K-1 Warsaw and Vilnius Tournament Brackets Set
by Fraser Coffeen on Mar 9, 2010 10:30 PM EST
in K-1
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There's been so many K-1 cards announced in recent weeks it can be tough to keep up. Well, here are two more to add to the list. The brackets have been announced for the K-1 regional tournaments to be held March 28 in Warsaw, Poland, and April 10 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Winners of both of these tournaments will qualify for the East Europe GP in Bucharest on May 21, and the winner of that event will earn a spot in the Final 16.
The first round matches for Warsaw on March 28 are:
Izu Ugonoh (Poland) vs. Martynas Knyzelis (Lithuania)
Daniil Sapljoshin (Estonia) vs Kiril Pendjurov (Bulgaria)
Dmitri Bezus (Ucraina) vs Rowan Tol (Olanda)
Tomasz Sarara (Polonia) vs Almaz Kacenow (Kazakstan)
The name that jumps out as an early favorite here is Dmitri Bezus. Bezus was a reserve fighter at last year's Europe GP in Lodz who earned a spot in the tournament when another fighter was injured. There, he was defeated by Sergei Lascenko, but he looked promising in his reserve fight win. He also holds a victory over the tough Konstantin Gluhov.
Already announced for this show in non-tournament action: Paul Slowinski v. Konstantin Gluhov, and Remigijus Morkevicius v. Michal Glogowski.
First round matches for Vilnius on April 10 are:
Mindaugas Sakalauskas (Lithuania) vs. Vasijlav Vecislav (Russia)
Wieslaw Kwasniewski (Polonia) vs Todor Todorov (Bulgaria)
Sergeij Maslabojavas (Lituania) vs Fatih Ulusoy (Turcia)
Andrei Bokan (Estonia) vs Utley Meriana (Olanda)
My pick here is Sakalauskas, who took ranked fighter Zabit Samedov to an extra round at last year's Europe GP before losing a close decision. Also look for a strong showing from Andrei Bokan, who won a regional tournament in Estonia last year.
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Hesdy Gerges v. Brice Guidon in Milan This Weekend
by Fraser Coffeen on Mar 9, 2010 10:09 PM EST
in It's Showtime
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Though not yet officially announced by It's Showtime, it appears Hesdy Gerges's opponent has been set for this weekend's Milan show. Gerges will be facing French fighter Brice Guidon.
A training partner of Jerome Le Banner, Guidon may be familiar to K-1 fans for his appearance in last year's Tokyo GP (the event won by Daniel Ghita). There, Guidon defeated Rico Verhoeven via decision in the quarterfinals before losing to Sergei Lascenko in the semis. He comes in to this fight off a win over Chris Knowles at the UKC France event on February 6 where he won by TKO in round 1 due to cuts.
At 6'6", Guidon brings in the size needed to fight with some of the bigger heavyweights, and with a 19-5 record he definitely is a fighter to watch. Still, taking a fight against Gerges on such short notice is a tough call, and he'll have to come in with a strong gameplan if he hopes to score the upset win on Saturday.
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The History of "K-1 Yokohama"
by EKP on Mar 9, 2010 1:51 PM EST
in K-1
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On K-1's English site there was an in-depth article posted today by Stuart Tonkin entitled, Slay Or Be Slain - The Heavyweight Champion, that documents the history behind the K-1 Yokohama events. It's a pretty good read, here's a small snippet:
Since 2007 the first locally held K-1 event of the year has traditionally been held in Yokohama Arena. Thankfully, this year there will be no changes to what has somehow become a simple, yet magical formula to events a level of which is rarely seen.
Many of the jaw-dropping bouts of the past 4 years have taken place at this event. In 2007, among several other surprises, Mighty Mo did the unthinkable when he landed his "M-over hand"-right to ruin Hong-man Choi's night. And fan-favorite Ray Sefo dropped reining Champion Semmy Schilt for the first time ever in K-1, only to then be stopped by Hightower, also for the first time in K-1.
In 2008 Mark Hunt's long awaited return hit its' first bump when Semmy planted a spinning back kick into the Samoan's ample gut. Badr Hari came out with fire in his eyes and defeated Sefo inside of 1 round. And the Kyokushin star, Ewerton Teixeira made his successful debut.
Last year we saw Tyrone Spong's first appearance in a Japanese K-1 event, albeit an unsuccessful one. Ichigeki stable-mates Glaube Feitosa and Ewerton defeated their respective opponents. Peter Aerts beat young gun Errol Zimmermann. And, Remy Bonjasky defended the honor of K-1 fighters around the world by beating Alistair Overeem; dropping him in the process.
The common theme is that these Yokohama events rival even the WGP for the level of excitement, and there has been a wicked upset or two on each and every card thus far. What is more surprising is that there is just a single team responsible for each and every one of the upset-of-the-night fights.
You can checkout the full article here.
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March Rankings: HW Division
by Fraser Coffeen on Mar 8, 2010 10:23 PM EST
in Rankings
3 comments
| #1 | Semmy Schilt |
| #2 | Remy Bonjasky |
| #3 | Badr Hari |
| #4 | Alistair Overeem |
| #5 | Peter Aerts |
| #6 | Errol Zimmerman |
| #7 | Ewerton Teixeira |
| #8 | Hesdy Gerges |
| #9 | Daniel Ghita |
| #10 | Pavel Zhuravlev |
| #11 | Nathan Corbett |
| #12 | Tyrone Spong |
| #13 | Ruslan Karaev |
| #14 | Kyotaro |
| #15 | Zabit Samedov |
| #16 | Melvin Manhoef |
| #17 | Gokhan Saki |
| #18 | Singh Jaideep |
| #19 | Ashwin Balrak |
| #20 | Mourad Bouzidi |
| #21 | Jerome Le Banner |
| #22 | Raul Catinas |
| #23 | Attila Karacs |
| #24 | Anderson Braddock Silva |
| #25 | Dzevad Poturak |
A lot of fight announcements came in February, but not a lot of fights. The end result is that we have a lot to look forward to, but not many changes in rankings from last month (aside from our expansion to a Top 25 instead of the former Top 20).
Reigning GP and K-1 SuperHW champion Semmy Schilt holds strong at #1, though he will face a good challenge in Golden Glory teammate #6 Errol Zimmerman on April 3.
That event is already shaping up to be a stacked HW card as it will also feature #3 Badr Hari v. Alexey Ignashov, #6 Peter Aerts v. #14 Kyotaro, #4 Alistair Overeem v. #25 Dzevad Poturak, and #13 Ruslan Karaev v. #21 Jerome Le Banner. Big night in Yokohama on April 3.
The other major upcoming card is May 29 for It's Showtime. That one features #3 Badr Hari v. #8 Hesdy Gerges (who also fights an opponent yet to be named this Saturday in Milan), #12 Tyrone Spong v. #16 Melvin Manhoef, #20 Mourad Bouzidi v. #24 Anderson Silva, and #9 Daniel Ghita v. an opponent yet to be named.
Finally, we can also look forward tothe East Europe GP in Bucharest on May 21. That card includes #15 Zabit Samedov looking to reenter the Final 16 in the qualifying tournament. He'll be joined by a few fighters barely outside the top 25, including Alexey Ignashov, Roman Kleibl, and Sergei Lascenko. Rumored for this card: #2 Remy Bonjasky, though that remains unconfirmed. Samedov also has a small fight scheduled for March 19 against Rodney Glunder.
That only leaves 2 top 10 fighters currently on the sidelines - #7 Ewerton Teixeira (who I doubt many fans are clamoring to see back) and #10 Pavel Zhuravlev, who has yet to really capitalize on his big win over #17 Gokhan Saki last fall.
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Team Super Pro Anniversary Results: Kraus, Verhoeven, More
by Fraser Coffeen on Mar 8, 2010 10:20 PM EST
in Results
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This past weekend saw some top names fighting in Holland as part of the Team Super Pro 10th Anniversary event. The double main event featured Albert Kraus v. William Diender and Alviar Lima v. Warren Stevelmans.
Kraus continued his resurgance, earning a decision victory over Diender. After being somewhat written off in 2008, Kraus has been on a great run of late, going 9-1 in his last 10, with his only loss coming to #1 Giorgio Petrosyan. Kraus continues to look the best he has in a few years, and for fans of his, it's exciting to see just how far this surge can take him. Diender meanwhile continues to be a fighter more about what could be than about what is, as he continues to struggle against higher level opposition.
In the co-main event, Alviar Lima dropped a decision to Warren Stevelmans. These men fought two years ago when Stevelmans defeated Lima in Lima's K-1 debut and this result was no different. This marks back to back loses for Lima, while Stevelmans gets back in the winners column after losing to Thai fighter Saiyok at Slamm VI.
Also of note, exciting heavyweight prospect Rico Verhoeven won via TKO over Alex Novovic, while Tahir Menxhiqi, who made his K-1 debut last year at the Final 16 in a loss to Chi Bin Lim, earned a decision over Golden Glory fighter Ait Breda. Full results after the jump.
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Japanese MMA: Shooto SPIRIT 2010 Results
by EKP on Mar 8, 2010 4:04 PM EST
in Shooto
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Paraestra ran their Shooto SPIRIT 2010 event this past Sunday March 7th from the Accel Hall in Sendai.
In the main event, Sou Tazawa (8-5-4) and Daisuke Ishizawa (5-6-1) ended their match in a draw. The Featherweight semi-main also ended in a draw between Toshiaki Hayasaka (0-5-1) and Daiki Takashima (0-0-1).
Takeshi Wagatsuma and Hitoshi Watanabe both had decision wins in the KuDo (Karate Rules) fights. Hitoshi Watanabe and Tetsu "Hadairo" Suzuki were both victorious in their Shooto Grappling rule matches.
In the 2010 Rookie Tournament bouts, Yo Saito (Lightweight), Jin Takano (Featherweight) and Yoshikazu Fujiishi (Welterweight) all picked up wins.
Shooto Brazil 15 is the next scheduled event from the Faculdade Bennett, Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro on Friday March 19th. Geovani Diniz (9-4) will meet Paulo Bananada (12-7) for the vacant South-Americas Welterweight Championship title.
Full results from Shooto SPIRIT 2010 after the jump.
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Nieky Holzken off It's Showtime Amsterdam Show
by Fraser Coffeen on Mar 7, 2010 9:47 PM EST
in It's Showtime
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Reports out of the Golden Glory camp indicate that Nieky Holzken will no longer be participating in the big May It's Showtime show coming from the Amsterdam ArenA. Holzken was scheduled to face MAX champion Giorgio Petrosyan, however due to some contractual disputes, it appears Holzken has opted out of the fight. It's Showtime has yet to make it official, so details and specifics remain uncertain at this point.
This is an unfortunate turn of events for Holzken, who quietly snuck into the top 10 with solid performances throughout 2009. Undoubtedly Petrosyan reprsents a huge challenge, and Holzken would have been considered a massive underdog, but fighting an athlete of Petrosyan's caliber can only help your career, and it is a shame to see that opportunity disappear for Holzken.
Holzken is very popular in Amsterdam, and many fans are upset to see him removed. In addition, this is the second recent change to the May card to cause some irritation among fans, coming fast on the heels of Khalid Bourdif being pulled from Rayen Simson's retirement fight. Considering how early It's Showtime announced these match-ups, some shuffling of the card was inevitable, though that is little consolation to fans who wanted to see their hometown star take on the best in the world.
UPDATE: New word is that Holzken and It's Showtime management have worked things out and Holzken v. Petrosyan is still set for May 29.
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March Rankings: MW/MAX Division
by Fraser Coffeen on Mar 7, 2010 4:06 PM EST
in Rankings
4 comments
| #1 | Giorgio Petrosyan |
| #2 | Andy Souwer |
| #3 | Buakaw Por. Pramuk |
| #4 | Artur Kyshenko |
| #5 | Yoshihiro Sato |
| #6 | Albert Kraus |
| #7 | Yuya Yamamoto |
| #8 | Murat Direkci |
| #9 | Nieky Holzken |
| #10 | Gago Drago |
| #11 | Yodsaenklai Fairtex |
| #12 | Cosmo Alexandre |
| #13 | Yasuhiro Kido |
| #14 | Marcus Oberg |
| #15 | Taishin Kohiruimaki |
| #16 | Hinata |
| #17 | Chi Bin Lim |
| #18 | Sahin Yakut |
| #19 | John Wayne Parr |
| #20 | Leroy Kaestner |
| #21 | Marco Pique |
| #22 | Chris Ngimbi |
| #23 | Chahid Oulad el Hadj |
| #24 | Yuichiro Nagashima |
| #25 | Aalviar Lima |
The biggest change from last month is the drop of Yodsaenklai Fairtex. Ranked #6 in February, Fairtex lost to unranked fighter Colossa and as a result, ends up down at #11. The other change is purely cosmetic. In keeping in line with other SBN pages, we've expanded to a top 25 ranking instead of our former 20.
Expect a good amount of changes for the April rankings, as between now and then we will get the Japan GP on March 27. Tons of fights on that card worth looking at, but none more so than #1 Giorgio Petrosyan v. #5 Yoshihiro Sato in what should be a great battle. Before that fight, Petrosyan also faces the unranked, but dangerous, Khem Sitsongpeenong, next weekend in Milan.
Beyond Petrosyan v. Sato, the 27th event also includes the Japan qualifying tournament featuring some great quarter-final matches. #8 Yuya Yamamoto faces #16 Hinata, #15 Taishin Kohiruimaki meets #24 Yuichiro Nagashima, and #13 Yasuhiro Kido faces Ryuji.
Other top ranked fighters will take part in the It's Showtime event on May 29. The biggest MW fight there is #4 Artur Kyshenko v. #8 Murat Direkci. This will be a real test for Direkci, and a chance for him to move way up the rankings. Also on May 29: #1 Petrosyan keeps his busy schedule against #9 Nieky Holzken, #2 Andy Souwer v. Pajonsuk, #10 Gago Drago v. #20 Leroy Kaestner, #18 Sahin Yakut v. Rayen Simson, plus #23 Chris Ngimbi and #24 Chahid Oulad el Hadj in action. That's a lot of good fights.
Today also sees some action in Europe, as #6 Albert Kraus faces William Diender and #25 Aalviar Lima faces Warren Stevelmans. Look for results later today.
Finally, It's Showtime includes a few other marquee fights before Amsterdam. Next weekend, in addition to Petrosyan v. Khem, the card includes #13 Cosmo Alexandre v. Dmitry Shakuta and Chahid v. Sudsakorn.
Notably not scheduled: #3 Buakaw Por. Pramuk, who is once again in his periodic state of "Will he fight for MAX again or won't he?"
UPDATE: Just as these are published, reports are surfacing that Holzken may be off the May 29 event. We'll keep you posted.
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