K-1 Announces Title Fights

[( o Y o )]

Musashi vs Fujimoto and Hari vs Ruslan will be fighting for a new title. The under 100kg title.

The also plan to later announce a Super Heavy Weight belt on top of the current GP system.

Looks to me like they are trying to squash DSE

On top of this they have released a public statement looking for japanese fighters over 80kg with any talent....be it in fighter or some other athletic/other background that think they have what it takes. I believe Hoost and Bernardo will be helping scout some local guys.

[ANdYX]

Nice!

[( o Y o )]

added some more

[K1power]

Great news! I hope all those concepts will be converted succesfully for K-1 and us fans.

[Dado]

Is the Heavy Weight champ decided by a single fight (such as in Boxing) or by a Grand Prix system and a final tournament?

So now K-1 has effectively 3 weight classes Max, Heavy Weight and Super Heavy Weight?

[( o Y o )]

It appears as though these will be title fights with no connection to the/or a GP at this stage, but I`m waiting on confirmation of exactly where this is going.

I would have been happier with an 85kg or 90kg weight class personally.

[urdum]

Sounds great. Hope this works out

[alexey]

Musashi vs Fujimoto and Hari vs Ruslan will be fighting for a new title. The under 100kg title.

The also plan to later announce a Super Heavy Weight belt on top of the current GP system.

Looks to me like they are trying to squash DSE

On top of this they have released a public statement looking for japanese fighters over 80kg with any talent....be it in fighter or some other athletic/other background that think they have what it takes. I believe Hoost and Bernardo will be helping scout some local guys.

Winner (Musashi vs Fujimoto) will be fight against (Hari vs Karaev) winner later?

[killlah]

I would have been happier with an 85kg or 90kg weight class personally.

December K-1 Fighting Network Prague event was limited to 91kg, other Fighting Network events looks like smaller weights too...

[AKA]

I'll be happy with a -100kg and a -85kg weight classes.
It will make -70, -85 ,-100 and +100 kg. Titles, so interesting fight+ GP every year for each weight class....

[Shinbone]

I don't know what to think of this. It seems to be a bit 'useless,' because the -100 kg champ is still in the same weight class... then they should put up an other weight class like the - 90 kg or - 80 kg only then such title has some kind of sence.

[AKA]

I don't know what to think of this. It seems to be a bit 'useless,' because the -100 kg champ is still in the same weight class... then they should put up an other weight class like the - 90 kg or - 80 kg only then such title has some kind of sence.
You dont get it, its not KB, MT or Boxing...
If K1 says there is a -100 kg weight class, there is a -100kg weight class, right? Btw the -100kg best guys will fight for the K1 GP against the bigger guys like always!

[Shinbone]

I know what you're saying, and you confirmed my statement: because at the end the - 100 kg guys fight the + 100 kg guys, so there is not a new weight class like the K-1 max with an own GP. So therefore I think it's a bit useless, otherwise the - 100 kg guys should fight in their own GP, so then we could technically speak of a new weight class.

That's why I think K-1 hopes that Musashi gets the - 100 kg title, so they can be pride of him again.. because against the heavy guys Musashi will never make it.

[K1power]

That's why I think K-1 hopes that Musashi gets the - 100 kg title, so they can be pride of him again.. because against the heavy guys Musashi will never make it. He won't make it against -100 guys either like Arrab proved.

[Shinbone]

He won't make it against -100 guys either like Arrab proved.

True, but at least he stands more of a chance against the likes of Arrab than against the likes of Schilt, Aerts and Jerome.

[WOLVES AT THE DOOR]

I think it's a great idea. Gives the smaller fighters more of an even playing field. Guys like McDonald, Leko and Musashi a chance to really do somthing in K-1.

[AKA]

Yeah Leko too!
its something like Musashi, Leko, Chalid, Fujimoto, Hari, Ruslan and probably many more fighters... it could be a very good competitin even if it would never have the tatse of the REAL GP!

[Jofeljoh!]

Oh yeah baby. Bring Tyrone Spong in!

[tinobar]

i want to choi to win the superheavy tournament,i think he can get passed the other super heavies Semmy Schilt , Rei Sefo,mo and become the first ever super heavy weight champ

the other fights are a super heavy tournnament
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/gryphonjapan/

[urdum]

i want to choi to win the superheavy tournament,i think he can get passed the other super heavies Semmy Schilt , Rei Sefo,mo and become the first ever super heavy weight champ

He would also be the first freak to win such a tournament.

[K1power]

He would also be the first freak to win such a tournament.

I don't really consider Choi a freak anymore. His skills increase with every fight and he just uses his height very well. Considering his size, it's crazy how well he can move, seriously.

[CentralKickboxing.Org]

This, I feel, is very bad news.

With another K-1 title floating around, guys like JLB and Ray Sefo, who are big guns never to have never won the GP, will begin to opt out of the Grand Prix in favor of a one off match for an equally prestigeous belt.

Think about it. The elims and the tournament mean that Schilt had to win 4 fights in a row to become champ. If he were holding the one-off title, he would have been one crap incompetent decision away from losing it to Choi.

JLB is another issue entirely. He can get decisions reversed in his favor.

Another thing is the contract issue. Will an unsigned fighter still hold the one off title? If so, how long?

I'll have to call this one of the many mistakes that the K-1 has made and will continue to make.

[( o Y o )]

the other fights are a super heavy tournnament


hmmm...sportsnavi said "in the future" there would be a SHW.....as in not yet.

I wonder what Ray will do......he was just under 104kg in his last fight.

[Tommy_Arashikage]

I always thought they should maybe split it, a below 235 and above 235 weight classes, then maybe make the Final free weight as usual.

[Lord Gaul]

I am pretty excited about this. My own goals have shifted to focus more on teh 100 and under, because at 6'2 216 I am a little undersized for the big guys. Now there is no worries.

I hope that Japan produces some awesome talent in the class and I hope they can compete right away.

[bero]

Musashi vs Fujimoto and Hari vs Ruslan will be fighting for a new title. The under 100kg title.



Leko is under 100 kg, and he deserves a title shot more than those four. Fujimoto? Give me a break.

[tinobar]

these are alot of changes all of a sudden i think they are trying to shake things to improve rating.i even read that they are starting a k-1 ultimate fighter and one of the coaches will be bernado

[CentralKickboxing.Org]

these are alot of changes all of a sudden i think they are trying to shake things to improve rating.i even read that they are starting a k-1 ultimate fighter and one of the coaches will be bernado


And the other Hoost. Fighters will be japanese.

[Brock8]

Leko is under 100 kg, and he deserves a title shot more than those four. Fujimoto? Give me a break.

Yeah, Leko, definitely, but I assume they want Japanese fighters, whether they're the best available or not, and also they're probably leery of Golden Glory taking everything.

[Dado]

If K-1 are using this as an opportunity to increase the exposure of Japanese fighters then they have a hard road ahead. These are some of the names that are in the sub 100kg category:

Ruslan Karaev
Stefan Leko
Badr Hari
Magomed Magomedov
Chalid Arrab
Nathan Corbett
Steve McKinnon
Ramazan Ramazanov
Zabit Samedov
Martin Holm (Is in the 90kg Range and has plans for a comeback)

And then guys who can drop weight to be in the category:

Slowinski
Bonjasky
Sefo
Feitosa

[( o Y o )]

By Monty DiPietro

K-1 Elite to Yokohama; New Weight Class Announced


TOKYO, January 25 -- K-1 announced today it will launch its World Grand Prix 2007 season with an All-Star event in Yokohama. The fightsport organization also outlined plans to create a new weight class, as well as a program to kickstart the development of young Japanese fighters.

Joining K-1 Event Producer Sadaharu Tanikawa in the Imperial Hotel press conference were a couple of K-1's Japanese stars -- Musashi and Yusuke Fujimoto. These fighters will face one another at this year's first World GP event, set for Yokohama Arena on March 4. Headlining the talent-rich card is a bout between defending WGP Champ Sammy Schilt and Ray Sefo of New Zealand. In other action, Korean giant Hong-Man Choi will step in against American Mighty Mo; Ruslan Karaev of Russia will tango with Dutchman Badr Hari; Chalid "Die Faust" of Germany will take on Japanese tough guy Hiromi Amada; and French kickboxer Cyril Abidi will test Japanese fighter Mitsugu Noda.

Tanikawa also outlined a new K-1 weight classification scheme. "In 1993, when K-1 started, the final eight fighters in the championship tournament were all about 90 kg each," he said. "But in recent years, bigger and bigger fighters have emerged who have good skills. And so, in order to make the sport more competitive and exciting, we will be experimenting this year with a 100 kg (220lbs) weight classification."

The new over/under 100kg weight division will be applied in K-1 Superfights. Overall, the World Grand Prix will continue as an open weight class format.

Also unveiled today was a reality television concept aimed at discovering and developing fighters in this country. The program will take the form of an ongoing competition between two teams -- one coached by Ernesto Hoost, the second by Mike Bernardo. Tanikawa said he hoped young Japanese fighters would flourish under the tutelage of these K-1 veterans. Viewers will follow their progress on the weekly Fuji TV fightsport program "SRS" (Special Ringside).

[krs]

Making belts other than the GP belt?
I think it's purely marketing to draw more attention over the Superfights.
But there won't be qualifying tournaments all over the world etc, so I don't see how they will choose the fighters who can enter this Superfight contest.
By popularity?

And once someone have the belt, who will be his challenger? Will it be like in Boxing?

The belt is supposed to be a symbol of "the best guy", but with this system we might have funny situations :
what if the challenger wins the fight, but in a tournament instead of in a Title Superfight?
"hey guy, you might have the belt but remember I kicked your ass in the tournament."

That said, I think the idea to add a little something to the Superfights is interesting.

[Anjew]

I like the idea. Title fights in different categories in K-1 - sounds really good! And on top of that open weight GP like now... Very good.

[Cracked_Knuckle]

i read a lot of people saying K-1 needs this a few years ago, so Im supprised to see the hating now

[Lord Gaul]

I am pretty excited about this. I bet there are some US fighters that emerge from this. I think that as a whole it will be great for K-1. Plus simply having superfights at all the events means that you can bring it along slow. Saki is another fighter that is good for this class.

[Viva Las Vegas]

So will the superfights all be 5 rounds? Hope so.

[Dado]

Im guessing they will be. 5 round fights are much more exciting for a title shot.

[krs]

Don't misunderstand me, I really like the idea.
But I'm just curious about how they will turn this, who will be able to qualify, and what this belt will mean if you won it against a fighter in a superfight but then you still lose to this same fighter in the GP.

[JWP]

Akabono might be able to start fighting at his best weight of -100kg. I think he would look sexy at 99kg!

[Jofeljoh!]

Akabono might be able to start fighting at his best weight of -100kg. I think he would look sexy at 99kg!

You might even fight him if you bulk some up! http://gathering.tweakers.net/global/smileys/clown.gif

[LethalSassonic]

I would have been happier with an 85kg or 90kg weight class personally.

yes

[Razor Bump]

Gotdamn f....in time man! Damn man! This is what weve been waiting for.

[BEEF]

hmmm...sportsnavi said "in the future" there would be a SHW.....as in not yet.

I wonder what Ray will do......he was just under 104kg in his last fight.



Ray should just cut down to 100Kg. At 105Kg + he usually looks a little soft. Dropping the 5Kg's will just make him faster and up his endurance, plus he doesn't have to fight guys that are 6'11+ ....

[CentralKickboxing.Org]

Ray should just cut down to 100Kg. At 105Kg + he usually looks a little soft. Dropping the 5Kg's will just make him faster and up his endurance, plus he doesn't have to fight guys that are 6'11+ ....

What's to stop Jan and Semmy from cutting weight too?

Don't answer that.