New York City, New York (September 15, 2010) - The M-1 Selection tournament finals take place Saturday, September 18th, 2010 at Bally's Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey and the evening's fights feature tournament returnees and newcomers to the M-1 ring. All Selections championship bouts line up winners for title contention for the M-1 Challenge belts as the undercard aligns fighters within the rankings.

"The American Selections tournament has decisively uncovered fighters with the potential to be M-1 Champions," says Evgeni Kogan, Director of Operations for M-1Global. "Look for some to return for M-1 Challenge XXII on December 11 back in Atlantic City when we crown the Welterweight and Light Heavyweight champions."

The Final round bouts feature rising American stars who are one victory away from being crowned the M-1 Selection champion in their respective weight classes.

Tournament Finalists and undercard matchups include:
Jose Figueroa and George Sheppard Lightweight Division
Tom Gallicchio and Len Bentley Welterweight Division
Tyson Jeffries and Mike Geurin Middleweight Division
Byron Byrd and Daniel Vizcaya Light Heavyweight Division
Kenny Garner and Pat Bennett Heavyweight Division
Shane Primm and Bristol Marunde Middleweight Division
Josh Bacallao and Josh Thorpe Lightweight Division
Mike Winters and Jose Rodriguez Welterweight Division
Luigi Fioravanti and Woody Weatherby Middlewight Division

The M-1 Selection 2010 - Americas Finals match-ups go down Saturday, September 18th and the 2010 M-1 Selection Americas Champions will be crowned.

The "M-1 Selection" is the world's premiere MMA competition where the next generation of superstars are given the opportunity to showcase their skills on the world stage with fighters being eliminated after only one loss; victory will advance the winning fighters throughout the tournament and earn them a trip to the championship event where they will compete for the coveted "M-1 Selection" title.

The "M-1 Selection" tournament is broken down into global regions: Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Americas with each region hosting three rounds and a final of the ""M-1 Selection" tournament. The winning fighter in each weight class will gain the opportunity to fight on the larger international stage. The tournament features some of the best up-and-coming fighters from each region as they begin the journey towards a tournament victory. 

How to see the fights:
The Finals of the M-1 Selection tournament will take place live on September 18 at the coveted Bally's Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Tickets are priced from $35.00-$125.00 and are available to purchase through www.TicketMaster.com. 
Doors open at 7.00 pm, first fight at 7:30 PM/ET.

Free broadcast coverage of the entire 2010 M-1 Selection tournament will be available at a later date to viewers worldwide on www.M-1global.com and selected affiliate partner sites. Go to www.M-1Global.com for additional information.

M-1 Selection: Americas Finals Preview "The Welterweights"

Len "The Liger" Bentley

In our continuing look at the individual fights that make up the M-1 Selection: Americas Finals, we will now dissect the welterweights. Many pundits are of the opinion that the fight between Tom "Da Tank" Gallicchio and Len "The Liger" Bentley is an odds on favorite for "Fight of the Night."

Gallicchio, a New Jersey native, has been a part of two stellar battles leading up to this point. In the quarterfinals, he won a hard fought split decision win over Reggie Pena, and the semi finals were not any easier as Gallicchio defeated highly touted prospect Aaron Meisner by rear naked choke in the final frame.

Gallicchio is a dangerous fight for anyone; he's a well rounded fighter who is never out of a fight. As he displayed against Meisner, "Da Tank" is simply double tough and brings a 14-5 professional record into this tournament championship fight.

Len Bentley (9-3) enters the finals on the heels of a very impressive performance against Colin Schrader in the semi finals. Bentley, who took the fight on short notice as a late replacement, floored Schrader in the second round of their contest. Observers at the event remarked that it was easily one of the more brutal knockouts of the entire tournament.

Bentley is a confident fighter who knows what he wants and how to get it. His team at Victory Athletics has been training intensely with the welterweight and we look to see Len Bentley at his best on September 18.

The new cliché is to say styles make fights, in the case of Bentley and Gallicchio it may be a case of who wants it more. Both men are well rounded and experienced. The areas that stand out would be Bentley's brutal left hand, and Gallicchio's never say die' approach to winning fights.

This fight on paper shows the potential to be a pivotal moment in both men's careers.

M-1 Selection: Americas Finals Preview "The Middleweights"

Tyson Jeffries

The M-1 Selection: Americas tournament middleweight division has been the source of some of the most memorable moments of the competition. This is a trend that is sure to continue as Tyson Jeffries out of Team Quest faces Mike Geurin of Team Bombsquad.

Entering the finals, its been a long and sometimes pain filled road for Tyson Jeffries. The Team Quest middleweight won his quarterfinal fight over Mike Johnson when an eye injury halted the bout. In the semi finals, Jeffries found himself of the wrong end of multiple kicks to the groin from talented striker Plinio Cruz. Showing a grit and determination seldom found, Jeffries worked through the pain to capture the victory and a berth in the finals.

Training out of Team Quest, Jeffries works among some of the best fighters in the world. In a gym full of world class wrestlers, Jeffries has refined his ground game, and with 5 submission wins on his resume out of 6 wins, he is known to control the action on the floor.

Mike Geurin is a quiet man, but don't let his calm personality fool you. A member of Team Bombsquad, Geurin is a top flight wrestler with heavy hands and crisp striking. With an 8-1 professional record, and 5 TKO's to his credit, Geurin uses his wrestling to control where the fight takes place rather than positional dominance.

Entering the finals, Geurin is coming off a fight of the night performance against Shane Primm in the semi finals. The two fighters fought tooth and nail in an exciting battle that had the capacity crowd in Atlantic City on the edge of their seats. Geurin left the ring that evening with a unanimous decision victory and a trip to the finals.
This matchup is interesting for a number of reasons. Geurin uses his wresting to control the action and set up his hands, Jeffries obviously knows how to handle a wrestler on the mat. 

Can Jeffries get the fight to the floor where he will hold the advantage? Can Geurin keep this fight on the feet and secure his 6th TKO win? These are just a couple of questions that will be answered on September 18, at Bally's Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey as M-1 Global presents the 2010 M-1 Selection: Americas tournament Finals.

About M-1 Global
Founded in 1998 by Vadim Finkelchtein and Sergey Matvienko, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of mixed martial arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world's next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St. Petersburg, Amsterdam, New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles and affiliates in Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand stages its M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Breakthrough events worldwide and its co-produced Strikeforce events in the United States; captivating the live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups.

M-1 Global's greatest asset is the number one heavyweight fighter in mixed martial arts history, Fedor Emelianenko. With daily coverage on all MMA-related websites in the world, and articles in Time Magazine, LA times and New York times, Fedor and M-1 Global make a lifetime match serving as the catalyst to grow MMA in the 21st century.