Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
K-1 EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MASATO'S COMMENTS ON THE RECENTLY HELD K-1 MAX FINAL 8 IN ATHENs
FIGHT IMPRESSIONS :
1st Preliminary Fight
Mike Zambidis VS. Reece McAllister
As expected, in the first round, McAllister made use of his height
advantage to keep Zambidis at bay and put up a good fight. In the second
round, Zambidis increasingly put pressure on McAllister and controlled
the distance. In turn, McAllister tried to stop Zambidis through knee
kicks to the face. However, I believe Zambidis was able to win the
judges' decision due to his impressive punches.
2nd Preliminary Fight
Murthel Groenhart VS. Yasuhiro Kido
Murthel is the type to go all out, and tried to KO Kido with punches
early in the fight. Midway, Kido switched to Southpaw which stopped
Groenhart's punches. However, it also lowered Kido's guard which
Groenhart took advantage of with a right high kick. I think Kido
underestimated the reach of Groenhart's high kick and was hit in the
process.
3rd Preliminary Fight
Artur Kyshenko VS. Chris Ngimbi
In the first round, both fighters stood silent, making me believe
that they both prepared not just for the preliminary but for the entire
tournament. In the second round, Kyshenko gradually pressured Ngimbi
with punches, and was able to down him mid-round with a left hook. After
that, even though Ngimbi retaliated with a jumping knee, he was unable
to neutralize the damage from the previous punches and forced into the
corner. With a rush of punches and a final, intense, right long hook,
Kyshenko achieved a standing down, and with the referee stop, Kyshenko
was declared winner by TKO.
4th Preliminary Fight
Andy Souwer VS. Andy Ristie
Ristie aggressively tried to KO Souwer early in the fight, but Souwer
countered him coolly with an inner low kick. Ristie didn't like the
inner low kick and switched to Southpaw. In the second round, Ristie
became flustered when his punches didn't connect. Souwer saw his opening
when Ristie let down his guard, and with a high kick, downed Ristie. In
the third round, Souwer's low kick started to have an effect, and as I
expected, Souwer attacked Ristie's unguarded spots. Punches also took
their toll on Ristie's face, resulting in an undisputed victory for
Souwer. I believe the biggest factor for Souwer's victory against Ristie
is his superior body strength.
1st Semi-Final Fight
Mike Zambidis VS. Murthel Groenhart
Groenhart's left jab was particularly great in this match. He kept
his distance with jabs and didn't let Zambidis into his zone. In the
latter part of the fight, he came closer, backed and rushed Zambidis
into the corner, and succeeded in downing him. Zambidis cut his lower
right eye from a jumping kick. In the second round, Zambidis received a
series of punches, knee strikes, and kicks, this time cutting his upper
right eye. At the beginning of the third round, Groenhart won by TKO due
to the ordered Doctor Stop. I think that for Zambidis, this was an
extremely tough fight due to the large gap in physique between the two
fighters.
2nd Semi-Final Fight
Andy Souwer VS. Artur Kyshenko
Both fighters stood measuring each other silently, knowing each
other's strengths and weaknesses very well. By the second round, Souwer
narrowed in his target with inner low kicks. Then Souwer gradually
increased pressure, coming out in front, but Kyshenko countered with
punches. Right at the end of the match, Kyshenko pulled out a left hook.
The third round was a very close fight, and I think Kyshenko won on
points due to his series of punches. The margin was narrow, but Kyshenko
won by decision.
Final Fight
Murthel Groenhart VS. Artur Kyshenko
Murthel entered the final round having KO'ed his opponents in the
first and second rounds, and without sustaining damage. On the other
hand, Kyshenko entered the finals having sustained damage in his bout
with Souwer. Early in the fight, Groenhart tried to knock down Kyshenko
with a rush of punches. At the instant that he lets out a jumping knee,
Kyshenko seized the opportunity to attack with a left hook, downing
Groenhart.In the second round, Kyshenko tried to knock down his opponent but was unsuccessful,missing his greatest chance. In the third round, Groenhart recovered from the damage hepreviously sustained, came forward, and downed Kyshenko with a right upper blow. By thistime, Kyshenko had sustained enough damage that it was difficult for him to even stand up.Groenhart moved in with a final right long hook, gaining a KO victory.
Thus, a new star was born in the K-1 World MAX Final event: Murthel Groenhart, first-time K-1 Champion.
Groenhart accomplished an amazing feat, having KO'ed all three of his opponents from the first fight all the way to the final.
In the preliminary fight, he KO'ed Kido with a high kick. In the semi-final, he KO'ed Zambidis with a flying knee. In the final, he knocked out Kyshenko with a punch. It is extremely difficult to achieve three consecutive knockouts using a different technique each time, and this only proves that Groenhart is an all-rounder who can do anything.
In the future, the 70 Kg weight class will proceed with Groenhart in the center.
In addition, there are fight cards I would like to see in the future such as Murthel Groenhart VS. Andy Ristie and Groenhart VS. Andy Souwer. I'm also looking forward to a rematch between Groenhart and the semi-finalist Kyshenko.
In the fight between Andy Ristie VS. Andy Souwer, which I had been anticipating the most, Souwer was able to down Ristie with a magnificent right high kick, winning against his opponent with his skillful tactics.
Next year, I would like put together even more interesting fight cards centered mainly on Groenhart.
credits to :k1 web site .
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Dec. 15 Athens Event Highlights
Executive Producer Masato Announces: Dec. 15 Athens Event Highlights
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Hello, everyone. This is K-1 Executive Producer Masato bringing you the highlights for the upcoming K-1 event.
K-1 RISING 2012 WORLD MAX FINAL 8 will be held on December 15th in Athens, Greece. It will be a one-day tournament to determine the 2012 World Champion for the -70kg weight class. The 8 fighters who have won in the Best 16 for the weight class last May 27 in Madrid, Spain will fight to aim for the title K-1 WORLD MAX World Champion and a 300,000 dollar prize.
The previously announced fight card was based on our careful consideration to bring our fans the ultimate knock-out sport, K-1.
Here are my points of note regarding the upcoming fighters and cards.
| 1st Fight | Mike Zambidis (Greece) | VS | Reece McAllister (UK) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd Fight | Yasuhiro Kido (Japan) | VS | Murthel Groenhart (Netherlands) |
| 3rd Fight | Artur Kyshenko (Ukraine) | VS | Chris Ngimbi (Congo) |
| 4th Fight | Andy Souwer (Netherlands) | VS | Andy Ristie (Suriname) |
Quarter Final 1st Match： Mike Zambidis vs. Reece McAllister
Having fought twice with Zambidis, I can say that he has a great punching technique that can KO his opponent in a single blow. I think he has the highest probability of all the fighters in this tournament for a one-punch KO. The jump kick that he uses sometimes is something should keep an eye on.
As he has the shortest height among the MAX fighters, I think he have a tough time fighting McAllister who would counter his punches with matching knee strikes.
In the previous Madrid event, Zambidis showed us a great fight against an opponent which matched his type and physical stature. Zambidis in Madrid showed us how strong he is as a fighter.
In this first match, will he be able to neutralize Reece McAllister with a single punch? McAllister does not seem to be the type who are able to take a beating, which could be the key to determine the winner.
REECE MCALLISTER (UK):
A -19- year-all-around fighter, who has become stronger than ever,
even more so than in his previous Madrid fight. 183 cm tall and with a
long reach, he could possibly outbox Zambidis and block his attacks. In
his previous fight, he showed great skill in blocking his opponent
Nashiro. Though there are some doubts about his resilience, the fight’s
trajectory could change depending on how well he could hold up to
Zambidis’ attacks.
Quarter Final 2nd Match： Yasuhiro Kido VS Murthel Groenhart
Kido has a clever fighting style and excels in kicking techniques from a long distance. Also, his back hand blow that he occasionally brings out is not by chance but rather a carefully calculated move that surely makes contact with his opponent.
On the other side, he might be at a disadvantage when exchanging blows from a short distance.
In the previous Madrid event in last May, he showed a great fight with a back hand blow resulting in a KO. I think his upcoming opponent Groenhart will put pressure on him with his punch strikes. If he relies only on kicks, he might not be able to win against Groenhart. For Kido to win, he should need to train harder on his punches.
His strengths lie in his determination and power in exchanging blows. With his height, he is one tough fighter to beat. In his previous bout with Harut Grigorian, he showed his determination and punching technique that commanded the fight. In the quarter finals, I think he would go after Kido and bring his all in an intense fight. Though he may be strong in single matches, with his all-out, intense fighting style, will he be able to hold out his stamina for the rest of tournament?, that is my point.
Quarterfinals – Third Match: Artur Kyshenko VS Chris Ngimbi
Will the power fighter Kyshenko, who has an impressive record in K-1,
win his first champion title? On the other hand, Ngimbi has a long
fighting record and is popular among the fans in Europe as evidenced in
the previous Madrid event. This could be a close fight where hard
to predict who would win.
I have fought with Kyshenko twice before. He is a large-bodied, powerful fighter who can do anything, from punches, to kicks, to knee strikes. In particular, he has a powerful punch. In the previous event, he KO’ed his opponent with his punch and overwhelming power; on the other hand, I felt that he might have lost some of his speed. With his body type, it might be tough for him to trim down to -70 kg. The key is how he can maintain a good condition until the day of the fight.
He is a skillful and all-round type fighter, but his main specialty is the flying knee. I heard that he has been fighting since he was a child, having lived as a refugee in the capital of Kinshasa of the former Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo). Having supported his 2 younger sisters through kickboxing, he possesses a steadfast fighter heart. With his record, skill, and popularity especially in Europe, his fight with Kyshenko is one to look forward to.
Quarterfinal 4th Match : Andy Souwer VS Andy Ristie
Personally, I think this is the most notable fight card of this
event. Will Sauer's total power win him victory, or will Ristie's
destructive strength overpower Sauer? This is a fight to watch out for.
The two-time World Champion of K-1 MAX,Andy Souwer, is an all-rounder who can do anything. In the Madrid event, his bout with Abraham Roqueñi was a bitter struggle, but in the end, Souwer bested his opponent. Though there would be both favorable and unfavorable conditions in the fight, victory will depend on how he can adjust his weight in time for the fight. He is also very experienced with K-1 tournament, and as he said this would be his last tournament fight, I am sure he will come to the fight in full force. I'm excited to see this match.
Andy can destroy his opponent with a single hit, and also has deadly punches and knee strikes in his repertory. If Ristie wins, it would probably be by KO. In his previous bout, he was unable to down his opponent Drago, but instead damaged him severely. Ristie sometimes lets down his guard when punching, so I think Souwer would aim for that. It would be interesting to see how Ristie would respond. Ristie will step in the ring to knock down Souwer,as he always does against his opponents. That is the main attraction of this match.
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