M-1 Challenge 21: Guram vs. Garner Live Results

M-1 Global holds its biggest Challenge event to date in St. Petersburg today, and the entire show will be streamed live online at M-1Global.com. Topping the card are a pair of title bouts -- M-1's first ever -- featuring the lightweight and heavyweight winners of the regional M-1 Challenge seasons. On the undercard, English welterweight vet Che Mills meets unbeaten Russian prospect Magomed "The Eagle" Shikshabekov.

Join us back here at 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT for the start of the show.

Quick results below; full main card play-by-play after the jump.

M-1 Global Heavyweight Title Fight
Guram Gugenishvili def. Kenny Garner via technical submission (guillotine choke) R2, 0:54

M-1 Global Lightweight Title Fight
Artiom Damkovsky def. Mairbek Taisumov via TKO (retirement) R3, 2:52

Dmitry Samoilov def. Gadzhimurad Omarov via TKO (doctor stoppage) R3, 0:28
Alexei Belyaev def. Alexei Nazarov via submission (guillotine choke) R2, 0:50

Alexander Sarnavsky def. Victor Kuku via KO (punches) R1, 0:13
Che Mills def. Magomed Shikshabekov via unanimous decision (ext. round)
Rashid Magomedov def. Igor Araujo via unanimous decision
Daniel Weichel def. Yuri Ivlev via TKO (doctor soppage) R3
Mikhail Zayats def. Matias Baric via submission (rear-naked choke) R3, 3:12
Denis Goltsov def. Marat Aliaskhabov via submission (straight armbar) R1, 4:56
Vusal Bairamov def. Joakhim Apie via TKO (knees and punches) R1, 2:29

Alexei Nazarov vs. Alexei Belyaev

Round 1: Nazarov slaps with some leg kicks before ducking in to try a trip. Belyaev stuffs with overhooks and grabs a guillotine, but it's not deep. Nazarov extracts the head and works from guard, nearly gets caught in a triangle as he stands up. Belyaev initiates the clinch, but it's Nazarov who winds up on top after another trip. Slow going on the ground with 90 seconds left in the first. Belyaev tying up Nazarov, who rams his head repeatedly into Belyaev's chest. Another guillotine attempt from Belyaev yields nothing, and Nazarov closes it out on top. 10-9 Nazarov.

Round 2: Belyaev jumps guard with an arm-in guillotine and Nazarov taps in short order.

Alexei Belyaev def. Alexei Nazarov via submission (guillotine choke) R2, 0:50

 

M-1 Global Heavyweight Title Fight
Kenny Garner vs. Guram Gugenishvili

Round 1: Guram shoots immediately and Garner sprawls, snaring a guillotine. Guram rushes him through the ropes and they restart in the center with Guram in Garner's guard. Punches from the top by Guram, but nothing really landing hard. Garner sweeps and winds up in half-guard near the ropes. The referee breaks them up and calls for time, as Garner is cut deeply in the outside corner of his right eye. It's bleeding pretty bad, but the location is good for Garner and they'll continue. They resume with Garner in half-guard, going for an arm-triangle, but Guram reverses and takes mount. He rides a bit too high, Garner tries to slip out the back door, but Guram tries an armbar. No luck, and Garner's back on top. The American takes mount with two minutes left. Guram escapes and looks for a keylock from the bottom, but Garner just keeps punching away to the body of Guram. 10-9 Garner.

Round 2: Garner pushes Gugenishvili into a ringpost. Gugenishvili grabs an arm-in guillotine and squeezes tight for a good 20 seconds before the referee recognizes that Garner's gone to sleep. Guram releases the hold and Garner just flops to the ground in a heap.

Guram Gugenishvili def. Kenny Garner via technical submission (guillotine choke) R2, 0:54

 

M-1 Global Lightweight Title Fight
Artiom Damkovsky vs. Mairbek Taisumov

Round 1: Cracking leg kicks from Damkovsky to open up. Taisumov starts to time the kicks and lands a few hard overhand right counters. Damkovsky going to the body with kicks, knees in the clinch. Taisumov lands a few clean punches in a flurry and tries to trip Damkovsky down. They lean through the ropes and Taisumov can't execute. Taisumov starting to find his range on the feet, bullying Damkovsky in the clinch. Taisumov drags Damkovsky down and takes mount with 30 seconds left. He tries to punch Damkovsky out, looks for a mounted triangle and goes for an armbar in the last half-minute. 10-9 Damkovsky.

Round 2: Damkovsky landing early and often with punches and leg kicks, but opts to try and take Taisumov down. Taisumov reverses and winds up in Damkovsky's half-guard, landing some hard shots. Taisumov jumps into mount and pins Damkovsky's face to the mat with his hand as he punches away. Damkovsky trying to sit up and escape the punishment, but Taisumov is keeping great hips on top. More and more punches from Taisumov, and Damkovsky seems to have no escape with 2:30 still left in the round. Taisumov pins down the left arm of Damkovsky and lands a few clean punches before the referee restarts them in the center of the ring. Damkovsky sweeps! Taisumov tries for an armbar, but Damkovsky escapes into guard. Triangle attempt from Taisumov, and again Damkovsky escapes. They're back to the feet, where Taisumov puts Damkovsky on his back in the corner and lands some hard ground shots. One minute left and Taisumov drops for a leglock. Damkovsky counters with one of his own, using it to sit up into Taisumov's guard. Damkovsky gets mount with 30 seconds remaining and bombs away on Taisumov, trying for an armbar at the very last second. 10-9 Taisumov.

Round 3: The rangy Damkovsky flicking out a steady diet of kicks at Taisumov as the third round begins. Taisumov catches Damkovsky's leg on a flying knee attempt and drags him to the mat. Back in Damkovsky's guard, Taisumov is looking very weary. They're stood up for inactivity. Taisumov tries for a single-leg, Damkovsky uses a guillotine to escape the takedown attempt, then bombs Taisumov with a barrage of knees and punches. Taisumov indicates that he's been poked in the eye, and the referee calls time. The fight's over. Looks like Taisumov didn't want to continue, so Damkovsky is your first ever M-1 Global champion.

Artiom Damkovsky def. Mairbek Taisumov via TKO (retirement) R3, 2:52

 

Alexander Sarnavsky vs. Victor Kuku

Round 1: Kuku tries a leaping knee, and Sarnavsky counters with a spinning back fist which drops his opponent. Kuku tries to upkick, but Sarnavsky pounces and pounds him out cold. Total destruction from the still-unbeaten Sarnavsky.

Alexander Sarnavsky def. Victor Kuku via KO (punches) R1, 0:13

 

Magomed Shikshabekov vs. Che Mills

Round 1: Mills is issued a yellow card before the start of the bout for missing weight yesterday. Shikshabekov trips the Brit down to the mat and works from half-guard as Mills tries to tie up and negate the space. Shikshabekov drops back for an Achilles lock, turns it into a heel hook, but Mills frees the limb and winds up in Shikshabekov's closed guard. Shikshabekov trying to isolate the arm of Mills, eating a few punches to the face as he hunts for the submission. Shikshabekov tries to pull rubber guard, allowing Mills to stand with 30 seconds left in the round. Nice knee from the clinch by Mills in the waning seconds gets him the round, 10-9. After the yellow card, it's 9-9.

Round 2: More knees from Mills in the start of the second, both flying and in the clinch. Shikshabekov pulls guard and tries a guillotine, quickly letting it go. Butterfly guard by Shikshabekov, but Mills is keeping it tight and landing punches. Shikshabekov swings his hips around and goes for another armbar, but Mills gets loose. Shikshabekov pushing off the hips of Mills again. The Brit senses it and gets it back to the feet. Mills connects with more knees, then eats an overhand right from the Russian. Mills looks hurt, doubling over in the corner as Shikshabekov pours more punches on. Somehow, Mills survives and gets it back to the clinch, where he lands a few more knees. Overhand from Shikshabekov, uppercut-knee combo from Mills, and Shikshabekov pulls guard. The Russian looks for an outside heel hook on Mill's lanky left leg. Mills refuses to tap and rides the hold out to the end of the round. Tough round to call, but I'll say 10-9 Shikshabekov.

Round 3: Mills immediately clinches up and drills knees to the face of Shikshabekov, then trips the Russian down and moves immediately to half-guard on the left. Mills hops into mount and locks up an arm-triangle choke, then jumps to the opposite side. He can't finish from there, goes back to mount, and releases the hold. Mills punching from mount as Shikshabekov helplessly tries to buck and roll. Mills slamming Shikshabekov's head into the canvas with his chest halfway through the round. Punches and shoulder strikes from mount by Mills as Shikshabekov continues to mount no offense. Mills tries to unload with 30 seconds left. Final round is an easy 10-8 for Mills.

The judges have declared the fight a draw, so we'll go to a fourth round.

Round 4: Mills opens up the overtime round with -- you guessed it -- knees from the clinch. He soon finds himself mounted on Shikshabekov again... and the referee stands them up. Baffling. Spinning back fist from Shikshabekov connects, but does nothing to Mills. Shikshabekov scores a takedown, gets swept and starts eating more shoulders from Mills. Referee stands them up with about two minutes remaining. Shikshabekov winging desperate punches, Mills landing knees, and it's Mills who gets the trip takedown once again. Mills in side control, now jumps into mount. That's where it ends, and it should be a win for Mills.

Che Mills def. Magomed Shikshabekov via unanimous decision (no scores read)

 

Rashid Magomedov vs. Igor Araujo

Round 1: Araujo shoots three times in the first 30 seconds and is sprawled on by Magomedov. The Brazilian winds up on his back in the corner with Magomedov in his full guard. They're restarted in the center and Araujo works wrist control as Magomedov tries to pound. Magomedov stands and the ref restarts them on the feet. Magomedov kicking to the body, ducking Araujo's punches. Araujo shoots, can't find the takedown, pulls guard and eventually works back to his feet. Araujo tries another takedown immediately, but Magomedov winds up on top with a minute left. Magomedov can't do much from the top with Araujo using wrist control, but he does break loose and lands some hard punches to the face and body of the Brazilian in the last 30 seconds, bloodying Araujo's nose. 10-9 Magomedov.

Round 2: Araujo just pulling guard and trying to escape punishment, but Magomedov is keeping top position, pounding and standing before he gets in any trouble. Halfway through the round, Araujo finally scores a takedown and takes mount momentarily, then Magomedov's back, before Magomedov sweeps and they're restarted on the feet. Araujo with another hard-earned takedown, again moving immediately into mount. Magomedov escapes mount, rolls, gives up his back, squirms out, but Araujo's in full mount again. Armbar attempt from Araujo! It looks good as Araujo flattens his man out, but Magomedov does well to escape before the round ends. 10-9 Araujo for his work late.

Round 3: Another guard pull and Magomedov stands over Araujo dodging upkicks. They stand, Araujo tries another takedown, and again Magomedov stifles it. Nice ground-and-pound from Magomedov briefly before they're restarted. Hard one-two rocks Araujo, and this time he gets the takedown and winds up on top of Magomedov in the corner. Another armbar attempt fails for Araujo, and Magomedov is back in guard, punching away. Referee restarts them in the center of the ring with 45 seconds left, Magomedov in Araujo's guard. Magomedov seals the deal with some hammerfists. 10-9 Magomedov gives him the 29-28 win on my unofficial scorecard.

Rashid Magomedov def. Igor Araujo via unanimous decision (no scores read)

 

Yuri Ivlev vs. Daniel Weichel

Round 1: The pair trade leg kicks early. Weichel ducks inside and connects with a solid knee in the clinch. The southpaw Ivlev looking to land a big overhand left, stumbles Weichel with a left hook. Weichel digging to the body of Ivlev with hooks and kicks now. Ivlev starting to find the range with his left hand, but he's facing a flurry from the longer Weichel each time he gets in range. Fairly even round with Ivlev landing harder, but Weichel landing more. I'll say 10-10.

Round 2: Weichel starting to establish his left jab, stringing together combinations as Ivlev continues to headhunt with that big left. Ivlev rushes in with hard shots, lands a few, but eats a glancing three-piece and a knee from Weichel in return. Both men continually trading inside leg kicks between punches. One such kick appears to catch Ivlev low, but he waves it off. Rock'em sock'em robots in the last 20 seconds, and Weichel busts the bridge of Ivlev's nose wide open. 10-9 Weichel.

Round 3: Weichel catches Ivlev coming in with a jump knee, but can't trip him down. Ivlev is going all out with spinning kicks, flying knees, the works, but Weichel's still landing cleaner with his combinations. Knee wobbles Weichel, but Ivlev can't capitalize. Ivlev's nose is a mess once again, and a knee from the clinch by Weichel opens a deep gash on the Russian's temple. The ringside doctor waves it off.

Daniel Weichel def. Yuri Ivlev via TKO (doctor stoppage), R3