Thanks to his aggressive fighting style, Mairbek ‘Beckan’ Taisumov is seemingly incapable of producing anything other than action-packed fights; without doubt, he is one of the most entertaining fighters Europe has to offer. At M-1 Challenge: Bennett vs. Garner, Taisumov will face the scrappy Florida native Josh “Iron Heart” Bacallao in what he hopes is one more stepping stone closer to a second shot at the coveted M-1 Lightweight Championship belt. The action goes down from The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California, LIVE on SHOWTIME on Friday, July 8 at 11 p.m. ET/PT (Delayed on the West Coast).
23 year-old, M-1 veteran out of Vienna, Austria Mairbek Taisumov is a highly talented lightweight currently training out of the GCF Team. Blessed with the genetics that have given him phenomenal speed and athleticism, Taisumov is a former soccer player who has continually displayed impressive stand-up skills and an always improving ground game; this young athlete is developing into an impact fighter in an incredibly deep 155-pound weight class.
Since debuting in 2007, this promising young striker has racked up an impressive 14-3 record with thanks to his highly effective stand-up skills and phenomenal footwork, which enables him to glide effortlessly around the canvass as he stalks and maintains superior offensive positioning. Based on his victories, it’s not surprising that he’s referenced as having an impressive striking arsenal from both in close and outside; his hand speed is lightning quick and he cocks a heavy overhand right that can be unleashed in a split second should his opponent drop his hands. Combine this lethal striking power with well guarded defensive skills and the ability to release stinging leg and body kicks and rib-cracking knees at will and you have the technical blueprint for Taisumov’s methodically sound performances.
With back-to-back-to-back first round finishes over Petr Cajnak, Julien Boussuge and Sergey Adamchuk, Taisumov put on a striking and submission clinic to win the 2010 M-1 Selection Western Europe lightweight tournament and quickly become a recognized name throughout the European MMA circuit.
Taisumov had his sights set on becoming M-1Global’s first-ever 155-pound champion in the organization’s history as he squared off against Artiom Damkovsky last October at M-1 Challenge: Guram vs. Garner. In a bout that contended for ‘Fight of the Night’ honours, Taisumov controlled the early rounds until the tide swayed into Damkovsky’s favour. Taking an unintentional finger to the eye late in the third, it was determined by the ringside physician that the bout had to be stopped, leaving ‘Beckan’ disheartened as he watched the gold go around Damkovsky’s waist.
Eager to shrug off the tough loss, Taisumov returned to the ring six weeks later and executed a text-book first-round demolition of Ivica Truscek and pressed on towards his tilt with Russian striking and submission specialist Yuri Ivlev; bringing the tenacious intensity he’s known for, Taisumov wiped out Ivlev via TKO early in the second round and earned himself the right to fight in the United States on M-1’s sophomore outing with premium television network SHOWTIME.
‘Beckan’s’ background in freestyle wrestling reveals excellent reaction time, quick hips and an effective sprawl but he’ll need to continue working on his takedown defense in order to acclimate himself with the styles of North American wrestlers. But when in position to take opponents to the ground, Taisumov is equipped with an aggressive ground and pound where is able to unleash precision punches and hammer fists to finish a bout.
With Josh Bacallao in his sites, Taisumov should have to make little adjusts to his style; he’s more aggressive, faster and equally as versatile but he has to be aware of Bacallao’s power. If Taisumov delivers an A-game performance, he should walk away with the win and climb closer to a shot at the belt.
M-1 Challenge: Bennett vs. Garner on Friday July 8th is headlined by the rematch between the 2010 M-1 Selection Americas Tournament heavyweight finalists Pat Bennett (4-2) and Kenny ‘Deuce’ Garner (6-3).
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.
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.
