M-1 Challenge 74: Yusopov retains title, Yandiev new lightweight champion

Yusupov (7-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0), fighting out of Russia, remained undefeated with a brutal, bloody victory over former M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion Stephan “T-800” Puetz (15-3-0, 6-2-), of Germany, whose corner stopped the fight during the third round.

Wildly popular Russian fighter Yandiev (9-1-0, M-1: 3-1-0) immediately opened his title fight challenge with a powerful right-handed punch that floored defending champion
Alexander “Iron Capture” Butenko (42-12-2, M-1: 9-2-0). Yankiev relentlessly attacked veteran Butenko, firing more than 60 unanswered strikes on the fallen Ukranian veteran, until the referee mercifully halted the fight at 1:65 of the first round.

Kazakhstan-native Damir Ismagulov (10-2-0, M-1: 6-1-0), fighting out of Russia, stopped French welterweight Morgan Heraud (6-6-0, M-1: 1-0-0) on punches in the third round. Belarussian lightweight Artium Damkovsky (23-10-0, M-1: 13-7-0) and Ukrianian bantamweight Vitaly Branchuk (22-6-0, M-1: 2-2-0) won three-round unanimous decisions, respectively, over Brazilian Erivan “Negao” Pereira (7-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0) and Frenchman Moktar “Le Kabyle” Benkaci (13-8-0, M-1: 2-2-0).

In the soccer club fans match, Dmitry Tebekin (5-2-0, M-1: 1-0-0) locked a guillotine choke on fellow Russian light heavyweight Artur Tulparova (1-1-0, M-1: 1-1-0) for a submission victory in the first round.

On the preliminary card, Swiss welterweight Pablo Ortman (7-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0) remained undefeated with a first-round submission win (triangle choke) over Ukrainian Vyacheslav “Bison” Bogomol (9-4-0, M-1: 0-2-0), Brazilian welterweight Bruce Souto (10-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0) submitted (rear naked choke) Russian Payzula Magomedov (2-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0) in the third round, Brazilian heavyweight Marcus Vinicius “Montanah” Lopes (11-5-0, M-1: 2-1-0) decisioned Russian Evgeni Myakinkin (14-8-1, 1 NC, M-1: 2-2-0), Ukrainian bantamweight Dmitry Orlov (13-6-0, M-1: 1-0-0) defeated Russian Mikhail Kuznetsov (4-3-0, M-1: 2-3-0) by way of a second-round submission (triangle choke), Russian bantamweight Vadim Malygin (8-2-1, M-1: 0-2-1) knocked out Brazilian Denes Carvalho (5-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0) in the third round.

Complete results and picture gallery below:

MAIN CARD
M-1 CHALLENGE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Rashid Yusupov (7-0-0, M-1: 5-0-0), Russia
WTKO3 (corner stoppage – 3:26)
Stephan Puetz (15-3-0, M-1: 6-2-0), Germany
(Yusupov M-1 Challenge light heavyweight title)

M-1 CHALLENGE LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Abukar Yandiev (9-1-0, M-1: 3-1-0), Russia
WTKO1 (punches – 1:65)
Alexander Botenko (42-12-2, M-1: 9-2-0), Ukraine

WELTERWEIGHTS
Damir Ismagulov (10-2-0, M-1: 6-1-0), Russia by way of Kazakhstan
WTKO3 – (punches — 1:31)
Morgam Heraud (6-6-0, M-1: 0-1-0), France

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Artiom Damkovsky (23-10-0, M-1: 13-7-0), Belarus
WDEC3
Erivan Pereira (7-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Brazil

BANTAMWEIGHTS
Vitalay Branchuck (22-6-0, M-1: 2-2-0), Ukraine
WDEC3
Moktar Benkaci (13-8-0, M-1: 2-2-0), France

SOCCER CLUB FANS
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Dmitry Tebekin (5-2-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia
WSUB1 (guillotine choke – 1:59)
Artur Tulparova (1-1-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Russia

PRELIMINARY CARD

HEAVYWEIGHTS
Marcus Vinicius Lopes (11-5-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Brazil
WDEC3
Evgeni Myakikkin (14-2-7, 1 NC, M-1: 2-2-0), Russia

WELTERWEIGHTS
Urs Pablo Ortmann (7-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Switzerland
WSUB1 (triangle choke – 1:26)
Vyacheslav Bogomol (9-4-0, M-1: 0-2-0), Ukraine

Bruce Souto (10-3-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Brazil
WSUB3 (rear naked choke – 2:40)
Payzula Magomedov (2-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Russia

BANTAMWEIGHTS
Dmitry Orlov (13-6-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Ukraine
WSUB2 (triangle choke – 1:36)
Mikhail Kuznetsov (4-3-0, M-1: 2-3-0), Russia

Vadim Malygin (8-2-1, M-1: 1-1-1), Russia
WKO3 (punches – 0:45)
Denes Carvalho (5-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Brazil