GP Fall-Out: Answers and Two New Questions to Consider

With the Grand Prix now one week behind us we can look back at some of the questions we had leading into the event and how those played out.

First up, from our list of big questions: The Bonjasky/Schilt era most definitely continued, and in a huge way.  In fact, this GP made it clear that we are firmly in the Schilt era, with last year looking like something of an aberration.  Bonjasky is no doubt at the top of the game, but he just looks to be unable to topple Schilt.  Meanwhile, the new generation will have to continue to wait.  Despite scoring big with fans, Hari, Zimmerman, and the rest of the new crop of K-1 talent remains on the outside looking in at the elite top.  Speaking of Hari, the Golden Boy did indeed get his revenge against Overeem, but did not have a shot at revenge against Bonjasky and failed to reach the top.  More on this later.  Overeem's miracle run came to an end in what may be the most exciting fight of the year, while Aerts's legendary run through every GP finally came to a quiet close when he was not needed as a replacement.

Looking at the smaller questions: Le Banner may not be retiring yet, but he is done as a top talent, and looked very unmotivated at the event, putting in an awful, uninspired performance.  Kharitonov did not keep MMA's win streak alive, and showed that his biggest talent in K-1 may be his ability to take a shocking amount of punishment.  The jury remains out on Saki - we'll have to wait to see him again, while Spong looked good and ready to compete in K-1.  Finally, as we discussed, ratings numbers were a resounding success in Japan.

As is always the case, with these answers came two new questions that I think must be asked:

1. Is Semmy Schilt the best K-1 fighter in the organization's history?  Purists will no doubt balk at this and insist that it's Hoost, Aerts, or Hug, but the question has to be asked.  He has tied Hoost's record for GP wins, smashed Aerts's record for fastest win, and in the course of one night stopped the #1 and #2 fighters in the world, each in the first round.  What's especially scary is that, unlike when Hoost won his 4th crown, Semmy shows no signs of having peaked.  If anything, he is improving, turning in his best GP performance yet this year, and has to be considered an early favorite for a record-breaking 5th title next year.  While some may not like his style, or think his wins solely come from his height advantage, Schilt has been able to accomplish more than any other K-1 fighter in history.  With room for his legacy to grow, the question of where he ranks in an all-time list simply must be asked.

2. Can Badr Hari win the big one?  This is Hari's 4th year as a GP participant and the 2nd straight year that many considered him the favorite going in, and yet he has not walked away as champion.  Will he ever?  History is not on his side.  Of the seven men who have won the GP crown, 4 won it the first year they qualified, Aerts won it his 2nd year, and only Hoost took more than 3 years to win it.  At only 25 years old it would obviously be unfair to say Hari has no chance of winning, but until he shows he can put together the kind of focused, night-long strategy needed to win the GP, it will remain a giant question mark.  Can he fulfill the potential that he has shown and go down in history alongside names like Aerts, Hoost, and Schilt?  Or will he join the ranks of Sefo and Le Banner as legends to never claim the title?