Tanigawa and Kohi announcing Kohi's retirement, via SportsNavi

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With the K-1 MAX Japan tournament just a matter of days away, K-1 pulls a shocker today in a press conference where Taishin Kohiruimaki, the 32-year old multi-time MAX Japan winner and K-1 MAX mainstay announced his immediate retirement due to nagging injuries. He of course announced this with a heavy heart, as the few injuries that have caused him problems over the past years (knee injury as the most recent) and this being the third fight he had to cancel, he felt he had a responsiblity to K-1 and the fans to retire.

Obviously this is a huge blow for K-1 MAX, losing another notable Japanese fighter hot on the heels of ace Masato's retirement. Kohi mentions that not only is it hard to train, but he has been having issues cutting weight and of all things driving. Kohi mentions if his injuries heal up after a while and he feels ready to fight that he would love to come back, with Tanigawa of course leaving the door wide open. So an early favorite in the K-1 MAX Japan tournament drops out, and relative newcomer to MAX Yuji Nashiro will step in. This of course entirely changes the landscape for this tournament which is now up in the air.

This being the second big-name cancellation for the MAX Japan tournament, it was also announced that Danilo Zanolini steps in for Giorgio Petrosyan against Sato.

SBN coverage of K-1 MAX Japan Tournament