Sixteen teams began the season in the 2009 "M-1 CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY AFFLICTION" (www.M-1Global.com) but now just two are left standing following Saturday's semifinal playoff round at the Russian Sport Palace in Rostov on don, Russia.

Headed to the finals following dominating team performances are both USA East and Russia Legion, setting up a renewal of a classic sports rivalry that will be played out later this year at the M-1 Challenge Championship Cup.

While Legion entered the semifinals a favorite to advance, USA East's 4-1 win over USA West came as a total shock to those who have been following the M-1 Challenge closely this season.

Despite being the underdog, USA East got off to a fast start on Saturday in a lightweight matchup after Brazilian Ivan Jorge improved his perfect record to 10-0 by handing Steve Magdaleno (6-1) his first-ever professional loss. Magdaleno, a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, was making his M-1 Challenge debut as a replacement for Dave Jansen, who was signed by the Zuffa-owned World Extreme Cagefighting after finishing the M-1 Challenge regular season with a 3-0 record.

USA East then backed USA West into a corner after IFL veteran Delson Heleno's blitzkrieg strategy earned him a unanimous decision victory over Affliction veteran Fabio "Negao" Nascimento. With both BJJ black belts neutralizing each others' skills on the ground, Heleno's aggressive standup proved to be the difference in garnering the judges' decision in an action-packed bout.

Heleno vs. Negao would normally have been a cinch for "Fight of the Night" honors, but a middleweight bout between Gerson dos Santos of USA East and Joao Asis of USA West stole the show. Giving up eight pounds and putting himself in a deep hole after being deducted a point following a yellow card for holding onto the ropes, dos Santos rallied and defeated his larger opponent at 3:50 of round 1 following a referee's stoppage due to ground and pound.

The win sent USA East to the finals over USA West even though USA East's 2-1 team record and 10-5 individual record during the M-1 Challenge regular season paled in comparison to USA West's perfect 3-0 team record and impressive 13-2 record in individual fights. USA West finished the regular season tied as the number one ranked team in the M-1 Challenge and was perceived as the favorite to win the entire competition.

USA West's loss on Saturday was especially surprising considering USA East barely made the playoffs, ‘back-dooring' its way into the semifinals after losing to Team Benelux at the M-1 Challenge regular season finale on Aug. 16 in Hilversum, Holland. Tied with Team Finland in both team and individual wins, USA East was able to claim its Group C title and advance to the semis due to its 3-2 head-to-head victory over Finland in June.

While Heleno's win clinched the victory for USA East, they added insult to injury after one-time WEC veteran and former professional basketball player Chuck "The Reverend" Grigsby earned a unanimous decision victory over amateur wrestling standout Spencer Hooker.

After losing as a heavyweight in August against Jessie Gibbs, Grigsby felt he was too tentative during the Gibbs bout and vowed to show more aggression. Grigsby, who stands 6′6", used his reach advantage to dominate round one. Round two was much closer, as Hooker fought through two separate cuts to the face and brought the fight to Grigsby. However, the judges scored the bout in Grigsby's favor, eliminating the need for a third and decisive round.

USA West saved...