';
FB TW IG YT VK TH
Search
MORE FROM OUR CHANNELS

Wrestlezone
FB TW IG YT VK TH

Denis Smoldarev Keylock Submits Maro Perak in M-1 Challenge 55 Main Event

John Weible

Kenny Garner improved to 15-8.
Denis Smoldarev stock remains in high demand.

The once-beaten Estonian heavyweight prospect submitted Maro Perak with a first-round keylock in the M-1 Challenge 55 headliner on Saturday at the Tbilisi Sports Palace in Tbilisi, Georgia. M-1 Global staged the event in honor of the late Guram Gugenishvili, the promising Georgian heavyweight who was killed in a car accident at the age of 28 in November.

Advertisement
The 24-year-old Smoldarev (10-1) has delivered eight of his 10 victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission, six of them inside one round. Perak (23-5-1) has dropped back-to-back bouts for the first time in his career.

In the heavyweight co-main event, former M-1 Global champion Kenny Garner dispatched Aslambek Musaev with a second-round arm-triangle choke. American Top Team’s Garner (15-8) brought it to a close 2:50 into round two, as he executed the first choke-induced submission of his career.

Musaev (4-2) -- who holds the Guinness Book-sanctioned world record for weight lifting with only one arm -- has lost two of his last three fights after starting his career a perfect 3-0.

Meanwhile, once-beaten Georgian Nodar Kudukhashvili made the most of his promotional debut, as he secured a unanimous decision over Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Luigi Fioravanti in their middleweight showcase.

Kudukhasvhili (8-1) has rebounded with three straight wins since suffering his only professional defeat against “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 17 finalist Uriah Hall in June 2012. Fioravanti (25-13) has gone 11-8 since being released by the UFC following a technical knockout loss to Anthony Johnson a little more than five years ago.

Elsewhere, Max Coga stunned the previously unbeaten Pavel Vitruk, as he submitted the lauded Ukrainian prospect with a third-round rear-naked choke in their featured tilt at 145 pounds. Vitruk (12-1) conceded defeat 2:36 into round three.

Coga (11-3), a 25-year-old teammate of Bellator MMA standout Daniel Weichel, entered the match with losses in two of his previous three appearances.

In other action, former M-1 Global champion Artiom Damkovsky (20-9) recorded his fourth consecutive victory, as he captured a unanimous decision from Heydar Mamedaliev (7-1) in their lightweight duel; Red Fury Fight Team’s Arsen Abdulkerimov (8-2) tapped Levan Razmadze (5-1) with an armbar 3:58 into the third round of their heavyweight encounter; Cage Warriors Fighting Championship alum Enoc Solves Torres (16-8) submitted Ibrahim Tebilov (7-3) with a rear-naked choke 95 seconds into the third round of their middleweight showdown; Batraz Agaev (2-0) finished Lukasz Borowski (3-3) with a rear-naked choke 2:09 into the first round of their battle at 205 pounds; Artem Frolov (3-0) tapped Artur Odilbekov (2-4) with a guillotine choke 97 seconds into the first round of their middleweight scrap; Raul Tutarauli (2-2) submitted Artur Aliev (1-1) with a rear-naked choke 1:45 into the third round of their clash at 155 pounds; Kurbanali Abdusalamov (4-2) took a unanimous decision against Archil Taziashvili (0-2) in their three-round featherweight affair; and Soso Nizharadze (1-0) walked away from his 145-pound matchup with Shamil Alibekov (0-2) with a unanimous decision.
Related Articles

Subscribe to our Newsletter

* indicates required
Latest News

POLL

Will either Jon Jones or Conor McGregor fight at the proposed UFC White House event in 2026?

FIGHT FINDER


FIGHTER OF THE WEEK

Johnny Eblen

TOP TRENDING FIGHTERS


+ FIND MORE