SuperKombat World Grand Prix II Offers Glimpse at European Prospects

As kickboxing enters its first big weekend of the second half of 2011, Romanian-based promotion SuperKombat offers the second leg of their 2011 Heavyweight World Grand Prix this Saturday afternoon. The focal point of the event, a four man mini-tournament, will feature K-1 veteran Mighty Mo, Ismael Londt, Sebastian Ciobanu, and Mladen Brestovac. The event will also feature bouts pitting Andrei Stoica against Henriques Zowa, Bogdan Stoica against Hakan Aksoy, and Stefan Leko against Catalin Morosanu.

While the SuperKombat World Grand Prix II fight card is certainly noteworthy for the inclusion of longtime veterans such as Mighty Mo and Stefan Leko, as well as Romanian standouts Ciobanu and Morosanu, Saturday's event is most exciting in its display of emerging European talent.

Top Romanian prospect Andrei Stoica will look to bounce back from his recent loss to Redouan Cairo when he meets Henriques Zowa at the 92 kg. weight limit. Stoica's April loss against Cairo has not set the Romanian back too far, and Saturday's bout against Zowa could show a lot about where the 24-year-old stands at this point in his career. Henriques Zowa has built a quality resume over the years and is the last man to defeat current It's Showtime 95 kg. champion Danyo Ilunga.

Bogdan Stoica and Hakan Aksoy will meet in another pivotal bout, as they square off for Stoica's Wako-Pro title at 88.7 kg. Although Stoica looked impressive in his victory over Pacome Assi in May, he had a surprise amount of trouble putting away his French opponent. Hakan Aksoy should provide a strong test for Stoica. Aksoy, known mostly for dropping a bout to Ondrej Hutnik under the It's Showtime banner in 2010, is at the very least a strong opponent.

SuperKombat will provide a glimpse at another potential Romanian up and comer, as Benjamin Adegbuyi meets Joachim Thomas. Adegbuyi, a tall Nigerian-Romanian heavyweight possessed of some real power, quickly knocked out Dzenan Poturak in March and survived an early scare against Libor Polach in May, ultimately securing another first round stoppage.

Though there is often a tendency to gloss over kickboxing cards at this level, SuperKombat is providing a real view of the European scene. Between the emerging talents set to be showcased and the second leg of the promotion's heavyweight tournament - which may very well answer some questions about the class of heavyweights just outside the elite level - this event is something well worth the time of any kickboxing fan.