Antun Racic Faces Vugar Bahshiev at M-1 Ukraine European Battle Judo Blackbelt Protege Eyes Future Welterweight Title Shot
Talented 20-year-old Croatian fighter, Antun ‘Killer’ Racic (8-2) is riding high after winning the recent Noc Gladijtora 4-man tournament; as the clear favorite in the same-night battles, Racic walked away as champion with a pair of first-round, arm-triangle chokes over Bojan Bilic and Ivan Curak. Ready to prove he belongs on the larger M-1 Challenge stage, Racic looks to mop the mat with Vugar Bahshiev (5-3) in a special attraction bout at the M-1 Ukraine European Battle on Saturday June 4th and climb his way into lightweight title contention. Fans can capture the action from inside the National Circus Arena in Kiev starting at 11am EST / 8am PST via LIVE streaming telecast on the official M-1 Global website (www.M-1Global.com) and M-1 Global facebook fan page.
Racic began training Judo at five years old and got his black belt when he was 15. Acquiring a strong fundamental base through his dedication and training with the Gladiator Fight Team, he became the FILA World Junior Grappling Champion in 2010.
The ‘Killer’ shows a strong defensive stance, protecting his head and body from taking unnecessary shots, and his offensive striking is evolving with each round clocked; exceptional head movement helps to set up precise, relentless combinations and he’s effective at avoiding the counter offensives thrown back at him.
From the ground, Racic shows an innate ability to tie up his opponents hands as a lead-in to launching heavy, stunning head shots; with his foes expecting more punishment, Racic quickly transitions to an arsenal of submission attempts to close out the fight by either stepping seamlessly into full mount to setup an arm bar or seizing his opponent’s back and neck to lock in an inescapable RNC. This ‘Killer’ is quickly racking up a long list of slick submission victories, with seven of his eight coming inside the first round. The only notable area Racic needs to improve in order to elevate his game is his takedown defense, however he has proven to be able escape any potentially dangerous stemming from the single or double leg to date.
Training and evolution can only do so much for this aspiring fighter and the one issue which may prevent him from becoming a threat in his division is his size; standing only 5’5”, Racic may have trouble with some of the larger 155’ers in M-1 Global’s roster, including current champion Jose Figueroa who stands nearly a foot taller.
Regardless, Racic has caught the eye of the M-1 Global executives with his exciting fighting style and joint-jacking submissions and was awarded with a spot in the 2011 M-1 Selection European Tournament; the quarterfinal showdown didn’t go in Racic’s favor, taking a tough loss against Alexey Nevzorov in the first round.
Ready to make the most of his second opportunity with Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion and show that he does deserve to be fighting the best European fighters, Racic needs to make quick work of Vugar Bahshiev on June 4th.
LIVE broadcast coverage of the M-1 Ukraine European Battle will be available to viewers worldwide on the official M-1 Global website (www.M-1Global.com) and M-1 Global facebook fan page starting at 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST.
The 2011 European M-1 Selection tournament second quarterfinal round will be held July 16th, 2011; entitled Battle on the Neva River 5, the event will hail seaside in St. Petersburg, Russia.
M-1 Global is now in full-swing preparation for its fourth mega-event of 2011 scheduled for Friday July 8th from inside the United States. M-1 Challenge XXVI is headlined with undefeated, #1 Ranked heavyweight prospect Guram Gugenishvili (11-0) putting his belt on the line for the second time against decorated American wrestler, Pat Bennett (4-2). In co-main event action, newly crowned Lightweight Champion, Jose Figueroa (10-4) makes his first title defense against feared German submission specialist, Daniel Weichel (26-7).
‘Guram is Coming’ video teaser:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3XJgJfI9L8&feature=youtu.be
With M-1 Challenge champions established in all five weight classes, a true contenders system will fuel events throughout 2011, driving M-1 Global’s growth as a leading brand in the US and international markets.
2011’s full slate of M-1 Challenge events held in the United States and Europe are primed to be mega-event spectaculars where Champions defend their titles and contenders jockey for position for a coveted shot at the gold. Feeding the contention system will be two Selection tournaments held throughout Europe and North America in 2011.
For additional information, go to the official M-1 website, www.M-1Global.com and M-1 Global facebook fan page.
