SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (March 31, 2018) – M-1 Challenge welterweight champion Alexey Kunchenko improved his professional MMA record to a perfect 18-0-0, stopping Russian challenger Alexander “Iron Capture” Butenko in the third round of last night’s M-1 Challenge 90 main event, at M-1 Arena in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

The 33-year-old Kunchenko (17-0-0, M-1: 10-0-0), also fighting out of Russia, has been the M-1 Challenge welterweight champion for nearly two years, when he knocked out Murad Abdulaev in the fourth round at M-1 Challenge 65. Kunchenko notched his 13th knockout against former M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Butenko (45-13-3, M-1: 11-3-1) in the third round on punches in his fourth successful title defense.

In the co-featured event, American veteran Joe “Diesel Riggs (47-18-1, M-1: 2-0-1) and Ukrainian middleweight Boris Polejay (18-6-1, M-1: 2-1-1) battled to a three-round split draw.

Brazilian flyweight Raphael Dias (15-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0) used an arm triangle choke to defeated former M-1 Challenge flyweight title challenger Vadim “Bad Santa” Malygin (12-4-1, M-1: 2-3-1), of Russia, for a second-round victory by submission.

Russian prospect Magomedkamil Malikov (5-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0) kept his perfect pro record intact, punching out Sado “The Panther” Ucar (5-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), of Turkey, in the second round of a match contested at a catchweight.

In the main card opening fight, Russian middleweight Oleg Olenichev (10-5-0, M-1: 1-2-0) took a unanimous decision over Salmar “Sombra” Nunes (35-13-1, M-1: 0-1-0), of Brazil.

Most of the preliminary card action took place on that mat with five eight matches ending in submissions. Frenchman Bakary El Anwar (6-5-0, M-1: 1-0-0) won his M-1 Global debut with an ankle hook on Russian light heavyweight Alexander Popov (2-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0) for an opening-round submission, Russian light heavyweight Dmitry Tebekin (9-3-0, M-1: 3-1-0) took a majority decision over Abylkasym Yakubob (4-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), of Kyrgyzstan, and Yakibob’s countryman, Nureles Aidarov (3-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0), made the most of his M-1 Global debut, knocking out Russian Oleg Lichkovakha (3-3-0, 2 NC, M-1: 0-2-0, 1 NC) with a knee in round one.

In a battle of pro-debuting Russian middleweights at a catchweight, Vladimir Trisov’s anaconda choke was too much to handle for Vyacheslay Babkin, Russian welterweight Movsar Bokov (4-1-0, M-1: 3-1-0) registered a submission win by way of a second-round submission versus Georgian Levan Solodovnik (5-3-0, M-1: 1-2-0) via an angle lock, and Russian lightweight Kurban Taygibov (7-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0) toon a unanimous decision from Lom-Ali Nalgiev (14-7-0, M-1: 5-2-0), of Russia.

In a match-up between a pair of undefeated lightweights, Russian Roman Bogatov (5-0-0, M-1; 4-0-0) submitted Tahir “Tank” Abdullaev (6-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), of Azerbaijan, in the second round with an arm triangle choke. French featherweight Damien Peltier (9-8-1, M-1: 1-0-0) had an impressive M-1 Global debut, locking in a triangle choke on Maksim Kuldashev (2-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0) for a second-round triumph.

Ten different countries were represented by fighters in this International event: Russia, USA, Ukraine, Brazil, Turkey, France, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

M-1 Challenge 90 Results:

MAIN CARD

MAIN EVENT — M-1 CHALLENGE WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Alexey Kunchenko (18-0-0, M-1: 10-0-0), Champion, Russia
WTKO3 (Punches – 4:04)
Alexander Butenko (45-13-3, M-1: 11-3-1), Challenger, Russia
(Kunchenko retains M-1 Challenge welterweight title)

CO-FEATURE – MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Joe Riggs (47-17-1, 1 NV, M-1: 2-0-1), USA
D3
Boris Polejay (18-6-1, M-1: 2-1-1), Ukraine

FLYWEIGHTS
Rafael Dias (15-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Brazil
SUB2 (Arm Triangle Choke – 4:39)
Vadim Malygin (12-4-1, M-1: 2-3-1), Russia

CATCHWEIGHT
Magomedkamil Malikov (5-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia
WTKO2 (Punches – 0:30)
Sado Ucar (5-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Turkey

MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Oleg Olenichev (109-5-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Russia
WDEC3
Salmar Nunes (35-13-1, 1 NC, M-1: 0-1-0), Brazil

PRELIMINARY CARD

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Bakary El Anwar (6-5-0, M-1: 1-0-0), France
WSUB1 (0:27)
Alexander Popov (2-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Russia

Dmitry Tebekin (9-3-0, M-1: 3-1-0)
DEC3
Abylkasym Yakubov (4-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Kyrgyzstan

CATCHWEIGHT
Nureles Aidarov (3-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Kyrgyzstan
WKO1 (Knee kick – 0:12)
Oleg Lichkovakha (3-3-0, 2 NC, M-1: 0-2-0, 1 NC)

MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Vladimir Trusov (1-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0)), Russia
Wseb1 (Anaconda Choke – 2:48)
Vyacheslav Babkin (0-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Russia

WELTERWEIGHTS
Movsar Bokov (4-1-0, M-1:3-1-0), Russia
WSUB2 (Ankle Lock – 1:35)
Levan Solodovnik (5-3-0, M-1: 1-2-0), Georgia

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Kurban Taygibov (7-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0)
WDEC3
Lom-Ali Nalgiev (14-7-0, M-1: 5-2-0), Russia
.
Roman Bogatov (5-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0), Russia
WSUB2 (Arm Triangle Choke – 1:21)
Tahir Abdullaev (6-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Azerbaijan

FEATHERWEIGHTS
Damien Peltier (9-8-1, M-1: 1-0-0), France
WSEB2 (Triangle Choke – 4:55)
Maksim Kuldashev (2-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Uzbekistan

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