For over a decade, the K-1 World GP has become the pinnacle of stand up fighting and the very one event to prove who exactly is the world’s best heavyweight kickboxer in the world today. The best fighters from around the world will compete in grueling regional tournaments to qualify for a chance to compete in the Final 16 and then later, determine the Final Eight participants left in the tournament. This year, a mixture of past champions, rising stars, grizzled veterans and a huge star in mixed martial arts will by vying for the most coveted prize in fight sports, the K-1 World GP Championship.

This year’s Final Eight could very well be one of the most intriguing tournaments in recent years and there’s absolutely no doubt that each of these fighters are hungry to add the K-1 World GP Title to their extensive list of accomplishments. Two of the participants have won this world-renowned tournament thrice and there are two finalists (one unofficial finalist due to a controversial incident during last year’s finals) who would love to finally seize the title they came close to winning. On December 5th at the Yokohama Arena, only one of these eight men will be able to walk out as the undisputed King of Kings in fight sports.

Now, let’s take a look at the fights that make up the Final Eight starting with the first quarter-final of the night!

The Rubber Match to End It All: Ruslan Karaev (Russia) vs. Badr Hari (Morocco)

Ruslan Karaev and Badr Hari have crossed path twice in their K-1 World GP careers. Prior to their very first meeting, both Karaev and Hari have been touted as the future of the K-1 World GP. Karaev had a head start when he won the 2005 K-1 World GP in Las Vegas II Tournament and after defeating Rickard Nordstrand during the Final 16, made his way into the Final Eight, losing to Musashi in a very controversial decision. That very same night Karaev lost to Musashi, the world witnessed the debut of Badr Hari as he decimated Stefan “Blitz” Leko with a devastating spinning heel kick that knocked the German out. While Karaev is usually the jovial and handsome young stud, Hari was young, brash and highly arrogant. Eventually, both men were paired up to face each other at the K-1 World GP 2006 in Osaka Final 16 and the fight ended in controversial fashion, Karaev knocking Hari down and while Hari was down, Karaev, caught in the moment, kicked the Moroccan while he was down and when Hari got up, the referee noticed that Hari did not assume the fight stance, thus stopping the match in favor of Karaev. Hari was beyond livid, getting in Karaev’s face, then smashing a couple of the Osaka Jo-Hall’s ceiling lights on the way back to the locker room.

It wasn’t very long till both men would eventually meet again in a highly anticipated rematch a few months later at the K-1 World GP 2007 in Yokohama event. This time, both men competed in a four-men tournament to crown the very first K-1 World GP Heavyweight Champion. Both Karaev and Hari competed in the semi-finals and their fight was an absolute war, both men taking it to each other. During the second round, Karaev knocked Hari down for the count and in one of the greatest comebacks in K-1’s history, Hari immediately got up and KOed Karaev to advance to the finals, eventually becoming the very first K-1 World GP Heavyweight Champion by defeating Yusuke Fujimoto in Hawaii. Their second fight was considered to be one of the best fights that year and a showcase of what the future of the K-1 World GP was all about.

Hari was on a roll like no other. He accomplished a lot in his young career, defeating the likes of Peter Graham, Doug Viney, Ray Sefo, Glaube Feitosa and the humongous Hong Man Choi. The win over Choi enabled Hari to make his way into the Final Eight where he completely destroyed Peter Aerts, then in a highly exciting fight, knocked out fellow generation rival Errol Zimmerman to make his way to the finals for the first time. Hari was a huge favorite going into the finals with many predicting he would become the champion. Unfortunately, the adrenaline rush and his emotions took control over him and after throwing Remy Bonjasky to the ground in the finals, he went to stomp his head. The subsequent verbal abuse Hari gave Bonjasky’s cornermen resulted in an automatic disqualification, with his rank as Finalist for that year and K-1 World GP Heavyweight Title stripped from him and his fight money being seized as a result. Ever since then, Hari has had a huge change of heart and it was very evident when he was very positive about Karaev after choosing him as his opponent for this year’s Final Eight. Both men even embraced after a Karaev explained how surprised he was that Hari had positive things to say about him despite the animosity Hari had towards Karaev.

While Hari was carving his name as one of K-1’s greatest young stars, Karaev was still climbing up the ladder. After struggling with an injury due to a car accident and the unfortunate passing of his mother, Karaev went on to win the K-1 World GP 2008 in Taipei Tournament and in an exciting fight, defeated Challid “Die Faust” Arrab in the Final 16 to guarantee him a spot in the Final Eight. Unfortunately for Karaev, his tournament woes continue as he lost to Gokhan Saki during the quarter-finals.

On paper, the third meeting between Karaev and Hari is an exciting one. Both men have grown since their last meeting in 2007 and while Hari is obviously the better fighter (and the man most fans and critics seeing as to winning this year’s tournament), Karaev is no slouch and will definitely have some slick tricks up his sleeve. No matter what happens, this will be an exciting battle that will cause every fan in attendance at the Yokohama Arena on that night to be on their feet as they salute the two young men who will usher in a new wave of fighters as the K-1 World GP continue to move on into the future.

Mixed martial arts vs. Kyokushin karate: Alistair Overeem (Holland) vs. Ewerton Teixeira (Brazil)

In what was an interesting twist of fate, Ewerton Teixeira remarked how after the Final 16 he was going to pick Alistair Overeem to be his opponent in the Final Eight and ironically enough, Overeem revealed that the night before the draw, he had a dream (or more or less, a premonition) that he was going to fight Teixeira anyways. When all six slots were filled, this only left Overeem and Teixeira without a match and by default, both men would wind up facing each other in the second quarter-final bout of the tournament.

Many call him Overeem, but die-hard fans of the rock-solid Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion prefer to call him Ubereem. Regardless, Alistair Overeem is a huge threat in the K-1 World GP Final for many reasons. His destruction of Badr Hari at Dynamite!! 2008, his solid performance against Remy Bonjasky and his domination of Peter Aerts have made fans turn heads in awe. With a body seemingly chiseled out of granite and powerful strikes, Overeem is unstoppable and going into his very first K-1 World GP Tournament despite only having four K-1 fights to his credit, is one of the top favorites to win the tournament. One of Overeem’s advantage as an MMA fighter is that aside from having to train fighting on the ground, he is also trained to fight effectively while on his feet. What makes Overeem such a dangerous fighter is that he is very intimidating once a fighter gets into a clinch with him because that is where his devastating knee strikes can come into play. It was those same knee strikes that broke the ribs of the legendary Peter Aerts and his punches are very powerful too. Ask Badr Hari who was the recipient of one of his powerful knockout punches.

Ewerton Teixeira on the other hand is a purely stand up fighter. A Kyokushin World Champion, Teixeira, like many of his fellow Kyokushin karatekas before him including K-1 World GP Finalists Francisco Filho and Glaube Feitosa, rely on solid kicks to win a fight. However, as evident in his fight against Errol Zimmerman during last year’s Final Eight, he has improved tremendously in his boxing. While he may have lost to Zimmerman during that fight, he was able to show that he could stand tall against some of the toughest fighters out there when he went five rounds against Jerome LeBanner and defeated the legendary Frenchman in a highly competitive match. However, Texeira wasn’t a very consistent fighter and during the Final 16, he put on what many critics considered to be an absolute snoozefest when he went five rounds against Singh “HEART” Jaideep in a fight where it looked like neither men were making an effort to win the fight and prove that they belong amongst the big dogs of the K-1 World GP. Teixeira later admitted after the fight that he wasn’t happy with his performance and how the fight went and pledged to do better in his next fight.

Teixeira is coming into this fight as the huge underdog with many fans believing that he won’t be able to make it through to the semi-finals. After assessing his fight against Singh, many feel that he doesn’t have what it takes to beat the imposing Overeem. However, Kyokushin karatekas are known to compete in 100-men kumites, go through very rigorous training and are known to take hard shots to the body as a result, so surprisingly enough, Overeem’s knee strikes may not be able to work in his favor. If that isn’t enough, Teixeira has yet to be knocked out, thus not showing signs that his chin could be fragile. However, Overeem is known to make bold statements and the Demolition Man will definitely see Teixeira as another victim standing in his path of destruction.

Which brings me to one of the factors that will bring Overeem sure victory: His consistency. I usually judge a fighter on how good he is by looking at his track record. Despite the loss to Sergei Kharitonov in 2007, the controversial no contest against Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic at DREAM.6 and the loss to Remy Bonjasky, Overeem has been on a role, with the months of September and October being his busiest. In Amsterdam at Ultimate Glory 10, Overeem submitted K-1 and MMA veteran Gary Goodridge before heading to Seoul to defeat Peter Aerts under K-1 rules to gain entry into the Final Eight. After beating Aerts in Seoul, Overeem traveled back to Amsterdam where he submitted the lesser-known Tony Sylvester at Golden Glory’s tenth anniversary event, Ultimate Glory 11. A week later, Overeem headed to Osaka where he made short work of another MMA veteran, former PRIDE and EliteXC fighter James Thompson, submitting the Englishman early on in the first round! His consistency coupled with his active participation in kickboxing and MMA fights makes him raring to go at the next fighter standing in his way of greatness and Teixeira, while not being a huge threat, can pull off an upset, just like he did against LeBanner earlier this year. However, in this battle between an MMA fighter and a Kyokushin karateka, only one man will advance into the tournament while the other will have to head back to the locker room a disappointed fighter.

The Fourth Meeting: Jerome LeBanner (France) vs. Semmy Schilt (Holland)

Jerome LeBanner and Semmy Schilt are definitely no strangers to each other. Both men have faced each other three times in the past. What all three fights had in common was that Schilt has walked out the victor on every occasion.

However, LeBanner is not looking to go down easily. For the Hyper Battle Cyborg, this year’s K-1 World GP Tournament could very well be his last. After making countless of attempts to become the K-1 World GP Champion, LeBanner felt that he has done enough in his career to warrant an imminent retirement. LeBanner has made it to the finals twice, once against Peter Aerts in 1995, the other against Ernesto Hoost in 2002 and during that fight with Hoost, tragedy struck. LeBanner’s left arm was shattered and ever since then, he has never been the same. Gone were the days when he was a knockout machine and a terror to every fighter that cross paths with him. In fact, you have to go back to 2007 when he easily knocked out low-tier fighter Yong Soo Park during the Final 16 with a devastating hook. LeBanner was hoping to win the tournament in 2008, but his left arm was re-injured again in his fight against Remy Bonjasky, thus requiring immediate surgery. It is very hard for LeBanner to retain the same vigor he had while he was in his prime and against a very tough opponent like Semmy Schilt, he will need a miracle to beat the Dutch Hightower.

At close to seven feet tall, Schilt is a towering force. The current K-1 World GP Super Heavyweight Champion is every bit as dangerous as he looks. In fact, it is his incredible height and reach and his powerful strikes that has led Schilt to three successive K-1 World GP Titles. For three years, Schilt has been dominant in his road to becoming a three-time champion, defeating almost every fighter that he stood in his path. The list of fighters Schilt has defeated reads a who’s who of the K-1 World GP, including Remy Bonjasky, Ray Sefo, Peter Aerts, Musashi, Glaube Feitosa and the legendary four-time K-1 World GP Champion Ernesto Hoost, whom Schilt defeated in Hoost’s final match. A giant with technique, there is no doubt that Schilt is a huge threat and now that he is back in the tournament after losing out due to being defeated by Peter Aerts at last year’s Final 16, it is very near impossible to predict that Schilt won’t win the K-1 World GP Title this year and continue the reign of dominance he once had in the past.

Schilt and LeBanner have fought three times and both of those times were in the K-1 World GP Tournament. The first time they met was back during the quarter-finals of the tournament where Schilt was able to score a very decisive victory over the intimidating Frenchman. A year later, both men met in the semi-finals and LeBanner was once again unlucky. Clearly exhausted and injured after his fight against the gigantic Hong Man Choi, LeBanner’s corner threw in the towel in the second round, thus stopping LeBanner’s chances of finally becoming the K-1 World GP Champion. LeBanner had a chance of winning another title, in this case the K-1 World GP Super Heavyweight Title and challenged Schilt, who was the champion going into that match, in 2008. However, Schilt’s superiority played out well and he was able to get the majority decision victory over LeBanner. 2009 was a pretty rough year for Schilt, highlighted by being knocked out for the very first time by Badr Hari in Amsterdam.

The third time may have been a charm for Schilt, but will the fourth time prove to be similar? Having mentioned that he would enlist the help of Tom Harnick, the legendary trainer who led Peter Aerts to three K-1 World GP Titles and the man with a great strategy to beat Schilt, there’s a strong possibility that LeBanner would score the victory over Schilt and finally have the chance to finally capture the one title that has been eluding him for more than a decade, the K-1 World GP Title. Will LeBanner cause things to shake up in the tournament or will Schilt once again stop LeBanner in his tracks for the fourth time?

A True Test for the New Generation: Errol Zimmerman (Curacao) vs. Remy Bonjasky (Holland)

With a new wave of fighters that are slowly coming in to make a name for themselves in the K-1 World GP, Errol Zimmerman’s name sits somewhere at the top of the pecking order of the new generation. Having brutally defeated Glaube Feitosa twice, taking Peter Aerts to the limit and making it to last year’s semi-finals which included a brief knockdown of Badr Hari, Zimmerman is truly one of the most exciting and dynamic young stars to look out for and is being touted for becoming a future K-1 World GP Champion someday. Perhaps if lady luck is on his side, he might be able to become the next K-1 World GP Champion come December 5th.

Combining powerful punches, a brutal demeanor and a cool skeleton entrance attire, The Bonecrusher is a force to be reckoned with. When he sent Badr Hari to the canvas during their epic semi-final meeting, he sent a message to every K-1 fighter out there to never overlook him and that he can very much pull off a stunning upset if any fighter were to underestimate him. When he fought Peter Aerts this past March, many felt that he wouldn’t be able to last three rounds against the legendary Dutch Lumberjack, but to the surprise of many, Zimmerman did go the distance and then went an extra round against Aerts, producing one of the more exciting bouts of the year thus far! Zimmerman seems to have the world around his finger as he heads into his second Final Eight Tournament in his very young career.

The only problem though is the major obstacle standing in his way: The current three-time K-1 World GP Champion Remy Bonjasky. While many have been constantly critical of Bonjasky’s elusive style and some doubting his lack of manhood for not wanting to continue against Badr Hari after last year’s controversial ending to the K-1 World GP 2008 Tournament, he continues to amaze fans with his beautiful kicks and flying knees that made him The Flying Gentleman as he is popularly known as. Bonjasky has had a roller coaster of a year thus far, narrowly beating Alistair Overeem at the beginning of the 2009 K-1 World GP season, then moving on to face Melvin Manhoef at the Final 16 where he defeated his fellow countryman in a hard fought battle.

Bonjasky went through so many obstacles throughout his life over the past few years or so. This included the loss of his K-1 World GP Title in 2005, the groin injury he suffered against Stefan “Blitz” Leko that kept him out or almost a year, the divorce he went through with his ex-wife and the death of his mother. However, things have been looking up for Bonjasky. Entering the tournament as the champion, married to a beautiful new wife and the birth of his child, Bonjasky is looking to exorcise the demons that have haunted him in the past few years and is looking to get back on track to become a stronger champion than ever.

It seemed pretty interesting as during the draw, Zimmerman called Bonjasky to challenge him and Bonjasky wasted no time in accepting Zimmerman’s challenge. Bonjasky later said that Zimmerman made the challenge to him and thus decided to go through with the challenge and also test himself against one of the top young stars in the K-1 World GP today. Zimmerman on the other hand felt that he needed to see exactly where he stands amongst the big dogs in the K-1 World GP and a win over Bonjasky would only raise his stock further. Due to his inexperience, some may say that Zimmerman doesn’t have what it takes to beat Bonjasky, but Zimmerman is one fighter who would not like to settle for second place and will do everything he can to advance into the tournament and capture the K-1 World GP Title. Bonjasky has an even tougher task. As the champion, his goal is to continue holding onto the title and with seven hungry fighters looking to become champion this year, this is anything but easy.

It will be an exciting fight between two top Dutch fighters. Zimmerman plans on being the one, not Badr Hari, to usher in a new generation of fighters in the K-1 World GP. Bonjasky is looking to prove that veterans like him can still pose a major headache to the new generation. However, only one of these men will be able to advance further into the tournament.

Never Count Them Out: Reserve Fights

Over the years, the K-1 World GP has seen some brutal injuries that have taken place over the course of the tournament and one fighter may have been able to walk out with a victory, but his physical well-being suggest otherwise. And with eight participants, that could be more than one casualty of injuries that would hinder any fighter from competing further into the tournament. That said, there will be two reserve fights that involve four fighters who are looking to be the right substitute for any injured fighter who are not able to continue into the tournament.

The first reserve bout will pit the legendary three-time K-1 World GP Champion Peter Aerts of Holland against the K-1 World GP 2008 in Hawaii Winner Gokhan Saki of Turkey. Aerts is usually seen in the Final Eight, having been able to make it into the Final Eight ever since the beginning of the K-1 World GP back in 1993 and despite not being able to enter the Final Eight in 2006, he was able to defeat Musashi in one of the reserve fights in dominating fashion, then after an injury forced Remy Bonjasky out of the semi-finals, Aerts was able to enter as a substitute and made it to the finals where he lost a dramatic battle against eventual champion Semmy Schilt. The chances of Aerts once again entering the Final Eight after his crushing loss to Alistair Overeem during the Final 16 has erased doubts as to whether or not the Dutch Lumberjack will be able to make it back into the tournament, but as history has taught us, anything can happen in K-1 and who knows? Perhaps if Aerts is lucky, he may be able to compete in his record-breaking 17th straight K-1 World GP Tournament. Gokhan Saki on the other hand is a terror. With punishing leg kicks that could slow any opponent down, Saki is touted to be one of the future stars of the K-1 World GP. Having defeated the likes of Ray Sefo, Ruslan Karaev and Tyrone Spong, Saki was looking to make his second appearance in the Final Eight. Unfortunately, the Turk suffered a tough injury during training and was unable to compete in the Final 16. Now Saki has a chance to make his way back into the tournament, but against an opponent like Aerts will be no easy task. Will Aerts be able to pull off a Cinderella story by beating Saki and making it into the tournament should anything happen or will Saki force himself in the tournament by beating one of the greatest kickboxers of all time?

The second reserve bout pits highly-touted Daniel Ghita of Romania against Sergei Kharitonov of Russia. Daniel Ghita made heads turn when he stormed through the K-1 World GP Final 16 Qualifiers in a record time of 5:15, beating the previous record once held by Peter Aerts at 6:43, a record that has stood for eight years until it was shattered by Ghita’s milestone. While Ghita may have lost to Semmy Schilt during the Final 16, there is nothing that will keep this powerful Romanian down anytime and he will look to make his way into the K-1 World GP Tournament and prove that he can hang with the top fighters in the K-1 World GP. Sergei Kharitonov on the other hand will be making his K-1 debut come December 5th. Kharitonov is a last minute replacement for Challid “Die Faust” Arrab, who suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw from the fight. Prior to this bout, Kharitonov has been extensively competing as a MMA fighter, having made a name for himself back in PRIDE and for a brief time, in HERO’S. Currently under contract with DREAM, Kharitonov seemed to have lost the spark that made him one of PRIDE’s top heavyweights in the past as he has proved to be less impressive than usual and his loss this year to Jeff Monson at DREAM.8 is proof of that. Nonetheless, Kharitonov is looking to make a big impact in his very first K-1 fight and what better way than to stop the freight train that is Daniel Ghita?

The 17th K-1 World GP Final will emanate live from the famed Yokohama Arena, known as the Madison Square Garden of Japan and each of these eight fighters are looking to be crowned the undisputed King of Kings in fight sports. Will Badr Hari be able to achieve what he had promised, that being a K-1 World GP Title win and bringing a new change to the K-1 World GP? Will MMA superstar Alistair Overeem send shockwaves throughout the K-1 World GP by walking out as champion? Will either Semmy Schilt or Remy Bonjasky be able to walk out as a four-time champion, equaling the record currently set by the legendary Ernesto Hoost?

Eight men enter the tournament, four will go through, two will remain but only one will walk out as the champion.

This Saturday, the world will witness the return of the greatest heavyweight fighter on the planet, Fedor Emelianenko, as he returns to MMA action since his crushing knockout victory over Andrei Arlovski at Affliction: Day of Reckoning earlier this year. His upcoming fight against Brett Rogers will also be his debut match after signing with Strikeforce and this fight will determine whether Emelianenko has what it takes to lead the promotion’s heavyweight division, although I’m pretty sure all of you will answer me with a resounding yes.

But Emelianenko’s fight with Rogers won’t be the only fight that will be garnering a lot of attention. Three other huge fights are scheduled for the main card of Saturday’s historic event at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers. This includes the American return of Antonio Silva since being suspended from competing in the United States, a match to determine Strikeforce’s brand new Middleweight Champion after the title was vacated by former champion Cung Le and finally a match that was supposed to take place at DREAM.11 until Gegard Mousasi suffered an injury during his exhibition match against Fedor Emelianenko.

For this preview, I will be trying out a new format as I will be previewing all four fights on the main card in one entry. It will not be as elaborate as my other previews, but it is something I would like to play around with. As always, comments are welcomed at any time and if you feel I should stick to this format or utilize the format that I use for UFC previews, then do let me know.

Anyways, onto the preview!

Antonio Silva vs. Fabricio Werdum

Antonio Silva is known to fans as Bigfoot and after one look at this man, you can tell that the name suits him a lot. Standing 6′4″ tall and weighing in at 267 pounds, Silva is an intimidating fighter who has competed in HERO’S and BodogFight and had a dominating run as EliteXC’s first and only Heavyweight Champion. Mixing powerful strikes with decent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, this fighter is a nightmare for anyone who dares to step into the ring against. Silva may have been dominating, but was met with a terrible roadblock when he tested positive for the anabolic steroid Boldenone. As a result, not only was he fine $2,500, he was also suspended from competing in MMA for a year. Despite that, he continued to compete in SENGOKU over in Japan where he defeated the likes of Yoshihiro “KISS” Nakao and Jim York, but now that his suspension is over, he will now return to compete in the United States and standing in his way is Fabricio Werdum.

Fabricio Werdum is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and another feared heavyweight who has competed in several big organizations, including PRIDE and the UFC before making his way over to Strikeforce. Werdum is also a two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion and has also captured the ADCC World Heavyweight Championship twice, making him a formidable grappler. Werdum has picked up a lot of notable wins throughout his career, including wins over Alistair Overeem, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gabriel Gonzaga, Brandon Vera and just a few months ago, a win over Mike Kyle at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg. Werdum is looking to make it to the top of Strikeforce’s heavyweight division and a win over the former EliteXC Heavyweight Champion would move him closer to a potential shot at the Strikeforce Heavyweight Title currently held by the fighter he once defeated back in PRIDE, Alistair Overeem.

This is the kind of fight where you would have a very good idea what each fighter is looking to do. Silva has heavy hands and therefore, would love to stand and trade strikes with Werdum, while Werdum would want to take the fight to the ground. On the striking front, both men are versed in the art of Muay Thai, with Silva also adding karate to his martial arts background, so he might have the upper hand in this fight against Werdum. However, some will expect Werdum to knock Silva down and control the fight on the ground, although it will be a tough task to take Silva down. Nonetheless this will be a tough fight between these two skilled heavyweights and we will find out this weekend just who will be walking out with the victory.

Gegard Mousasi vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

Gegard Mousasi is a phenom. This man is near-invincible to beat at the moment with a strong 13-fight winning streak, beating many many big names along the way. While Mousasi has competed in PRIDE, BodogFight and M-1, Mousasi’s true calling came when he signed with DREAM in early 2008. There he took part in the promotion’s Middleweight GP and plowed through his opponents, defeating Denis Kang, Dong Sik Yoon, Melvin Manhoef and heavy favorite Ronaldo Souza to become the first DREAM Middleweight Champion. He even fought a match under K-1 Rules when completely destroyed Musashi at Dynamite!! 2008. He entered the Super Hulk Tournament and defeated Mark Hunt within a matter of minutes, then went over to compete in his first American fight at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg, where he obliterated Renato Sobral to become the new Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion.

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou has fought in several big organizations before, including WEC, PRIDE and the UFC. It was in PRIDE where Sokoudjou made a name for himself, knocking out Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona in under a minute in both fights. After PRIDE was purchased by Zuffa, Sokoudjou made his way over to the UFC where he fought the likes of Lyoto Machida, Kazuhiro Nakamura and Luis Cane. After being released from his UFC contract, Sokoudjou competed at Affliction: Day of Reckoning in a competitive battle against Renato Sobral, but loss to Babalu after submitting to an anaconda choke. Sokoudjou then headed over to DREAM to take part in the Super Hulk Tournament where he defeated Jan Nortje in a controversial fight when Sokoudjou continued pounding Nortje on the ground despite the referee stopping the fight. (Sokoudjou later apologized and regretted his actions.)

This match between Mousasi and Sokoudjou was scheduled to take place at DREAM.11 as one of the semi-finals in the Super Hulk Tournament. Unfortunately, due to an injury suffered during his exhibition fight against Fedor Emelianenko, Mousasi was forced to pull out of the match and the tournament. Sokoudjou was then matched up against Bob Sapp, who lost to Ikuhisa Minowa during the quarter-finals, and defeated him easily. With Mousasi all healed up, this sets up the match between the two light heavyweights this weekend. Mousasi combines powerful strikes with excellent groundwork with many fans comparing him to Fedor in terms of power and skills. Sokoudjou is also a great striker, but is a strong judoka with a great grappling base. This will be an exciting fight between these two young warriors and while the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Title will not be on the line, both of these fighters will be giving it their all in becoming Strikeforce’s top light heavyweight fighter.

Strikeforce Middleweight Title: Jake Shields vs. Jason Miller

Well-versed in wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Jake Shields is one of the top welterweights in the world today. However, after an amazing run throughout his career as a welterweight, scoring wins over the likes of Hayato Sakurai, Yushin Okami, Jeremy Jackson and Nick Thompson, the former Shooto Middleweight Champion and the first and last EliteXC Welterweight Champion decided to pursue a career as a middleweight fighter. His first test as as middleweight was against EliteXC’s final Middleweight Champion Robbie Lawler as both men fought at a catchweight of 182 pounds. Shields proved to be the better fighter, landing many strikes and scoring the win with a guillotine choke. Shields now has a chance to make an impact when he will finally compete for the Strikeforce Middleweight Title.

Jason “Mayhem” Miller on the other hand is an extraordinary, eccentric and fun loving character. Combining an unorthodox style of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai and a bit of wrestling with very flashy entrances that is reminiscent of the retired Genki Sudo’s flashy entrances, Miller has become one of the most popular fighters in American and Japan where he competes for DREAM. Miller was once a permanent fixture for Icon Sport before making the jump to DREAM, where he picked up a victory over Katsuyori Shibata, a loss against Ronaldo Souza and a no contest in a rematch against Souza after an illegal soccer kick to the head that split Souza’s head wide open. While Miller awaits another rematch against Souza and continues to torture bullies with the help of his friends in MTV Bully Beatdown,, he will have to prepare himself for what could be a tough challenge ahead of him.

Cung Le, the former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion, was forced to vacate his title after he decided to commit to his acting career, taking a sabbatical from MMA. This leaves the title up for grabs with two very talented fighters going for the belt. This will be an interesting fight to see what type of strategy Miller will use on Shields and for Shields, this will be an opportunity to defeat another top middleweight fighter. It is interesting to note that Jacare himself, Ronaldo Souza, has signed with Strikeforce a few months back, which means that the possibility of a rematch between Miller and Souza could be possible in a Strikeforce ring and who knows? If Miller wins the title this weekend, he might be able to defend that title against Souza and possibly capture the DREAM Middleweight Title if that title is up for grabs. Nonetheless, Shields vs. Miller will be a great fight and the world waits to find out who will be crowned the brand new Strikeforce Middleweight Champion.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers

When the name Fedor Emelianenko comes up, admiration would be the best word to describe the way fans would react to his name. Emelianenko is pound for pound the greatest heavyweight fighter in the world today and possibly the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time. Many have called him the Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan of MMA for a reason. He is that good. Since losing a controversial stoppage to Tsuyoshi Kosaka many years ago in RINGS, nobody has been able to stop this Russian juggernaut dubbed The Last Emperor. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko Filipovic, Tim Sylvia, Hong Man Choi, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Mark Hunt and Andrei Arlovski are the many big names that have fallen prey to this legendary warrior. Now, Emelianenko has entered Strikeforce to prove himself and cement his name as the best heavyweight in the world.

His opponent for his debut fight in Strikeforce is Brett Rogers. Known for his mohawk and tough guy persona, Brett Rogers is a fighter who is very strong when he’s on his feet. Using his strong boxing and Muay Thai skills, Rogers has picked up wins, everyone of them via knockout, over many fighters and has never gone the distance. However, he has only fought a handful of fighters with name value. These include James Thompson and Andrei Arlovski, whom he easily knocked out in under a minute in a huge upset.

Emelianenko would provide a very tough test for Rogers as Rogers has never faced a fighter as tough as Emelianenko before. Emelianenko’s boxing is second to none and his sambo is one of the bests in the world. Rogers however has zero ground skills, which will be a troublesome experience if this fight does go to the ground, but if he can rock Emelianenko with his strikes, he might have a chance of winning the fight as Arlovski was able to weaken Emelianenko for a brief moment during their fight in January. An upset can never be ruled out in this fight, but no doubt that Emelianenko will give Rogers a fight so tough that Rogers will have to wonder what he has gotten himself into.

Located just outside of Chicago, the Sears Centre will play host to the Strikeforce debut of Fedor Emelianenko and a trio of other highly anticipated matches. While the card is not huge by any means, it is sure to be an exciting event and a great way for Strikeforce to show that it can hang around with other promotions around the world, especially since it is being shown on national television in America. While many would be critical of Strikeforce’s product, there’s no doubt that fans will be watching in anticipation as to what Strikeforce has in store for us this weekend. All that is left is to tune into Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers for a great night of fighting action this weekend!

The K-1 World Max has always been one of the most exciting fight leagues throughout the world with some of the greatest fighters on the planet competing for supremacy at 70 kg. Over the years, FEG’s exciting brand has produced many great fights and excellent fighters to go along with them. The K-1 World Max have also gained a huge following with many fans around the world following the brand and now that all of FEG’s brands are being shown on HDNet in the United States, the exposure is even greater than ever. With the finals of the tournament looming over later on today, fans are eagerly anticipating the crowning of this year’s K-1 World Max Champion.

However, for the very first time, last year’s champion will not be taking part in the final four. In fact, last year’s champion never took part in this year’s tournament at all! Masato, the two-time K-1 World Max Champion having won the tournament last year in dramatic and thrilling fashion, announced his shocking retirement on April 1st this year, making it the biggest news of the year in the K-1 World Max brand. As such, FEG officials had set him up with a trilogy of fights leading up to his impending retirement, including an exhibition fight against Masato’s young prodigy, 17 year old HIROYA, who is the 2008 K-1 Koshien Champion, an exciting and memorable battle against DREAM lightweight contender Tatsuya Kawajiri and finally, his retirement fight against the winner of the 2009 K-1 World Max Tournament on New Year’s Eve at Dynamite!! 2009.

Which of course brings us to the four men left in the tournament. A Japanese, an Armenian Italian, a Dutchman and a Thai will be competing tomorrow for one of the richest prizes in all of fight sports. It is sure to be an exciting evening of action when the K-1 World Max 2009 Final take place at the Yokohama Arena later on today, but only one man will leave as champion. Now, we take a look at the two semi finals that will take place and how each men will fare against one another.

Semi-Final: Yuya Yamamoto (Japan) vs. Giorgio Petrosyan (Italy)

When people think of Japanese K-1 World Max fighters, the names Masato, Yoshihiro Sato, Taishin Kohiruimaki, Kozo Takeda and recently, Yasuhiro Kido come to mind. While Yuya Yamamoto is a good fighter, many overlook him as just another Japanese fighter struggling to make the big leagues in the K-1 World Max. However, he made heads turned after defeating Chi Bin Lim during the Final 16, bare in mind as a substitute for the injured Taishin Kohiruimaki, then put on a thrilling showcase against Gago Drago during the Final 8 and beating him to make the semi-finals! In recent times, Yamamoto has gone on from being just another Japanese fighter to a fighter who has a good chance of someday becoming a K-1 World Max Champion, combining unpredictability and amazing skills . While he still has a long way to make it to the level men like Masato and others have, Yamamoto could pull of the success story of the year by winning the K-1 World Max Tournament this year and make a name for himself in the biggest way possible.

His opponent is the Armenian who makes Italy his home, the ever so talented Giorgio Petrosyan. One of the new blood in the K-1 World Max, Petrosyan made a name for himself in the promotion with a bang. During the Final 16, The Doctor took on The Contender Asia Season One’s Dzhabar Askerov, stopping the tough fighter with a low kick KO. He then went on to the Final 8 where he picked up the biggest victory of his career thus far, defeating the very first K-1 World Max Champion Albert Kraus via unanimous decision. Petrosyan is a very dangerous fighter one must defeat in the first round as it is during the first round where he will analyze his opponent’s fighting style and by the time the second round takes place, he finally delivers a gameplan that usually sees him walk out with a victory, a strategy that is truly befitting of the nickname The Doctor.

This will be an exciting fight that will usher a new breed of warriors to step into the K-1 World Max. Both Yamamoto and Petrosyan will be going for broke in what could be a show stealer. In order for Yamamoto to beat Petrosyan, he will have to finish off the intelligent Armenian Italian in the first round, which basically means knocking him out. However, Petrosyan is no easy fighter to knock out and if Petrosyan could go into the second round after studying Yamamoto well, he would have this fight in his hands. Even more impressive is if he would be able to finish off the tough Japanese fighter by knocking him out early to send him into the finals. The world will witness two exciting young fighters battle it out to see who will advance on into the finals of the K-1 World Max Tournament.

Andy Souwer (Holland) vs. Buakaw Por.Pramuk (Thailand)

Andy Souwer is quite possibly one of the best fighters to ever come out of Holland. A popular shootboxer who competes in the S-cup shootboxing promotion, Souwer is a wily veteran with fantastic boxing combinations and strong kicks. Did I also mention that this fighter is also a two-time K-1 World Max Champion, winning the tournament in 2005 and 2007? Souwer had a pretty rough ride heading into the semi-finals. During the Final 16, he had to contend against Leroy Kaestner, a protege of the legendary three-time K-1 World GP Champion Peter Aerts. Then in the Final 8, he met his rival from last year’s semi-finals, the 2008 K-1 World Max Finalist Artur Kyshenko. While Kyshenko was dangerous, Souwer was able to pick the young Ukrainian apart in a very competitive and bloody battle, making it to his fifth straight semi-final in the K-1 World Max Tournament.

Buakaw Por.Pramuk is a legend. He is a name which every Muay Thai enthusiast and kickboxing purist can easily identify. A two-time K-1 World Max Champion himself having won the tournament in 2004 and 2006, Buakaw has quickly risen to become one of the greatest fighters on the planet today. Combining powerful combinations and lethal kicks, this product of the Por.Pramuk Gym is a machine built to for destruction. His amazing run in the 2006 Final Tournament is still talked about till today. In recent years however, some may say that Buakaw has lost the spark that made him such a dominant force since his arrival into the K-1 World Max in 2004. It showed when he was knocked out by Yoshihiro Sato in one of the biggest upsets in K-1 World Max history and in his Final 16 bout against DREAM fighter Andre Amade, Buakaw was knocked down very early in the first round, questioning his once indestructible chin, but was able to fight back and went on to win the fight after taking advantage of Amade’s terrible fatigue. In a fight which was described by commentator Michael Schiavello as a glorified sparring contest, Buakaw easily defeated Nieky “The Natural” Holzken via unanimous decision. After missing out on the semi-finals twice in a row, Buakaw is looking to return with a vengeance as he looks for his third K-1 World Max Title.

Both Souwer and Buakaw have had history dating back to the finals of the 2005 K-1 World Max Tournament, where in a highly competitive battle, Souwer defeated Buakaw after five exhilarating rounds. Buakaw would then return the favor in a big way when he knocked out Souwer a year later in the finals of the 2006 K-1 World Max Tournament. Their match later on today will be the rubber match in one of the most legendary feuds in the history of the K-1 World Max. Just who is the better fighter between these two highly skilled veterans and will we see a three-time K-1 World Max Champion at the end of the night?

Tournaments as prestigious as the K-1 World Max is sure to bring out the best of the fighters and sometimes, injuries can occur during the course of the fights. As such, it is mandatory for every tournament organized by FEG to include a reserve fight in case anything happens to any of the fighters during the tournament. For this year’s tournament, the reserve fight will pit two skilled Japanese fighters, Yoshihiro Sato and Yasuhiro Kido, against each other. After a discouraging loss to Gago Drago in the Final 16, Sato redeemed himself with a victory over Joeri Mes in order to advance to the reserve fight. Meanwhile, Yasuhiro Kido, having been unable to win the K-1 World Max Japan Tournament for the second year in a row much like every fighter who competed and won the tournament, had to take on Su Hwan Lee during the Final 16 reserve fight and defeated him. He then went on to the Final 8 and defeated Leroy Kaestner to advance into today’s reserve fight. Sato is a very tall fighter at 6′1″ and will have a huge reach and height advantage over Kido. However, Kido will not go down without a highly competitive fight and tomorrow’s reserve fight is sure to raise some eyebrows as both of these Japanese fighters are hoping to walk out with a victory and perhaps, a chance to compete in the finals should anything go wrong to any of the fighters competing in the tournament.

In what could very well be one of the most competitive tournaments to date, four hungry fighters are hoping to pick up where the legendary Masato left off and a tournament victory will not only be at stake, but also the opportunity to headline against Masato in his last match on MMA’s grandest stage, Dynamite!!. For Yamamoto, a chance to go up against one of Japan’s greatest fighters would be an excellent passing of the torch to the next generation of hungry Japanese fighters. For Petrosyan, Masato will provide an interesting challenge to showcase his analysis skills against the Silver Wolf. For Souwer, having beaten Masato twice, the third time could be the charm for the shootboxer if he could beat Masato again in their third meeting. For Buakaw, it is all about revenge after losing to Masato two years ago in the 2007 K-1 World Max Tournament. Four men enter the Yokohama Arena looking to etch their name in history, but only one man will be able to do so. Who will walk out as the 2009 K-1 World Max Champion?

The White Cage. It is a structure that has never been seen before in mainstream Japanese mixed martial arts and for the first time ever, DREAM will be using this interestingly named battlefield for their upcoming MMA event, DREAM.12.

Who would ever thought that someday, a cage will be used as the battlefield for a mainstream Japanese MMA promotion? Looking back over the years, the ring has played an important role in shaping the identity of Japanese MMA. Promotions like Shooto, ZST, Pancrase and RINGS have consistently been using the four-sided ring with ropes and both PRIDE and HERO’S, two of the top MMA promotions in the past, have been loyal users of the ring. One question does remain though: Why have rings been used all this while instead of cages?

For me personally, I’ve always been a strong supporter of the ring over the cage. The reason for this was due to people stereotyping cagefighting as a form of bloodsport or as former American presidential candidate Senator John McCain has called it “human cockfighting”. As such, this was not a good way of promoting the sport of mixed martial arts to a large audience and at one point, Senator McCain campaigned for a complete ban of the UFC. Unfortunately, while McCain’s campaign was successful, the UFC was able to find its way back in the sporting world thanks to a set of rules and regulations for MMA after cooperating with several sport athletic commissions throughout the country, thus giving birth to the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.

Meanwhile, things were going smoothly over in the Land of the Rising Sun. Dating back to the days of Shooto, Pancrase and even the UWF-I, shootfights have traditionally taken place in rings and while modern day Japanese promotions such as Cage Force and recently, DEEP, use a cage, rings have been such a vital part in Japanese MMA that it is a must to use them in every Japanese MMA promotion. In the case of FEG’s Dynamite!! events, it is easier for them to use a ring as their fights consist of K-1 and MMA rules.

However, cages have since been favored by a lot of fighters and fans alike. One of the cons of the ring is that sometimes, fighters get tangled up in the ropes while fighting on the ground and as a result, the referee would have to reposition the fighters in the center of the ring and most of the time, it is an awkward feeling for both fighters, especially when the dominant fighter had a distinct advantage over the opponent prior to the repositioning. I’m not so sure if this term is ever used in Singapore, but to us Malaysians, this is truly indeed a “potong stim” moment.

Now, for one night only (and probably in the years to come since FEG is planning on making the White Cage an annual thing), the White Cage will make its mark in mainstream Japanese MMA. Unlike typical eight-sided and circular cages, the White Cage is six-sided, the reason being that, according to DREAM Executive Producer Keichi Sasahara, “I don’t think that an eight-sided cage is the global standard.” With that in mind comes this unique structure that will surround the fighters who dare step into the White Cage to do battle.

Along with the White Cage comes a great card that is sure to please every MMA aficionado out there. There’s a lightweight attraction featuring the Japanese return of the 2008 DREAM Lightweight GP Tournament Semi-Finalist and the first and current Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez taking on the grim-looking Katsunori Kikuno. There will be a battle of pro-wrestlers as Katsuyori Shibata takes on Tokimitsu Ishizawa, who usually competes in pro-wrestling under a mask as the devious Kendo Kashin. Kazushi Sakuraba will also be in action when he takes on Zelg Galesic and the current DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius Zaromskis will be taking on Myeon Ho Bae. The evening will be capped off with a huge heavyweight main event when Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem makes his Japanese MMA return since the controversial fight against Mirko Filipovic at DREAM.6 when he takes on former PRIDE fighter James Thompson who is making his DREAM debut after competing for SENGOKU and EliteXC last year.

There’s no telling what is in store for us as we get set to enter the White Cage at DREAM.12. With the event emanating from the Osaka-Jo Hall in Osaka, Japan this coming Sunday, the emperors of bygone days will tremble in fear when their kingdom is invaded by the modern day warriors of DREAM as they set to do battle in one of the most historic nights in Japanese MMA!

The Staples Center has played host to many historic events. It was in this very arena where six NBA Finals series took place with the 15 time NBA Champions the Los Angeles Lakers playing host to the event. The prestigious Grammy Awards have been taking place in the Staples Center since 2000. The huge boxing fight between Shane Mosley and Antonio Margarito attracted a record crowd of 20,820 fans. The arena was also the site where a public memorial service for the late Michael Jackson took place in one of the most emotional events of the year.

As for mixed martial arts, we have to go way back in 2006 where the last UFC event was held in that very arena, headlined by a catchweight bout between then UFC Welterweight Champion and future Hall of Famer Matt Hughes against the legendary UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie. Three years later, the UFC will return to the Staples Center for UFC 104. This event boasts a pretty good lineup, which also features a heavyweight bout that is sure to be worth a watch as Cain Valesquez takes on UFC newcomer and MMA veteran Ben Rothwell. However, all eyes will be on the main event as two of the finest light heavyweights from Brazil today clash for the UFC Light Heavyweight Title as the champion Lyoto Machida takes on the challenger Mauricio Rua!

UFC Light Heavyweight Title: Lyoto Machida (c) vs. Mauricio Rua

Lyoto Machida is quite possibly one of the greatest fighters to ever come out of Brazil. Revered in the style of Machida Karate taught to him by his father, Yoshizo Machida, Lyoto Machida is one of the true karate practitioners in MMA. Using a very elusive style that has made him one of the most controversial fighters out there, Machida can either be an exciting fighter or a frustrating fighter to watch in action, whichever floats your boat of course. However, despite being elusive and despite going the distance throughout his career, Machida is known to possess dangerous and powerful strikes in addition to his sleek submissions skills as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt. Just ask the last two fighters he knocked out, Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans, whom he beat to become the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Machida is a unique individual. He is truly the epitome of what a martial artist truly is. One who is very focused and driven in his quest to become the greatest fighter in the world and one who trains hard and excels at what he does. It is these traits which prompt many fans, including UFC color commentator Joe Rogan, to compare him to another very dedicated and legendary martial artist, the late great Bruce Lee. There is absolutely no doubt that Machida is one of the world’s top MMA fighters today and for him to be undefeated since his debut at the Tokyo Dome in 2003 is a testament to that.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Octagon is the renowned Mauricio Rua. Once upon a time, Shogun Rua was the top light heavyweight in the world. Specializing in the arts of Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Rua tore through the ranks of the PRIDE middleweight division, holding notable victories against the likes Akihiro Gono, Quinton Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem, Ricardo Arona, Kevin Randleman and Kazuhiro Nakamura. After PRIDE was bought over by Zuffa, Rua signed with the UFC, but in his debut UFC fight at UFC 76, didn’t make the same impact he made back in PRIDE where he was knocked out by Forrest Griffin, who would eventually become the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion a year later. Suffering a knee injury during his fight against Griffin, Rua was out of action for more than a year as he underwent surgery to repair his injured knee. When he came back, he was able to seek revenge against Mark Coleman at UFC 93, who broke his arm in a freak accident during their fight in PRIDE back in 2006. Months later, Rua would pick up the biggest victory of his career thus far when he scored a huge upset by knocking out UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell in the first round of their co-main event at UFC 97! Since then, Rua has a lot of momentum and confidence on his side and the man once known as the top light heavyweight in the world has the chance to make it to the top once again.

The Dragon vs. Shogun: Just who is Brazil’s top light heavyweight in the world?!

It is a no-brainer that most of the top fighters in MMA mainly come from Brazil. After all, it is there where the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was developed and it forms the basis for most top MMA fighters. Unsurprisingly, both Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua are strict practitioners of the art and both will want to make full use of their BJJ skills when the fight does go to the ground. However, when both men are standing up trading strikes, there is a potential knockout that could occur by either men. Machida will use his Machida Karate against Rua’s Muay Thai, which will play a huge factor in this fight. The question though is, which art will prove to be the superior one?

In addition to that, Machida vs. Rua is another fight in the many dream fights between a fighter formerly from HERO’S and a fighter formerly from PRIDE. Sure Machida may have fought in HERO’S once (at their maiden event with a win over current UFC Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn), but he has also fought at FEG’s first all-MMA event before the formation of HERO’S, ROMANEX. Meanwhile, as mentioned earlier, Rua was one of the top fighters to ever come out of PRIDE, so this makes for a very intriguing fight between the two Brazilians.

One man is looking to hold onto his title and remain unbeaten while the other is looking to make a huge impact and reclaim his spot as the top light heavyweight fighter in the world. Who will walk out this coming Saturday night live at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California as the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion?

September 26th, 2009 will go down as one of the most exciting nights of fighting action as FEG presented the K-1 World GP 2009 in Seoul Final 16 Tournament. 16 of the top heavyweight fighters compete for a chance to make up the final eight participants in fightsports most prestigious tournament, the K-1 World GP Final, this December 5th at the Yokohama Arena. After close to four hours of hard-hitting action from the stars of the K-1 World GP, the eight fighters were finally decided and they will move onto the finals in December where one of them will become the 2009 K-1 World GP Champion.

Unfortunately, one of the eight fighters that qualified is not Musashi. The two-time K-1 World GP Finalist in 2003 and 2004 was unable to score the victory and a place in the Final 8 after losing a hard-fought battle against fellow veteran Jerome LeBanner. With the loss comes the promise that Musashi made about a month before the scheduled bout, that he would finally retire from the sport and end his 14-year professional career as a fighter.

Musashi’s storied career has its ups and downs and it all began back in 1995 when a young Akio Mori started his career in the K-1 World GP, defeating Patrick Smith, who was known for his brutal beating of Scott Morris in the second UFC Tournament. In his early careers, he had already fought many big names in the K-1 World GP at that time, such as Sam Greco, the late Andy Hug, the very first K-1 World GP Champion Branko Cikatic, Masaaki Satake and the legendary Ernesto Hoost. Over the next few years, Musashi would go on to have many good fights against tougher competition and this also resulted in him becoming a four-time K-1 World GP Japan Tournament Champion.

Musashi had a great track record back in the days. In fact, many believed that his best run was between 2003 and 2004. In fact, two back to back victories against legends Ray Sefo and Peter Aerts during the 2003 K-1 World GP Finals were impressive and while he lost to Remy Bonjasky in the finals, he had nothing to be ashamed of. Ironically, both Musashi and Bonjasky would eventually meet once again in the finals of the K-1 World GP a year later and while Musashi once again tried his best, Bonjasky was just too strong for the pride of Japan.

I remembered being a huge Musashi fan back in the days and while I was in Japan, my Japanese family friend, a fan of MMA and K-1 herself, kept on making fun of Musashi’s looks, calling him a fish and, well, not enjoying his fights much. Back in 2003, we gathered by the TV and watched as Musashi defeated Nobuaki Kakuda in Las Vegas, thus ending his career in the process. (On a side note, Kakuda is now the head official for the K-1 World GP and is seen officiating most of the big fights, particular the main events.) That time, my friend was totally rooting for Kakuda, even though he was the major underdog going into that fight. Guess she really doesn’t like Musashi at all.

But as I continued to watch his fights, I noticed a trend and this seem to be his major criticisms amongst fans and experts alike. Musashi has a problem finishing off his opponents, especially against the more established fighters such as Peter Aerts and Ray Sefo. Most of his fights, especially in the last few years, have gone to decisions and his KO wins have come across lesser named fighters, themselves are not experienced in K-1 fights, such as former sumo wrestler and current pro-wrestler Akebono, former pro-wrestler Sean O’Haire, former shot put athlete Randy Kim, taekwando specialist Yong Soo Park and comedian Bernard Ackah. In fact, the only major name he has been able to knock out last was Junichi Sawayashiki, who since losing to Peter Aerts during the 2007 K-1 World GP Finals, had been on a major slump and Musashi managed to take advantage of that situation. In fact, many felt that Musashi seemed to rely on going the distance a lot in his fights. None was more evident than his upset loss to Chalid “Die Faust” Arrab during the 2006 K-1 World GP Final 16 Tournament when the fight went the distance and Musashi looked to be ready to celebrate a routine victory, only for the ring announcer to declare Arrab as the winner while Musashi looked confused. Despite the many major losses he went through over the years, Musashi is still one of the more popular and endearing fighters to the Japanese fans.

After much wear and tear in his body and knowing that he could no longer reach the level that he was before, Musashi made an announcement in August that he would retire from the sport this year and with the many planned retirements of several fighters this year (including Masato, Kozo Takeda and, all but confirmed, Glaube Feitosa and Jerome LeBanner), Musashi’s retirement is just one of the many major ones this year. That said, he begged to the fans and FEG promoters to give him a final chance to compete for the K-1 World GP Title. While his wishes were granted, it was no easy task for the Japanese legend, who had to take on fellow veteran K-1 fighter, the ever-so intimidating Hyper Battle Cyborg, Jerome LeBanner. The fight took place at the K-1 World GP 2009 Final 16 Tournament recently in Seoul, Korea and knowing that he may never compete in a K-1 ring again, Musashi put on what was undoubtedly his best performance in recent years, throwing amazing boxing combinations, thanks to his boxing coach Frankie Liles and was looking sharper than ever. Even the knockdown LeBanner gave him during the fight didn’t hinder Musashi’s amazing performance. When Musashi lost to LeBanner, it was an emotional moment as both LeBanner and Musashi bowed down to each other and embraced with both men raising their arms after an amazing battle that got the Korean crowd on their feet. After Musashi took his final bows, he finally left the ring, now no longer a K-1 fighter.

Musashi may not be the most popular fighter amongst fans around the world, but he has a unique charm and presence to him everytime he steps into the ring. Not one to simply rush into battle, Musashi uses his brilliant technique and strategy to get things done back when he was in his prime. It showed as he was able to defeat the likes of Ray Sefo, Peter Aerts and the massive Bob Sapp. His kicks, especially his middle and high roundhouse kicks, are some of the most devastating in K-1’s history. Over the years, Musashi has been the man to carry the Japanese flag proudly everytime he steps into the ring. It showed having entered more K-1 World GP Final Tournaments than any other Japanese fighter and making it to the finals twice. Regardless whether or not he was a great fighter which I’m sure many fans will be debating about in years to come, Musashi has etched his legacy in K-1 as one of Japan’s top fighters of all time.

I would like to take the time out to say domo arigato gozaimasu to Musashi for the many memories that he has provided in the ring as a courageous fighter and outside the ring as a lovable goofball as evident in some of his antics in Japanese variety TV programs. While the likes of Junichi Sawayashiki and Kyotaro, the two top young lions in the K-1 World GP, try to continue where Musashi left off, it will not be very easy to fill the gap that Musashi had left all this while as Japan’s top K-1 World GP fighter. Regardless of how fans and experts alike will remember Musashi, he will forever remain as one of K-1’s top legends in the sport.