2010 M-1 Selection tournament finalist, Magomedrasul Khasbulaev has been following the path of many talented European fighters as of late and making the move to a lighter weight class. Known for his battles as welterweight, Khasbulaev is making a run at a new roster of opponents as a 155’er and is quickly establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with. Come March 5th at M-1 Challenge XXIII, he faces the greatest test in his career as he collides with German striker, Daniel Weichel.
Since losing to current M-1 Challenge welterweight champ Shamil Zavurov in the Selection tournament finals this past summer, Khasbulaev has done his RusFighters team proud by going on a tear, decisively winning five of his last six fights inside the first round; the one loss coming by way of a disappointing submission to the imposing Ivan Buchinger.
Although known more for his submission skills, Khasbulaev has recently been showcasing some new-found hand speed and stand-up striking delivering two electrifying TKO performances over Jaroslav Franchuk and Jakub Tangiev, proof that the Russian fighter is continually evolving as a devastating professional fighter.
Khasbulaev’s run through the 2010 M-1 Selection tournament was highly impressive. Kicking off against Rashid Magomedov, Khasbulaev showed patience, composure and confidence. Defending submissions and securing takedowns in order to inflict constant damage to his opponent, Khasbulaev scored enough points in the eyes of the judges to eek out the split-decision and advance to the semi-finals.
Riding an impressive win streak into the final-four round in Kiev, Ukraine, Khasbulaev quickly disposed of alternate contestant, Radik Iboyan, with a joint-jacking armbar submission. As Iboyan tapped the canvas signalling the referee to halt the bout, Khasbulaev emerged from the ground victorious and in position to fight his Rusfighters teammate, Shamil Zavurov, for the tournament’s welterweight crown. Unfortunately his quest came to an abrupt halt inside the opening frame as Zavurov sunk in a suffocating rear-naked-choke.
Now facing opponents closer in physical comparison thanks to dropping down a weight class, Khasbulaev has been enjoying great success with his new-found speed after shedding 15-pounds. Ready to make a charge at the M-1 Challenge lightweight title, his tilt against Weichel marks a massive step-up in the level of competition and a win will certainly shoot him up several rungs on the contention ladder.
Fans can catch Khasbulaev and Weichel battle it out at the Crocus City arena in Moscow, Russia on Saturday, March 5th by tuning in to the official live stream on M-1 Global website, www.M-1Global.com at 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST.
