official live stream on M-1 Global website, www.M-1Global.com at 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST.
