Tybura retains heavyweight title, M-1 Challenge 61 results & pictures from Russia

(PRESS RELEASE) -- INGUSHETIA, Russia - M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Marcin Tybura retained his title, technically winning by first round knockout as challenger Ante Delija broke his leg, in tonight's M-1 Challenge 61: Battle of Narts at Ingushetia, Russia.

Tybura (13-1-0, 4 KO/TKO, 5 SUB), fighting out of Poland, bounced back from a loss action in which he lost a Super Fight to M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion Stephan Puetz by way of a third-round stoppage due to severely broken nose.

Against Russian challenger Delija (14-3-0, 14-3-o, 5 KO/TKO, 7 SUB) in M-1Challenge 61, Delija broke his lower leg when a kick was blocked by Tybura, who pounced on his fallen foe until the referee stopped the fight when he saw Delija's grotesquely injured leg.

Three of the other four main card fights ended in decisions. In the co-feature, Antun "Killer" Racic (18-6-0, 0 KO/TKO, 13 SUB), of Croatia, halted Russian featherweight Alexey Nevzorev's (9-2-0, 1 KO/TKO, 4 SUB) unbeaten M-1 record at 3-0, taking a unanimous decision.

In a pair of featherweights matches, both decided by unanimous decisions, Russian prospect Magomed Idrisov (6-0-0, 2 KO/TKO, 0 SUB) remained undefeated against Lithuanian veteran Sergej Grecicho (21-7-0, 2 KO/TKO, 15 SUB), while Ukrainian Alexander Panasyuk (6-1-0, 1 KO/TKO, 4 SUB) got the best of Russian Lom-Ali Nalgiev (3-4-0, 0 KO/TKO, 2 SUB).

Brazilian light heavyweight Carlos Alexander "Indio" Pereira (33-10-0, 22 KO/TKO, 9 SUB) was impressive in his M-1 debut, locking an arm-bar on late replacement Ruslan Zhemukhov (5-2-0, 0 KO/TKO, 2 SUB), of Russia, in the opening round.

Judges were needed in six of eight preliminary fights. Russian lightweight Ramazan Esenbaev (9-1-0, 2 KO/TKO, 2 SUB) and his countryman, welterweight Rustam Gadzhiev (6-3-0, 2 KO/TKO, 0 SUB), were unanimous decision winners, respectively, over Kazakh-native Damir Ismagulov (4-2-0, 3 KO/TKO, 0 SUB) and Ukrainian Vyachseslav Ten (10-5-2, 4 KO/TKO, 6 SUB).

Split-decision victors were Russian welterweight Maksim Grabovich (2-0-0, 1 KO/TKO, 0 SUB), who ruined Adam Elmirziev's (0-1-0) professional debut, and Elmar Mamedov versus Ruslan Esmurziev (3-1-0, 2 KO/TKO) in a battle of Russian featherweights.

Russian light heavyweight Akramat Evkurov (5-1-0, 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB) used an arm-bar in his first-round submission win against Ukrainian Sergey Kutsy (2-3-0, 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB). Russian heavyweight Murad Ismailov (5-0-0, 5 KO/TKO) went 5-for-5 with 5 KO wins in his young pro MMA career stopping Evgeni Boldyrev (8-6-0, 3 KO/TKO, 2 SUB), of Ukraine, in the first round on punches.

Complete results below:

MAIN CARD (winners listed first)

M-1 CHALLENGE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP Marcin Tybura (12-1-0), Lodz, Poland WKO/TKO1 (Injury - 2:21) Ante Delija (14-3-0), Russia (Tybura retained M-1 Challenge heavyweight title)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

Carlos Alexander Pereira (33-10-0), Brazil WSUB1 (Armbar - 4:02) Ruslan Zhemukhov (5-1-0), Russia

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Alexander Panasyuk (6-1-0), Ukraine WDEC3 Lom-Ali Nalgiev (3-4-0), Russia

FEATHERWEIGHTS

Magomed Idrisov (6-0-0), Russia WDEC3 Sergej Grecicho (21-7-0), Lithuania

Antun Racic (18-6-0), Croatia WDEC 3 Alexey Nevzorov (9-2-0), Russia

PRELIMINARY CARD

HEAVYWEIGHTS

Evgeni Boldyrev (9-5-0), Ukraine WKO/TKO1 (Punches - 1:38) Murad Izmailov (4-1-0), Russia

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

Mikhail Ragozin (3-1-0), Russia WKO/TKO3 (Punches - 2:00) Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (10-5-0), Ukraine

Akramat Evkurov (5-1-0), Russia WSUB1 (Armbar - 1:00) Sergey Kutsy (2-3-0), Ukraine

WELTERWEIGHTS

Rustam Gadzhiev (6-3-0), Russia WDEC3 Vyacheslav Ten (10-5-2), Ukraine

Maksim Grabovich (2-0-0), Russia WDEC3 Adam Elmirziev (0-1-0), Russia

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Ramazan Ezenbaev (9-1-0), Russia WDEC3 Damir Ismagulov (4-2-0), Russia

FEATHERWEIGHTS

Elmar Mamedov (2-0-0), Russia WDEC3 Ruslan Esmurziev (2-2-0), Russia

Upcoming Event: Oct. 10, 2015 - M-1 Challenge 62 in Sochi, Russia

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