Mikael Silander, nicknamed "The Hulk", has always been considered one of the strongest fighters in the harsh Scandinavian peninsula. He confirmed his class in a fight against Vitaly Branchuk at M-1 Challenge 82 in Helsinki, when he managed to turn the tide of the battle in his favor in front of his fellow countrymen and snatch victory in an aggressive style.

Arman Ashimov became one of the brightest events in the M-1 Challenge raid last season - two brutal knockouts, under a million views on Youtube, a report on his debut fight on Channel One in his native country, and it is no wonder that he was the leader in voting for Otkritie Of the year".

These fighters met on February 9, 2018 at the M-1 Challenge 87 in a fight for the organization's interim flyweight belt. One of the best Scandinavian fighters, whom no one has managed to knock out yet, met with the European K-1 champion.