Seoul, South Korea - At the start of the 2009 "M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction" season, USA West's playoff fortunes were hardly a lock due to being placed in a loaded Group B that includes South Korea, Brazil, and the defending '08 M-1 Challenge Champions, Fedor Emelianenko's Team Imperial.

But thanks to a deep roster, USA West is currently 2-0 and just one win away from clinching a semifinal berth. With a win in Saturday's best-of-five series vs. Imperial, USA West can claim its first-ever Group title.

The 15-bout event will emanate from the Olympic Hall in Seoul and will be available live on Internet PPV courtesy of www.M-1Global.com starting at 5 p.m. (local Seoul time). Additional team matchups include Finland vs. Bulgaria and host country South Korea vs. Brazil Naja with every bout being finalized after all 30 fighters made weight Friday morning at the Lotte World Hotel.

Leading the way for USA West will be its pair of blue chip prospects, lightweight David Jansen (11-0) and heavyweight Shane Del Rosario (6-0). Jansen, a product of Matt Lindland's Team Quest, is scheduled to face Imperial's Amirkhan Mazikov (2-1) while Del Rosario, a former EliteXC veteran, will square off with Maksim Grishin (2-2).

If USA West is upset by Imperial, South Korea still has a mathematical chance of supplanting USA West and advancing to the post-season. However, they will not only have to improve their team record to 2-1 but will need to sweep Brazil by a 5-0 score in order to win the tie-breaking category of individual wins.

A clean sweep is unlikely for South Korea against a talented and tough Team Brazil, which is led by former IFL superfighter Eduardo Pamplona. Pamplona, a former middleweight who has had trouble reaching the M-1 Challenge welterweight limit of 167.2 pounds twice this season, easily made weight on Friday.

Already 2-0 in this year's Challenge, Pamplona was not happy with his previous victories and revealed shortly after weigh-ins that he has recently changed training camps and believes he has improved since his last M-1 Challenge appearance this past May. Not one to be shy, Pamplona expressed his desire to defeat South Korea's Do Hyung Kim with a one-punch knockout.

Kim, who like Pamplona is also highly charismatic, is South Korea's most athletically gifted and experienced fighter and has no desire to lose on his home turf. His clash with Pamplona is one that many pundits believe could be the fight of the night.