"PSYCHO" AMOUSSOU READY TO MAKE HIS NAME IN THE U.S. ON AUG. 28 AT "HDNET FIGHTS PRESENTS M-1 GLOBAL BREAKTHROUGH"

Source - M-1 Global:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

Amsterdam, Holland -- Voted by Sherdog.com as the number one European MMA prospect, Frenchmen Karl "Psycho" Amoussou is no secret to die-hard MMA fans.

For the past year and a half, Amoussou has been a staple of M-1's M-1 Challenge telecasts on HDNet each and every Friday night. But for the first time ever on Friday, Aug. 28, Amoussou will look to take his career to new heights when he competes on live television in the U.S. for the first time ever.

"I've already fought in Kansas City during last year's M-1 Challenge against Korea but I'm very proud to fight again in the us," Amoussou said during an exclusive interview with M-1Global.com. "The U.S. is a great country. I'm back and I announce that I'll come back a lot of times because there are lots of fighters who fight in American organizations that I have to knock out."

Originally scheduled to fight former BodogFIGHT welterweight champion Nick Thompson, Amoussou recently learned he will instead face resurgent M-1 Challenge fighter John "The Iron Bull" Doyle during "HDNET PRESENTS M-1 GLOBAL BREAKTHROUGH."

Preparing for a new opponent on Amoussou should be not be difficult for a fighter that Wanderlei Silva has branded "the future of MMA." Nicknamed "The Psycho" for his tactics of psychological warfare outside of the ring and his devastating style of fighting inside of it, Amoussou is receiving elite-level training as he finds himself on the cusp of superstardom. Originally trained by his brother, former PRIDE fighter Bertrand Amoussou, Amoussou now works with Jean Marie Merchet of High Tension.

"Bertrand was my trainer during my finals year in judo and then and in my early years of MMA," he said when asked how his brother has impacted his career. "He showed me great judo and grappling techniques and helped me win my first fights. He is huge in grappling.

"However, for the last year and a half he hasn't been my trainer. My trainer is now Jean Marie Merchet and my team is Haute Tension (High Tension). He has helped develop my muay thai skills."

Amoussou is a one of the more distinguished fighters in the sport and has drawn comparisons to one of his idols, the aforementioned Silva. But Amoussou is also a distinguished figure outside of the ring, with his full-time job in his native France being that of a police officer.

"I work as a policeman in a special group against criminality and drugs," Amoussou responded when asked about his law enforcement background. "I don't have a uniform, I'm wearing my daily clothes to be discreet."

While Amoussou spends his time in deep cover, it is becoming increasingly hard for him to protect his identity.

"Last week I caught a guy - once he had been handcuffed he told me: ‘Hey Psycho, I didn't try to escape because I've seen your videos on YouTube and I'm not crazy.'"

Perhaps the accused was referring to the below video at the below URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWSXhIgZ294

In addition to Lawal vs. Kerr, "HDNET FIGHTS PRESENTS M-1 GLOBAL BREAKTHROUGH" will also feature a special sparring exhibition between "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko and newly-crowned Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi. Additionally, number one Sherdog.com European MMA prospect Karl "Psycho" Amoussou will fight on live TV in the U.S. for the first time when he takes on the resurgent John "The Iron Bull" Doyle.

HDNET's telecast will begin on Friday, Aug. 28 at 10:00 p.m. ET with the local undercard at the Historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City beginning at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com and all local Ticketmaster outlets.

ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL AND THE "M-1 CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY AFFLICTION:"

M-1 Global (www.M-1Global.com) has been one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organizations in the world for over a decade. International MMA stars who have fought under the M-1 banner have included Fedor Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Karl Amoussou, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Daisuke Nakamura, Keith Jardine, Alistair Overeem, Yushin Okami, Ben Rothwell, Mike Pyle, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zenstov, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, and Chalid Arrab, to name a few.

Billed as the "World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts," the M-1 Challenge is a full season of MMA events sponsored by partner Affliction that showcases some of the best up and coming MMA fighters in the world. Broadcast to over 80 countries around the world, including HDNet in the United States, the M-1 Challenge pits teams of five fighters representing their respective countries against each other for international bragging rights and the title of M-1 Challenge Champions.

The "M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction" affords MMA prospects all over the world an opportunity to test their skills, gain valuable experience at the international level, and become future stars in the sport of MMA. Fighters who succeed on the M-1 Challenge's international breeding ground will earn the opportunity to participate in major MMA events presented by M-1 Global and their promotional partners such as Affliction Entertainment.