After enduring a round-and-a-half of pure punishment from newly crowned Middleweight Champion Magomed Sultanakhmedov, Oregon native and Team Quest fighter Tyson ‘The Anti-Hero’ Jeffries has done all he can to prepare himself this time out. When the bell rings to start the action from The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California, Jeffries will look to draw first blood against feared Russian striker Arthur Guseinov. Fans can capture the M-1 Challenge: Bennett vs. Garner card LIVE on SHOWTIME on Friday, July 8 at 11 p.m. ET/PT (Delayed on the West Coast).
Coming from a team known for producing impeccable fighters with sound wrestling foundations, Coach Matt Lindland has placed high expectations on his protégé to execute hard-fought, exciting tilts. As a Sport Fight veteran, Jeffries has built a 7-5 record and possesses the qualities and skills necessary to be a successful professional fighter; being exposed to the Team Quest mentality is certainly aiding his development, “I train with the some of the best fighters in the world … I owe lots of appreciation to my coaches and friends,” says Jeffries.
Known for his relentless, never-say-die fighting style, Jeffries is a fighter that simply doesn’t quit; he would rather have his arm broken than to ever admit an opponent has broken his will. Although putting forth a valiant effort against Sultanakhmedov, the sturdy American scrapper is covering all bases to ensure he stands with his arm raised on July 8th, calling in some favours to train with Rampage in Las Vegas and at the Wolfslair MMA Academy in England.
2010 was an exceptional year for Jeffries, winning the M-1 Selections Americas tournament middleweight brackets with a solid combination of submission skills and striking abilities. Facing Mike Johnson in his opening round bout, Jeffries systematically dismantled Johnson’s striking with a steadfast defence and effective counter-punching.
Facing the wild striking of Plinio Cruz in his semi-finals bout, Jeffries maintained an impenetrable defence as he stalked and cut off Cruz’s position inside the ring. Although standing within Cruz’s striking range on occasion which allowed Cruz to score much needed points, Jeffries was able to withstand the barrages and go on to win a razor-thin split decision and berth in the Finals.
Watching Jeffries from the beginning of the tournament, it is easy to conclude that his Finals bout was where he matured as a fighter. The middleweight finals battle with Team Bombsquad’s Mike Geurin took the night’s ‘fight of the night’ honours, is regarded as the highlight bout of the tournament and is also cemented as M-1 Global’s #3 fight of 2010. When Jeffries’ miraculous triangle is tied into the equation, it’s no wonder why this fight also captured the night’s ‘submission of the night’ award as well. Jeffries vs. Geurin exemplified the exciting MMA action that the M-1 Selection tournament was designed to produce.
Jeffries is a patient fighter capable of sitting back and effectively countering while always maintaining an offensive ring position to compliment his takedown threat; he also exhibits a veteran’s composure when timing his opponent’s offensives allowing him to set up his magnificent overhand right. Adding to his versatility, Jeffries is comfortable fighting off his back and has a repertoire of submissions as evident by the elbow-snapping armbar which he transitioned into the bout-ending triangle, a truly miraculous, 11th hour, highlight reel finish.
In the fight game, you’re only as good as your last trip to the mat and Jeffries needs a win to rebound off the one-sided beating issued by Sultanakhmedov, marking this fight as a turning point for Jeffries’ career; kicking off a string of wins will reposition him in the queue for another future title shot while a loss marks him as a +500 journeyman fighter to be used as a stepping stone for other rising prospects.
M-1 Challenge: Bennett vs. Garner airs LIVE on SHOWTIME on Friday, July 8 at 11 p.m. ET/PT (Delayed on the West Coast).
Tickets are priced at $75 for the front row and all other seats at $50 and can be purchased online at www.fightcluboc.com, or by calling Roy Englebrecht Promotions at (949) 760-3131. The Hangar is a brand new 1,500 state of the art arena and has already seen three Fight Club OC sell-outs in February, April, and June.
Mauro Ranallo will call the action from ringside with Pat Miletich serving as analyst. The telecast will be produced by Chuck McKean and directed by Craig Farrell. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins, Jr.
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 in 2011 with details being announced shortly.
For information on M-1 Global, go to the official M-1 website, www.M-1Global.com and M-1 Global facebook fan page.
For information on SHOWTIME Sports programming, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please go to the new SHOWTIME Sports website at http://www.sho.com/sports.
Link to Jeffries vs. Geurin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRpVlwEDaRw&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCrysn_Sp40&feature=player_embedded
