Executive Producer Masato Announces: Dec. 15 Athens Event Highlights
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.
Quarter Final 1st Match: Mike Zambidis vs. Reece McAllister
Mike Zambidis (Greece):
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
YASUHIRO KIDO (Japan):
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.
MURTHEL GROENHART (Netherlands):
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.
ARTUR KYSHENKO (Ukraine):
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.
CHRIS NGIMBI (Democratic Republic of the Congo):
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.
ANDY SOUWER(Netherlands):
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 RISTIE(Suriname):
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.