By Press Release

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (January 25, 2018) – The Interim M-1 Challenge flyweight title will be on the line February 9, when Mikael “Hulk” Silander and Arman Ashimov square off in the M-1 Challenge 87 main event, in the grand opening of M-1 Arena in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Both events will be live-streamed from Russia in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.

One of Scandinavia’s all-time best MMA fighters, the 32-year-old Silander (17-5-0, M-1: 1-0-0) earned his title shot by winning a three-round majority decision over Vitaliy Branchuk (23-6-0), last August at M-1 Challenge 82 in his native Finland.

Ashimov (7-2-1, M-1: 2-0-0), fighting out of Almaty, Kazakhstan, is unbeaten in M-1 Global fights having knocked out Rodrigo Melonio this past November at M-1 Challenge 85, and Gadzhimurad Aliev last July at M-1 Challenge 81.

A loaded main card also features undefeated Kazakh welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov (7-0-0, M-1: 5-0-0) versus his Russian opponent, Levan Solodovnik (5-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0)Juho Valamma (15-4-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Brazilian light heavyweight Kleiber Raimundo “Orgugho” Silva (14-7-0, M-1: 1-0-0) vs. Dmitry Mikutsa (7-3-0, M-1: 1-1-0), of Ukraine, Russian featherweight Timur Nagibin (13-3-0, M-1: 5-2-0) vs. Jadison Dimitry “Tita” Silva (23-8-0, M-1: 0-0-0), of Brazil, and.Pavel Gordeev (9-1-0, M-1: 3-0-0), of Russia, TBA..

The preliminary card has undefeated Swiss welterweight prospect Pablo Ortmann (7-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0) vs. Ingiskhan Ozdoev (5-3-0, M-1: 4-3-0), of Russia, unbeaten Russian heavyweight Adam Bogatyrev (5-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0) vs. Jose “Agus” Augustine Jimenez (5-3-0, M-1: 0-0-0), French welterweight Charles-Henri Tchoungui (9-7-1, M-1: 0-1-0), vs. Artem Nenakov (6-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0), of Russia, and Georgian welterweight Amiran Gogoladze (4-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0) vs. Stanislav “Stas” Podolsky (5-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0).

All fighters and fights are subject to change.