Former Bellator middleweight champion and 2016 M-1 Grand Prix champion Alexander Shlemenko returns to M-1 Challenge to face UFC vet Paul Bradley this weekend. M-1 Challenge 75 takes place March 3rd in Moscow with a webcast through the promotion’s website www.M1Global.tv.
54-9 Shlemenko was Bellator champion from February 2013 until September 2014 with three title defenses along the way. Since losing the Bellator belt Shlemenko has gone 1-0 in Bellator with a “no contest” against Melvin Manhoef and a win over UFC vet Kendall Grove for his most recent fight while three more wins came to Shlemenko in Russia. 23-7 Bradley went 0-2 in the UFC back in 2011, 3-1 in Bellator from 2014-16, and most recently lost a split decision to fellow UFC vet Yushin Okami in WSOF.
In the co-main event Alexey Kuchenko makes the second defense of the welterweight title as he takes on Maxim Grabovich. 15-0 Kuchenko defeated Murad Abdulaev for the belt in April of last year, defeated Eduardo Ramon in a non-title fight, then defended the belt for the first time in a rematch against Abdulaev in November. 5-2 Grabovich replaces Kuchenko’s original opponent but still deserves this shot being on a five-fight win streak. Last year Grabovich defeated Stefan Larisch, Danila Prikaza, and Ioannis Palaiologos.
M-1 Challenge 75 main card
- Valery Myasinikov vs. Enoc Solves Torres
- Sergey Romanov vs. Magomed Sultanakhmedov
- Maxim Divnich vs. Keon Caldwell
- WW title: Alexey Kuchenko vs. Maxim Grabovich
- Alexander Shlemenko vs. Paul Bradley