The M-1 Challenge finals for the 2008 season will take place between Team Red Devil of Russia and Team Holland 26 December in Tacoma, near Seattle, WA, M-1 Global announced Monday. The match-ups are as follows: Lightweights Mikhail Malutin (7-5) v Bogdan Christea (4-2-1) Welterweights Erik Oganov (8-7) v Romano de los Reyes (5-3) Middleweights Dimitry Samoylov (5-4) v Jason Jones (5-2) Light heavyweights Mikhail Zayats (7-1) v Kamil Uyghun (6-3) Heavyweights Alexey Oleynik (6-4) v Jessie Gibs (3-0) Also participating in non-tournament bouts are Makhtar Gueye (3-2) of France, Tommy Depret (4-0) of Belgium, “Skull Cracker” Mike Dolce (2-5) of the USA, and Toni Valtonen (13-6) of Finland. ...

Most noted for renting his cranium as a target to a comeback-bound "Cro Cop" Mirko Filipovic (23-6-2) at DREAM.1 last March, Japanese any weight Tatsuya Mizuno (4-3) tasted the the sweet side of a knockout Thursday night in Tokyo at M-1 Challenge 5. Mizuno dispatched Yoshiyuki Nakanishi (3-1) at 4:13 of round one in the main event. American Jake Ellenberger (18-4) bounced back from a UD loss in Portland 20 June to win a UD over Frenchman "Paco" Farouk Lakebir (2-1) in Ellenberger's Japan debut. Countryman and former TUF contestant Mike Dolce (3-5) was TKO'd at 41 seconds of round two by middleweight "Psycho" Karl Amoussou (7-1-1) of France. It was Dolce's first action since season seven of TUF. ...