M-1 Challenge 25 Adds Magalhaes-Nemkov LHW Title Bout

Vinny Magalhaes will vie for M-1 gold on April 28. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Headlined by a welterweight championship bout between champion Shamil Zavurov and challenger Rashid Magomedov, M-1 Challenge 25 will now also feature a fight for the vacant light heavyweight title, as former “Ultimate Fighter” Season 8 finalist Vinny Magalhaes locks horns with sambo specialist Viktor Nemkov.

“We’ve been impressed with how Magalhaes and Nemkov have been performing in their last outings. This has been a fight we’ve been looking to put together for a while and with both fighters healthy and on solid winning streaks, this matchup made sense to make happen sooner than later,” said Evgeni Kogan, director of operations for M-1 Global. “Both men have been vocal about wanting a title shot, and now they will meet to determine our light heavyweight champ.”

The event, which streams live online over M-1Global.com, will also feature a pair of middleweight confrontations, as UFC veterans Andrei Semenov and Luigi Fioravanti toe the line, while Spaniard Juan Manuel Suarez locks up with Russian Arsen Temirkhanov.

Magalhaes rides a three-fight winning streak heading into the bout. A decorated jiu-jitsu player, the Brazilian owns six of his seven career wins by submission.

A product of the Red Devil Sport Club, Nemkov has also won three straight bouts. A gold medalist in the 2011 Combat Sambo World Championships, the 24-year-old has finished all but one of his career victims through his three-year pro career.