Is it just me, or is the month of April really lacking in quality MMA cards? Sure Bellator is doing their thing and Strikeforce just put on an awesome event, but compare those offerings to March, where it felt like a major event was going on every single week and sometimes twice in one day. Well, not to fear my fight-starved fans and friends: M-1 Challenge 25 is set to stream free and live. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until April 28. Fortunately, it’s shaping up to be a good card. Here are all the details. ...

M-1 Selection will stream live from Dagestan at Noon EST Saturday afternoon at M-1Global.com, the promotion announced Friday. The stream will be free.

The card features 15 bouts fights between Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko's (30-1) Red Devil Sport Club and Sochi Star and Dagestan's Gorec gym will fight against athletes from Legion.

M-1 Selection is M-1 Global's qualifying event for Russian fighters to make their M-1 Challenge team competition.

So called "Baby Fedor" Kiril Sidelnikov (6-3) will compete on the card.

On the walls of MMA fandom there are two contrasting posters of Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (30-1).

If you're not North American or you're one of the 50,000 or so North Americans who plunked down $34.95 for PRIDE 32, your poster depicts Emelianenko within a golden aureole striding a mound of pummeled flesh bags that includes fourth-ranked “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1), tenth-ranked "Pitbull" Andrei Arlovski (14-7), and former UFC heavyweight champion “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (24-6).

If you're North American and cut your MMA teeth on The Ultimate Fighter circa 2007 or anxiously anticipating the first F5 stoppage in MMA history, your poster depicts Emelianenko cowering within the block-headed shadow of the man-mountain that is second-ranked UFC champ Brock Lesnar (4-1).
...

Regardless who wins the middlweight matchup at UFC 102 in Portland Saturday, Demian Maia (10-0) and "Great" Nate Marquardt (28-8-2) might get a second shot at each other 25-27 September at the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Fighting World Championships 2009 in Barcelona.

Both UFC title contenders will compete in the -87.9kg division, along with "Toquinho" Rousimar Palhares (11-3). Sengoku judoka Kazuhiro Nakamura (13-9) and DREAM welterweight Andre Galvao (3-0).

UFC welterweight champ "Rush" Georges St. Pierre (19-2) will compete in the -76.9kg division, along with the UFC's "Zenko" Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-3), Japanese free agent "K-Taro" Keita Nakamura (15-4-2), and Brazilian free agent "Uirapuru" Marcelo Azevedo (3-5).
...

Fighters.com’s Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (29-1) and Strikeforce light heavyweight champion "Dreamcatcher" Gegard Mousasi (22-2-1) flopped around the pale M-1 Global ring in an exhibition at M-1 Global Breakthrough in Kansas City Saturday night, but Mousasi got the worst of it and tapped in an armbar to Emelianenko after a vigorous approximately four-minute roll.

Glowing in a fresh sweat, Emelianenko remarked afterwards, "I had a great time. Thank you so much, Gegard. He’s a great partner, a great friend."

Mousasi entered the arena first rocking a white uwagi, red belt, and black board shorts and flanked by Polish heavyweight Michal Kita (6-2). He grinned and shadowboxed playfully in his corner awaiting the "Emperor's" entrance.
...

“King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (4-0) TKO’d late replacement “Smashing Machine” Mark Kerr (14-11) in 25 seconds at M-1 Global Breakthrough in Kansas City Friday night, sending Kerr’s mouthpiece zipping across the mat at the end of a right hook while Kerr lie flat on his stomach. Lawal had crouched low out of his corner; and, Kerr threw a low kick. Lawal caught Kerr’s low kick and dumped Kerr on his stomach, beginning the onslaught of punches that ended the fight. For Lawal, the "W" is Pyrrhic as the talented light heavyweight wastes time versus opponents, like Kerr, who don't develop his talent. ...

Fighters.com’s Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (29-1) will display his skills for a sure-to-be tough crowd of New Yorkers at Fighthouse at 122 West 27th Street Wednesday at 3:30 PM EST. Media and fans will have an opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with Fedor in an open workout and meet-and-greet. Emelianenko is scheduled in an exhibition sparring match with Strikeforce light heavyweight champ “Dreamcatcher” Gegard Mousasi (22-2-1) at Friday’s M-1 Global Breakthrough in Kansas City. ...

Light heavyweight über-prospect “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (3-0) and middleweight Brazilian "Spartan" Lucio Linhares (11-3) highlight Friday's M-1 Global Breakthrough in Kansas City that features an exhibition sparring match between Fighters.com’s Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (29-1) and Strikeforce light heavyweight champ “Dreamcatcher” Gegard Mousasi (22-2-1). Breakthrough gets started at 7:30 PM local time at Memorial Hall in KC and the meat of the of the card will be broadcast on HDNet at 10:00 PM EST. Outside of the United States, the entire card will be streamed via the Internet. Details are available at M-1 Global's website. Tickets starting at $25 can be purchased at Ticketmaster and there's a buy-one-get-one-free offer. Fighters.com asked Mousasi to explain the exhibition sparring format last Thursday. “It’s just like a light sparring," he said, and added that the exhibition won't turn competitive in front of thousands in Kansas City. "We are not animals. We can control ourselves." ...

In advance of M-1 Global's Breakthrough in Kansas City 28 August where new Strikeforce light heavyweight champ "Dreamcatcher" Gegard Mousasi (22-2-1) will spar with Fighters.com's Heavyweight Champion "Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (29-1), Fighters.com put it to Mousasi tougher than "Babalu" Renato Sobral (31-9) did in their one-minute title fight Saturday in San Jose in which Mousasi TKO'd the former Strikeforce champ and UFC challenger.

Mousasi first revealed his plans to join Emelianenko and his Red Devil camp in St. Petersburg exclusively to Fighters.com in September 2008. Ever since, the Dutch fighter of Armenian descent has been tied to Emelianenko and M-1 Global, Emelianenko's MMA promotion. But, Mousasi is his own man, his own fighter.

When Fighters.com quizzed whether Emelianenko is Mousasi's mentor, Mousasi answered emphatically, "No. We have trained together," then added, "but, I do look up to him."
...

Fighters.com doesn't blame über-prospect “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (3-0), but the main event for M-1 Global Breakthrough just went from bad to worse. Forty-year old "Smashing Machine" Mark Kerr (14-10) will bring his four-fight losing streak into the ring in Kansas City 28 August to replace Lawal's original opponent, forty-three year old former UFC champion “Predator” Don Frye (20-7-1). Perhaps Frye is to blame? M-1 Global Chief Operating Officer Joost Raimond thinks so, saying Monday, "Don Frye had a signed contract with M-1 and part of that signed commitment allowed us to change the venue if needed. From our perspective, Don should still be in this fight. However, for reasons that we aren't exactly sure of, he has backed out. Don still has not provided us with a clear reason as to why he is refusing to fight. It just doesn't make sense because the old Don Frye was willing to fight anyone, anywhere, and at anytime. Perhaps the fire is gone and he underestimated the challenge that 'King Mo' presents?" Ostentatious former NCAA wrestling champion “King Mo” won a unanimous decision over Pancrase veteran Ryo Kawamura (9-3-2) at Sengoku Seventh Battle in Tokyo last March. He’ll fight for the first time in his home nation at Breakthrough. ...

Fighters.com's ninth-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5) returned to the open, enabling arms of his adoring Japanese fans Saturday, making an appearance at Pancrase's Changing Tour 4 in Tokyo. He stepped inside the ring during an intermission and addressed the crowd: "I'd like to fight next time I enter the Pancrase ring." Barnett is the reigning Openweight King of Pancrase, but hasn't fought for the promotion since tapping Yuki Kondo (49-23-6) in a rear naked choke at the 10th Anniversary Show in 2003. ...

The Los Angeles International MMA Expo is right on schedule for 28-30 August despite the relocation of M-1 Global Breakthrough, founder Brian Paul Jaus told Fighters.com Thursday afternoon.

"M-1 has apparently told the media the M-1 Breakthrough at our event was cancelled due to our IMMAE event cancelling, or as I have also heard, rescheduling to Oct 24 next to the UFC at Staples Center. Both these statements floating in the media are false. IMMAE is moving forward with full steam and better off as it is now not assuming excessive costs of the M-1 fight," Jaus told Fighters.com.

A Fighters.com source had made that claim last week when Fighters.com inquired about the relocation of Breakthrough. IMMAE had ignored Fighters.com's request for confirmation until Thursday.
...

Fighters.com's tenth-ranked heavyweight “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7) confessed Wednesday night to playing Russian roulette, a gamble during which a revolver is loaded with a single round, the cylinder spun, and then placed against the temple. The player pulls the trigger, chancing the bullet could end their life.

"First time I was 16, second time I was 30," said the thirty-year old former UFC heavyweight champion. "It's when you don't care about anything."

Keith Gelman, spokesman for Arlovski, contacted Fighters.com to emphasize Arlovski has never contemplated taking his own life.

Arlovski was knocked out in 22 seconds by fourth-ranked “Grim” Brett Rogers (8-0) at Strikeforce in St. Louis 6 June after meeting the same end in the first round by Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (29-1) at Affliction M-1 Global in Anaheim 24 January.
...

M-1 Global's 28 August show titled Breakthrough and headlined by "King" Muhammed Lawal (3-0) versus former UFC champion “Predator” Don Frye (20-7-1) is looking for a new venue, according to Fighters.com's sources.

Originally scheduled to coincide with the International Mixed Martial Arts Expo in Los Angeles 27-29 August, Fighters.com's sources have inidcated the IMMAE is considering rescheduling for the weekend of UFC 104 in Los Angeles 23-25 October.

"[Breakthrough] may move to northern California or Nevada [because of the IMMAE rescheduling]," said Fighters.com's source.

Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko’s (29-1) has signed a multi-fight agreement to headline events co-promoted by Strikeforce and M-1 Global.

Emelianenko will debut in Strikeforce this autumn and the event will be aired on SHOWTIME.

"We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with M-1 Global and Fedor," said Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker. "Fedor has been the reigning king of MMA's heavyweight division for quite some time now so being able to work with M-1 and Fedor will substantially increase the level of competition amongst the athletes in this weight class."

In an analysis posted Friday, Yahoo!Sports MMA and boxing writer Kevin Iole spouted the UFC line, "If the UFC was in the business of giving 50 percent of its company away every time it tried to sign an elite fighter, it would have been in worse shape a lot sooner than Chrysler." The article should've ended with a full disclusore that Yahoo!Sports and the UFC have a business partnership because Iole's cozy nest in the UFC tree has affected his usually uncomprimised reporting. M-1 Global isn't asking for 50 percent of the UFC in exchange for Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko's (29-1) viscerally craved debut inside the Octagon. Fighters.com isn't sure whether that's UFC spin strategized to pressure Emelianenko to surrender his co-promotion demand by persuading fans he's unreasonable or a genuine misunderstanding by White about what Emelianenko is demanding. ...

The UFC and M-1 Global, promoter of Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (29-1), have not canned negotiations to put Emelianenko in the Octagon versus UFC champ Brock Lesnar (4-1), M-1 Global announced in a statement Friday afternoon. "There have been recent reports stating that talk between M-1 Global and the UFC regarding Fedor fighting in the UFC have ended. Like some of the other reports that have surfaced, this is incorrect," claimed M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelchtein. Finkelchtein also denied reports in less reputable publications that Fighters.com that the UFC offered Emelianenko a six-fight, $30 million dollar deal. ...

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed Fighters.com's hypothesis that Affliction M-1 Global's Trilogy was Affliction's final event regardless of ninth-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett's (20-5) positive test for 2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one, an anabolic steroid, causing the cancellation of Trilogy.

Barnett denies using steroids.

In an interview published at MMA Weekly, Coker said, "That was already in the works. How they got out...[if] they became a sponsor for Strikeforce, [were] the conversations we were having. This was their last fight, so there would be no more fighters. The dialogue was that they were getting out of the business a month ago."
...

Strikeforce light heavyweight champion "Babalu" Renato Sobral (31-8) and "Dreamcatcher" Gegard Mousasi (21-2-1) will tangle at Strikeforce in San Jose 15 August after originally being scheduled for Affliction M-1 Global’s scrapped Trilogy card in Anaheim 1 August. With the switch, "Babalu" will defend his Strikeforce gold from DREAM's middleweight champion, now fighting at 205 pounds. Mousasi dutifully remarked, "I am very happy that Strikeforce has resurrected this fight and that I will have the opportunity to become Strikeforce world champion. Strikeforce is one of the world’s top promotions and I am proud to be a part of their roster of world-class fighters." ...

Zuffa, LLC, owner of the UFC and WEC, and Affliction officially announced their collaboration Friday night in the wake of the cancellation of Affliction's third MMA event, Trilogy, after ninth-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5) tested positive for 2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one, an anabolic steroid, and was denied a license by the California State Athletic Commission to fight Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (29-1).

UFC President Dana White stated, "We are excited about the return of Affliction to the UFC and look forward to seeing our fighters once again walk into the Octagon wearing the Affliction brands. Affliction is an innovator of mixing fashion with this sport and we are looking forward to working together to promote the sport."

Eric Foss, co-founder of Affliction, added, "Our brand is synonymous with the 'Live Fast' approach to life and UFC is the perfect venue for us to market our brand. We have come to an agreement with the UFC which we feel will be the best for the sport and will help the UFC continue delivering the highest caliber of fights."
...

Affliction M-1 Global’s Trilogy scheduled for 1 August in Anaheim has been cancelled. "Finding an opponent for [Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (29-1)] in such a short period of time was a huge endeavor and I’m thrilled at the amount of fighters willing to take on this challenge,” said Tom Atencio, vice president of Affliction Entertainment. "But in the end, we just didn’t have enough time to promote a new fight to our standards." Emelianenko was left without an opponent after ninth-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5) tested positive for 2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one, an anabolic steroid, and was denied a license by the California State Athletic Commission to fight. ...

M-1 Global officially announced Thursday an already rumored, but little anticipated matchup between "King Mo" Muhammed Lawal (3-0) and forty-three year old former UFC champion "Predator" Don Frye (20-7-1) at Breakthrough in Los Angeles 28 August.

Also announced was a middleweight matchup between "Goat" Nick Thompson (38-11-1) and Frenchman "Psycho" Karl Amoussou (11-1-1).

Ostentatious former NCAA wrestling champion "King Mo" won a unanimous decision over Pancrase veteran Ryo Kawamura (9-3-2) at Sengoku Seventh Battle in Tokyo last March. He'll fight for the first time in his home nation at Breakthrough.
...

UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (4-1) told Jim Rome Thursday on Rome's radio show that he thinks it's ironic that Fighters.com's ninth-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5) tested positive for 2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one, an anabolic steroid, and was denied a license by the California State Athletic Commission to fight Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (29-1) at Affliction M-1 Global’s Trilogy in Anaheim 1 August. "I've always been the one people point their finger at...since I was a sophomore in high school," Lesnar explained. He went on to criticize Barnett for "sticking [his] neck out" by using steroids. Barnett denies he uses steroids. When asked if he would accept a fight versus Emelianenko, Lesnar indicated he would like several more fights before that challenge, but if the fight were offered immediately, "Absolutely!" ...

Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko's (29-1) manager Vadim Finkelchtein told a press conference in Moscow Thursday, "Fedor isn’t seeking an easy fight. If logistics weren’t an issue, we’d like to see Fedor fight against Brett Rogers. Fans want it [and] so do we." Emelianenko will headline Affliction M-1 Global’s Trilogy in Anaheim 1 August, but is left without an opponent after ninth-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5) was denied a license by the California State Athletic Commission after testing positive for 2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one, an anabolic steroid. Manager of fifth-ranked “Grim” Brett Rogers (8-0), Mike Reilly, responded to Emelianenko's challenge, "It is an honor to be called out by the big dog." ...

Fighters.com's ninth-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5) denied using performance-enhancing substances in a MySpace blog post Thursday morning. "What I can say is that when applying for my license, the CSAC asked for me to submit a urine sample for testing prior to granting my license as they do with everyone, I believe" Barnett explained. "It was not a random test. I had no reason to believe there would be any issues and went in to submit my sample at the earliest possible opportunity on June 25th. I never once thought there would be a problem." Barnett was denied a California State Athletic Commission license to fight Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (29-1) at Affliction M-1 Global’s Trilogy in Anaheim 1 August. ...

Affliction Vice-President Tom Atencio said, "I'm not worried about [Fighters.com's ninth-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett's (20-5) positive test for a performance-enhancing substance]," Wednesday afternoon on a brief media conference call.

Barnett tested positive Tuesday and was subsequently denied a California State Athletic Commision license to fight Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (29-1) at Affliction M-1 Global’s Trilogy in Anaheim 1 August.

Atencio stated Barnett was awaiting the results of a second sample taken with the first, but that Atencio was moving forward to find a replacement opponent for Emelianenko.
...

Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (29-1) could possibly fight "Snowman" Jeff Monson (27-8) instead of ninth-ranked “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5) at Affliction M-1 Global’s Trilogy in Anaheim 1 August.

"We are working on it now," a source inside "The Snowman's" camp told Fighters.com Wednesday afternoon. Monson is excited about the possibility, Fighters.com's source said.

Barnett has been denied a license to fight by the California State Athletic Commission after testing positive for "performance-enhancing substance," according to Affliction Veep Tom Atencio in Sports Illustrated Wednesday morning.

"I am sure [UFC Matchmaker] Joe Silva told Cain [Velasquez (6-0)] the same thing he told us," Fighters.com's sixth-ranked heavyweight Shane Carwin (10-0) posted at his blog Sunday: "Winner gets the title shot."

Cream of the UFC's young heavyweight crop, wrestlers Carwin and Velasquez will fight at UFC 104 in Los Angeles in October for the opportunity to challenge undisputed UFC champ Brock Lesnar (4-1), who beat-up Frank Mir (12-4) at UFC 100 in Las Vegas Saturday.

Carwin knocked out former UFC title challenger "Napao" Gabriel Gonzaga (10-4) last March in Columbus at UFC 96.
...

Former PRIDE Lightweight Champion "Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi (28-6) will fight "Tractor" Rafaello Oliveira (8-1) at Affliction M-1 Global's Trilogy in Anaheim 1 August. Once considered one of MMA's premier lightweights, Gomi is one win removed from a two-fight losing streak, beginning with a split decision loss to Sergei Goliaev (9-6) in Sengoku last November and continuing through a tapout by ankle lock to Satoru Kitaoka (24-9-7) in an undeserved Sengoku lightweight title fight in January. In May, Gomi notched one in the win column in Tokyo with a knockout of Takashi Nakakura (10-2) in Shooto. "Tractor" is on a three-fight win streak, most recently scoring a UD over John Mahlow (12-10) at XFC 8 in Knoxville in April. The fight will round out the Trilogy's pay-per-view card. ...

Team Oyama heavyweight Shane Del Rosario (5-0) and Team Quest lightweight Dave Jansen (10-0) both remained undefeated in Seoul Saturday at M-1 Challenge Korea Presented by Affliction.

Del Rosario, who drew eyeballs in '07/'08 with three stoppages on ShoXC's Challenger Series, disposed of Maksim Grishin (1-2) in 21 seconds. Del Rosario has won all of his fights by stoppage.

Jansen took just a second longer to stop Amirkhan Mazihov (0-1) in a guillotine choke.
...