Capitalizing on his opportunities inside M-1 Global’s five-rope ring, Daniel Weichel’s commitment and dedication to MMA has paid off big time. With a late replacement win over Yuri Ivlev at Challenge XXI, one of the night’s most exciting fights, the talented lightweight from Michelstadt, Hesse, Germany was awarded with a 6-fight exclusive contract. His first bout of the new agreement came against Magomed Khasbulaev and the slick submission specialist locked down a textbook triangle submission victory; these back to back victories have propelled him into title contention.
At M-1 Challenge: Bennett vs. Garner, Weichel will face NCAA Division I collegiate wrestler Beau ‘Blackjack’ Baker in what he hopes is another step closer to his coveted title shot. The action goes down from The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California, LIVE on SHOWTIME on Friday, July 8 at 11 p.m. ET/PT (Delayed on the West Coast).
In a recent interview, Weichel spoke about the upcoming bout in earnest; “I don´t want to look too far ahead as I have my mind set on July 8th- but of course I would love to get the chance to fight for the title later this year; this is my ultimate goal. I want M-1 Global’s Lightweight belt and it doesn’t matter who I have to go through to get it.”
At 26 years old, Weichel has been fighting professionally since 2002, racked up an impressive 26-7 record and has won eight of his last nine tilts. North Americans fans are quick to recognize him thanks to bouts versus Thiago Tavares, Dan Hardy and Paul Daley. With experience that has been hard-fought and earned through international passage with organizations including Shooto, King of the Cage, Cage Warriors and the UFC, one of his most notable victories comes against Dennis Siver.
Weichel’s made it clear he prefers to avoid the judges’ scorecards in favour of finishing fights in exciting fashion; he possesses exceptional athleticism and capable of scooping the single or double leg takedown effortlessly as a precursor to a submission. Should Weichel end up in full mount or side control, expect to see contusion-creating knees to the body and a devastating ground-and-pound that will fire holes through even the most steadfast defense. If the fight stays up, he’ll tag you from every angle and can issue skull-cracking knees at will. Simply put: Weichel adds some serious depth to M-1 Global’s lightweight division and is a considerable threat to anyone, including the monstrous 6’3” Lightweight Champion, Jose Figueroa.
As a true lightweight by North American standards, Weichel fluctuated between weight classes early on which put him in unfavorable positions fighting significantly larger opponents. Since being dedicated to the 155lb class, Weichel has achieved considerable success having won eight of his last nice matches, which include a rear-naked-choke submission victory over M-1 Selection Tournament lightweight finalist, Victor Kuku.
Taking the fight against Yuri Ivlev on short notice seems to have been a blessing in disguise for Weichel who stepped into the spotlight of an already showcased bout and made it an even larger focal point. The victory made an impression with the M-1 Global brass. “Weichel’s domination of Ivlev was talked about for weeks after the event,” said M-1 Global’s Director of Operations Evgeni Kogan. “Daniel is the type of fighter we want secured within our organization – fighters with heart, talent and relentless desire to give it their all; he possesses all the traits of a future champion.” Weichel’s clash with Ivlev was deserving of co-main event status as he electrified the crowd with his arsenal of skills. With a packed house anticipating a display of supreme submission attempts, Weichel altered the game plan and elected to keep it on the feet and out-struck Ivlev in an epic stand up battle.
Riding a current three fight streak, Weichel rolls into the Unites States as the commanding favorite against Baker. With his vast vault of experience, speedy striking and stealth submissions, he’s presented with a perfect opportunity to solidify a return trip to the United States later this year and make the current Light Weight Champion, Jose ‘The People’s Champ’ Figueroa’s first defense a miserable and horrific experience.
But there is no such thing as a guaranteed victory; Weichel needs to first dispose of Baker.
