Considered as one of the most promising young fighters coming out of Russia,
Alexander ‘The Tiger’ Sarnavskiy is living up to his hype; with an unblemished
12-0 record, this highly talented lightweight will look to continue his winning
ways at M-1 Challenge: Damkovsky vs. Figueroa where he faces the always scrappy
Josh ‘Iron Heart’ Bacallao. Fans can catch the rising phenom make his North
American debut LIVE on SHOWTIME on Friday, March 25 at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on
the West Coast).
At only 22 years old, Sarnavskiy brings a veteran’s
experience to his game with thanks coming from his team, RusFighters Sports Club
in St. Petersburg, and his mentorship from middleweight ace Alexander Shlemenko.
The ‘Tiger’ knows how to finish his fights with precision striking which has
earned him five victories by TKO/KO, making this element of his game to be
considered his most dangerous attribute. On the flip side of the coin, he’s also
demonstrated a strong submission game, favouring the triangle and rear naked
chokes, which have also earned him another five “W’s”. Having only required the
judges to decide the outcome twice in his career, he holds wins over European
notables Maratbek Kalabekov, Karen Grigorian and Maxim Kuptsov; Sarnavskiy is
clearly establishing himself as one of the world’s great fighters in the 155lb
division.
Walking away victorious in his first two bouts in the 2010 M-1
Selection - Eastern European tournament, Sarnavskiy was set to advance to the
Finals but was forced to withdraw just days before the clash with current
promotion champion Artiom Damkovsky due to an illness; but his potential
certainly didn’t go unnoticed. ‘The Tiger’ was given an opportunity to climb the
lightweight contention ladder with a bout against Victor Kuku on the larger M-1
Challenge stage.
In his bout against Kuku, the talented rising star
showed why he’s considered one of Europe’s most dangerous lightweight fighters
by unleashing a devastating spinning back-fist that knocked out Kuku in epic
fashion, ending the anticipated bout in only 14 seconds and marking it as one of
2010’s greatest MMA knock-outs. With the victory, Sarnavskiy maintained
perfection as a professional fighter and drew light to his position as one of
RusFighters Sports Club’s marquee fighters alongside teammate Alexander
Schlemenko.
Coming away unscathed, Sarnavskiy was quickly added to M-1’s
sophomore Challenge event of 2010 and faced Arsen Ubaidulaev. Viewed as heavy
favourite coming into the fight, Sarnavskiy again delivered with a glorious
standing guillotine choke inside the opening minute.
Seeming to be
handle the pressure of being undefeated, Sarnavskiy will be aiming to make the
most of his trip across the Atlantic and deliver a jaw-dropping impression on
the North American fan base that is quickly paying attention to the ‘Tiger’s’
antics and athleticism.
M-1 Challenge: Damkovsky vs. Figueroa airs LIVE
on SHOWTIME on Friday, March 25 at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
For information on SHOWTIME Sports programming, including exclusive
behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and
more, please go to the new SHOWTIME Sports website at http://sports.sho.com
For additional information, go to the official M-1 website,
www.M-1Global.com and M-1 Global facebook fan page
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