The 2009 M-1 Challenge season was the second season of the M-1 Challenge series presented by M-1 Global. It started on February 21, 2009 and concluded on December 3, 2009. 16 teams from around the world competed in the 2009 M-1 Challenge Season, up from the 9 teams that competed in 2008. The teams typically featured top MMA prospects. The Season was won by the Russian Legion team.

Background

M-1 Challenge is a team-based competition organized with a series of events held in different places around the world where MMA clubs compete against each other. The teams consist of five fighters, one in each of the five major MMA weight classes- Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight.

Team Results

Group Stage Standings

x-clinched group title and semifinal playoff berth

Semi-finals

🇺🇸 USA East defeats 🇺🇸 USA West (4-1) 🇷🇺 Russian Legion defeats United Kingdom (4-1)

Finals

🇷🇺 Russian Legion defeats 🇺🇸 USA East to claim the second M-1 Challenge (5-0)

Season Results

21 February 2009 (Seattle, USA) Sang Soo Lee 🇫🇮 Finland vs. Benelux (4-1) 🇰🇷 South Korea vs. 🇷🇺 The Imperial Team (3-2) 🇺🇸 USA West vs. 🇧🇷 Brazil (3-2) 28 March 2009 (Bourgas, Bulgaria) 🇺🇸USA East vs. 🇧🇬Bulgaria (5-0) 🇩🇪 Germany vs. 🇹🇷Turkey (5-0) 🇷🇺 Legion Sport Club vs. World Team (4-1) 29 April 2009 (Tokyo, Japan) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England vs. 🇯🇵 Japan (4-1) 🇪🇸 Spain vs. 🇫🇷 France (3-2) 🇺🇸 USA West vs. 🇰🇷 South Korea (5-0) 9 May 2009 (São Paulo, Brazil) 🇧🇬 Bulgaria vs. Benelux (3-2) 🇷🇺 Legion Sport Club vs. 🇩🇪 Germany (4-1) 🇧🇷 Brazil vs. 🇷🇺 The Imperial Team (5-0) 5 June 2009 (Kansas City, USA) World Team vs. 🇹🇷 Turkey (4-1) 🇫🇷 France vs. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England (4-1) 🇺🇸 USA East vs. 🇫🇮 Finland (3-2) 4 July 2009 (Seoul, South Korea) 🇫🇮 Finland vs. 🇧🇬 Bulgaria (4-1) 🇺🇸 USA West vs. 🇷🇺 The Imperial Team (5-0) 🇧🇷 Brazil vs. 🇰🇷 South Korea (3-2) 15 August 2009 (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England vs. 🇪🇸 Spain (5-0) 🇯🇵 Japan vs. 🇫🇷 France (3-2) 🇩🇪 Germany vs. World Team (4-1) 16 August 2009 (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) 🇯🇵 Japan vs. 🇪🇸 Spain (4-1) 🇷🇺 Legion Sport Club vs. 🇹🇷 Turkey (5-0) Benelux vs. 🇺🇸 USA East (3-2)

Final round

Semi-Finals 26 September 2009 (Rostov-on-Don, Russia) 🇺🇸 USA East vs. 🇺🇸 USA West (4-1) 🇷🇺 Russian Legion vs. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England(4-1) Finals 3 December 2009 (St. Petersburg, Russia) 🇷🇺 Russian Legion vs. 🇺🇸 USA East (5-0)