M-1 Global's Showtime debut brings 189,000 viewers to the network for "Damkovsky vs. Figueroa"

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

M-1 Global made their Showtime debut last Friday night with "M-1 Challenge 24: Damkovsky vs. Figueroa," and according to a report from MMAJunkie.com the event garnered a respectable 189,000 viewers for the network.

The card, headlined by an M-1 Challenge Lightweight Title bout between Jose Figueroa and Artiom Damkovsky, garnered more viewers to Showtime than Bellator Fighting Championships' offering the night after on MTV2, which did a season low 150,000 viewers.

The M-1 Challenge card featured Mauro Ranallo and Pat Miletich as the broadcasters, and the Showtime production was similar to that of the Strikeforce Challengers series.

Highlighting the night's fight card was an excellent performance by Magomed Sultanakhmedov, who beat up Team Quest fighter Tyson Jeffries in the second round to capture the M-1 Challenge Middleweight Title.

Former Ultimate Fighter runner-up Vinny Magalhaes also competed on the card, picking up his first ever TKO win over Jake Doerr.

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