Head Kick Legend

Jerome Le Banner training with Thom Harinck at Chakuriki Gym. Check out the full gallery at...

2010-03-17T02:31:48Z

Jerome Le Banner training with Thom Harinck at Chakuriki Gym.

Check out the full gallery at FightTalk.nl for tons of great shots, including Le Banner sparing with Peter Aerts.

Badr Hari: 2012 Olympian?

2010-03-17T02:25:14Z

Will Hari compete at the 2012 Olympics?

K-1's Golden Boy Badr Hari is apparently considering an interesting move. Sources indicate that Hari has been approached to represent Morocco as a boxer in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. According to Simon Rutz, Hari's manager and the head of It's Showtime, Badr is considering accepting the offer and views it as a great honor.

Hari himself alluded to this idea a few months ago in an interview before his fight with Mourad Bouzidi:

Is boxing your cup of tea? Because it was said that you have plans to represent Morocco at the Olympic Summer Games in London (2012) in amateur boxing. Is that true?

Yes, we're working on it but it's not easy to realize this dream of mine. Negotiations are still going on.

But the qualifications for the Olympics already start at the beginning of next year.

Yes, but that's no problem. First of all, the Commission has to agree with me being an amateur boxer. We already had several conversations with the Olympic Committee and they will decide if I will be in consideration for it.

At this point, it looks like the door is open for Hari and it's his choice - if he wants the spot, it seems to be his. This brings up two obvious questions: How would he do? And is this a good choice?

To be honest, I am not sure about that first one. Hari is a good puncher, and clearly one of the best kickboxers in the world, but boxing and kickboxing are two different beasts. Some kickboxers almost solely rely on their hands, but Hari is not one of those - he uses kicks in his arsenal and he uses them well. Take those away, and it's a different sport, one that Hari has virtually no experience in. Is two years enough time to focus his boxing to get to an Olympic level?

Which bring up the second question: Even if he can try to compete, should he? Should he take the time to train in boxing instead of kickboxing and focus all his energies on this Olympic opportunity? When considering this, the name that I keep hearing in my head is Kid Yamamoto, a cautionary tale against pursuing your Olympic dreams if ever there was one. At the end of 2006, Kid was considered one of the top P4P MMA fighters in the world. Then he stepped away to try and gain an Olympic bid. He didn't make it, and upon his return, the "old" Kid was gone. In his stead was a less dynamic fighter, who has lost his last 3 pro fights. Kid took a break from top level MMA at the height of his skills, only to see nothing come of it except the permanent loss of his P4P status. That's not to say this is exactly what will happen to Hari, but you have to recognize that it's a possibility.

From a business standpoint, Hari would be taking a calculated risk if he accepts. If he does well, his stock will go through the roof. But if he fails, and fails spectacularly, he will loss precious time at the peak of his career, and potentially permanently tarnish his reputation as a top-level fighter. It's undoubtedly a very hard decision to make, no doubt made tougher by personal feelings of patriotism and pride in your heritage. Also potentially making the decision difficult - any influence by K-1, as whatever financial risk Hari takes here, K-1 also takes. You have to think they will have some thoughts about how one of their most popular stars handles such a major decision.

Thinking about it myself, perhaps it's selfish, but as a Hari fan, I want to see him competing in the sport he excels at, against the best in the world. Not putting those Grand Prix chances on pause in order to fight as an amateur boxer. If it truly is his dream, I would certainly not begrudge him pursuing it, and would root for him to take home the gold. But I would also be nervous about the possible long-term impact on the legacy of the definitive K-1 fighter of this era.

Poll

Should Hari accept?

Yamato Damashii -- The Return of Enson Inoue at ASTRA

2010-03-16T13:00:28Z

Enson Inoue to make his return to action at ASTRA, Yoshida's retirement event

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News for the upcoming ASTRA event is slow-coming, but continues to trickle in. At a presser held in Japan, some more news was released in regards to this show, one a return and another another retirement. Makoto Takimoto, one of Hidehiko Yoshida's training partners and former PRIDE and Sengoku fighter has announced that he will not be fighting in the ASTRA event or any event for that matter. he has grown impatient waiting for big fights to come together and has grown tired of the fight game altogether.

The return, of course, will be the living Yamato Damashii himself, Enson Inoue. Inoue has had some legal issues over the past few years, including serving jail time for drug possession in Hawaii. He resides in Japan and of course has a few of his PUREBRED gyms across the world but this will be his first time in a ring competing since 2004. Fans last saw him on a big stage in PRIDE in 2002 where he was submitted by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira via triangle choke.

His competition is New Zealand kickboxer Antz Nansen, best known for defeating Hiroshi Izumi at Sengoku 10. The bout will be contested at Light Heavyweight. Still no opponent set for Yoshida.

K-1 MAX Japan Tournament 2010 TRAILER

2010-03-15T18:52:56Z

On Monday, Kuniyoshi Hironaka held an open training session and spoke to the press about his...

2010-03-15T17:51:40Z

On Monday, Kuniyoshi Hironaka held an open training session and spoke to the press about his upcoming DREAM.13 match against Katsunori Kikuno.

Krush×Survivor Results

2010-03-15T16:17:37Z

WPKC World Muay Thai Lightweight Champion Haruaki Otsuki wins by decision over J-Network Lightweight champ Akihiro Kuroda.

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On Saturday Krush held the Krush×Survivor show from Korakuen Hall. In the first match of a triple main event, Haruaki Otsuki beat the J-Network Lightweight champion Akihiro Kuroda by a close margin on points. The current RISE 55kg champ Nobuchika Terado landed a right hook late in the first round which was enough to finish NJKF's former Flyweight champ KENJI. In the third main event, it was last year's Krush Lightweight GP runner-up Yuta Kubo picking up the unanimous decision victory over J-Network top rank Junpei Aotsu.

K-1 World MAX 2007 thrid place Keiji Ozaki won an easy deicision over YOSHI, Syunsuke Ohishi picked up a 3-0 decision over All-Japan Karate champion Takuya Shirahama and K-1 Koshien tournament runner-up Ryuya Kusakabe took a 2-0 decision over Shota Takiya.

Full results after the jump.

Krush×Survivor
Sat. March 13th, 2010
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

62kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minutes 3R (extended 1R)
Haruaki Otsuki Def. Akihiro Kuroda - Decision 3-0 30-28,30-28,30-29

55kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minutes 3R (extended 1R)
Nobuchika Terado Def. KENJI - KO 1R 2min 26sec

64kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minutes 3R (extended 1R)
Yuta Kubo Def. Junpei Aotsu - Decision 3-0 30-28,30-29,30-28

65kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minutes 3R (extended 1R)
Keiji Ozaki Def. YOSHI - Decision by 30-27 with 3-0

63kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minutes 3R (extended 1R)
Syunsuke Ohishi Def. Takuya Shirahama - 3-0 Decision

55kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minutes 3R (extended 1R)
Ryuya Kusakabe Def. Shota Takiya - Decision 2-0 30-29,30-30,30-28

62.5kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minute 3R (extended 1R)
Hideaki Yamazaki Def. Tsukasa Fuji - Decision by 30-29 with 3-0

63kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minute 3R (extended 1R)
Shota Shimada Def. Daisuke Endo - Decision 3-0

70kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minute 3R (extended 1R)
Asami Zaurus Def. Tomohiro Goto - Decision by 30-24 with 3-0

75kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minute 3R (extended 1R)
Ken Mun Def. Taivan-Yortonts - Decision 3-0

From the Vault: Gary Goodridge v. Chalid Die Faust

2010-03-15T15:22:01Z

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Welcome back to From the Vault - a series here at Head Kick Legend focused on classic fights from kickboxing's past. With more and more fans discovering kickboxing every day, this series aims to revisit some of the sport's greatest fights.

GARY GOODRIDGE v. CHALID "DIE FAUST" ARRAB
K-1 World Grand Prix in Las Vegas 2006
April 29, 2006

To this day, I still know the exact moment I became hooked on MMA and, in turn, all combat sports. I was a young professional wrestling fan who had heard rumblings from a friend about this brand new thing called the UFC where it was just like pro wrestling "but for real." Intrigued, I headed to the video store and randomly picked up UFC 8. There was a lot that got my attention right off the bat, but one moment in particular grabbed me and made me say "THIS is what I need to be watching." That moment: Gary Goodridge v. Paul Herrera.

For that, Gary Goodridge will forever hold a spot as one of my favorite fighters. Yes, he's fallen on hard times in recent years, but there was once a point where he was a highly dangerous striker, both in MMA and kickboxing. So let's take a look back at one of Big Daddy's last stands, the 2006 Las Vegas GP.

Over the years, the Vegas GP has been home to some of the crazier fights in the K-1 canon - Bob Sapp v. Kimo, Ray Sefo v. Marvin Eastman... K-1's desire to court the Vegas audience with both MMA and American fighters led to some strange match-ups, but usually a very entertaining and explosive card, and the 2006 GP was no exception. In the quarter final round, two fighters made statements with explosive first round knock-outs. Those men were Gary Goodridge and Chalid Die Faust.

Heading into this event Goodridge's legend was well known. A former star of the UFC and Pride and now Hero's and K-1, Goodridge had a string of classic fights under his belt. While he didn't always win the big fights, he had been in there with the best, and had some very impressive kickboxing wins on his resume, including Mike Bernardo, Cyril Abidi, and Carter Williams. At the time, he was on a 3 fight losing streak, though those loses came against some of the sport's absolute best - Le Banner, Feitosa, Ignashov. Splitting his time between K-1 and MMA, Goodridge was still a fighter with dynamite in his strikes, as evidenced by his spectacular KO of Don Frye at Shockwave 2003.

Looking like a man with something to prove, Goodridge made an immediate statement at the Vegas GP, knocking out his first round opponent Kengo in just 40 seconds. After that win, Goodridge would face the highly regarded Scott Lighty in the semi-finals. Lighty had made the finals of this event last year, defeating Chalid Die Faust along the way before losing a decision to Ruslan Karaev. He was no match for Goodridge, who again knocked him out in the first, this time improving on his first fight with a 34 second KO, and earning himself a spot in the finals.

Chalid "Die Faust" Arrab was a relative newcomer to K-1, with not a tremendous amount of K-1 experience under his belt. None the less, he had a reputation as a tough knockout artist from his boxing career (his nickname translates to "The Fist") and held a respectable 7-3 MMA record. Coming into Vegas he was definitely not favored to win, as not only did he lack the same level of K-1 experience, he also had just one week before been involved in a major car accident in Germany.

In the quarter-finals, Chalid was paired with former WWE and WCW wrestler Sean O'Haire, making his 3rd pro kickboxing appearance. Chalid quickly lived up to his nickname, knocking O'Haire out with a devastating uppercut in 23 seconds (and, incidentally, ending O'Haire's kickboxing career). On to the semis, Chalid faced American Carter Williams, the 2003 Vegas GP champion. It was a close fight that Williams took via split decision, however, when Williams could not continue on to the finals due to injury, Chalid got a second chance.

The finals were set. The heavy-handed veteran Gary Goodridge v. the heavy-handed underdog Chalid Arrab. Winner would get a pass to the Final 16.

There's no denying it - you'll find many more technical fights out there. Both men fight sloppy at times, and in the end it's Goodridge's poor defense that leads to his KO. But if you're a fan of brawls, what a fight this is. Both men just go at it, with the start of the 2nd round in particular being just incredible.

As for the ending, it really is the kind of moment that sports fans live for. The less experienced fighter, coming in after a car crash, getting a 2nd chance after Williams's injury, and dropped in the 1st and 2nd rounds, manages to come back and connect with a perfect two punch combo that puts the bigger, stronger, favored fighter to sleep. If that ending and Chalid's celebration don't get your blood pumping, I don't know what will.

For both men, this fight has ended up being something of a final highlight. Chalid continued his miraculous run with a Final 16 victory over another highly favored fighter in Musashi, before being knocked out in the quarter finals by the great Ernesto Hoost. Since then, he has been largely inactive, going 0-3. As for Goodridge, sadly, this marked the start of a huge downward spiral in his career as this is the first loss in his current 11 fight winless streak in kickboxing (and 17 fight streak in kickboxing and MMA combined).

Regardless of their current status, both men showed a ton of heart here and defined what makes this sport great - even with the loses piling up, I know I still look forward to each athlete's next fight.

Note: Apologies for the hiatus on From the Vault. Look for weekly installments moving forward. If there are any fights you would like to see covered, let us know in the comments.

Brice Guidon v. Hesdy Gerges (part 1 of 3) It's Showtime Milan, Italy March 13, 2010

2010-03-14T20:36:14Z

Brice Guidon v. Hesdy Gerges (part 1 of 3)
It's Showtime
Milan, Italy
March 13, 2010

It's Showtime Milan Complete Results

2010-03-14T03:55:11Z

Khem Sitsongpeenong and Giorgio Petrosyan at the weigh-ins

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Full results are in for It's Showtime Milan and there's definitely some interesting outcomes to look at:

Giorgio Petrosyan def Khem Sitsongpeenong, DEC
Cosmo Alexandre def Dmitry Shakuta, TKO rd 2 (doctor stoppage due to cut)
Orono Vor Petchpoon def Egon Racz, TKO rd 3
Sudsakorn def Chahid Oulad El Hadj, DEC
Armen Petrosyan def Dzhabar Askerov, DEC
Brice Guidon def Hesdy Gerges, DEC (ext. round)

Julian Imeri def Fabio De Marco, DEC
Luca Panto def Wendel Roche, DEC
Yavuz Kayabasi def Hicham Bettani, DEC
Ali Cenik def Bruno Franchi, DEC
Federico Pacini def Robert Van Nimvegen, DEC
Sergeio Wilzen def Mattio Luppi, KO rd 3

The biggest news here is Guidon defeating Gerges in a pretty big upset. Guidon has been knocking on the door of the top level for some time, and this win should really propel him upwards.

I look forward to seeing footage of Giorgio Petrosyan's victory to see if he dominated, or if Khem was able to mount any effective game.

Cosmo Alexnadre has really been on a terrific roll lately with a number of big wins. Would love to see him rematch Yod.

Finally, what else can be said about Chahid? Four straight loses, the last 3 of which came against previously unranked opponents. These aren't cans he's losing to by any means, but he's really fallen apart in the last year. I hope he takes some time off to figure out how to fix his game, as whatever he's doing right now just is not working for him.

It's Showtime Results: Petrosyan Wins

2010-03-14T00:36:07Z

More results from It's Showtime in Milan: reigning #1 fighter Giorgio Petrosyan continued his 3 year, 20+ fight win streak, defeating Khem Sitsongpeenong. Khem put up a tough fight, taking Petrosyan the distance in a decision loss.

Giorgio's brother Armen Petrosyan also won, defeating Dzhabar Askerov, while Yavuz Kayabasi defeated Hicham Bettani via decision. No word yet on the title fight or Chahid's fight.

It's Showtime Results Starting to Come In: Gerges Loses

2010-03-14T00:07:52Z

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Today's It's Showtime show from Milan is not airing until later tonight, so results will be somewhat slow coming, although we do have one somewhat surprising result.

According to one live report, Brice Guidon defeated top 10 HW Hesdy Gerges via decision. Gerges turned a lot of heads in late 2009 with his big win over Ruslan Karaev and has picked up steam since then, earning himself a headlining fight against Badr Hari at the May Amsterdam ArenA show. This loss is a major setback for Gerges, who will need to build himself back up over the remainder of 2010. The fight with Guidon was a late addition to the card.

Interestingly, this marks the second time in a row Guidon has defeated Hari's already announced It's Showtime opponent, as he beat Mourad Bouzidi late last year while Bouzidi was already set for his bout with Hari. With wins now against Bouzidi, Gerges, and Rico Verhoeven among others, Guidon is undoubtedly a top 20 fighter. If he does indeed face Jerome Le Banner this summer as planned, it could be the kind of breakout win Guidon needs to take a big step forward in his career.

We'll have more results as they become available.

Oberg, Goodridge, Pique, More to Take Part in Shootboxing Europe Event

2010-03-13T15:06:03Z

via www.k-1.se

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Shootboxing announced a new European card to be held May 1 in Hamburg, Germany. The highlight of the show will be the European S-Cup, a qualifying tournament for Shootboxing's marquee S-Cup event. The winner of this event will compete in the S-Cup in Japan later this year. The eight participants in the European qualifier are: Denis Schneidmiller, Muhammed Gur, Rassam Muhareb, Shemsi Beqiri, Michal Glogowski, Marcus Öberg, Tadas Jonkus, Marco Pique.

Some very solid names there with Oberg and Pique standing out as early favorites, but both Glogowski and Beqiri are strong dark horse candidates as well.

Also announced for the card in non-tournament action: Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge. No word yet on his opponent.

K-1 MAX West Europe GP Brackets Set

2010-03-13T14:55:28Z

via mixfight.nl

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The drawing has been held and brackets are set for the Peter Aerts sponsored K-1 MAX West Europe GP to be held March 21 in Utrecht, Holland. The winner of this tournament earns a spot in the 2010 MAX Final 16. Brackets are as follows:

Chris van Venrooij vs Mootje Khamal
Henry van Opstal vs Robin van Roosmalen
Anthony Kane vs Hafid el Boustati
Bruno Carvallo vs Harut Gregorian

Given these brackets, I'd say we're likely to see a final of Khamal vs. the winner of a Gregorian/el Boustati semi-final. Should be a great tournament!

Peter Aerts sparring with UFC's Amir Sadollah in Amsterdam

2010-03-13T14:37:04Z

Peter Aerts sparring with UFC's Amir Sadollah in Amsterdam

Independent World MMA Rankings Mar. 2010

2010-03-12T21:07:46Z

The March 2010 Independent World MMA Rankings have been released. These rankings are independent of any single MMA media outlet or sanctioning body, and are published on multiple web sites.

In addition to the numerous MMA web sites that publish the Independent World MMA Rankings, you can also access the rankings at any time by going to www.IndependentWorldMMARankings.com.

Zach Arnold (Fight Opinion);
Nicholas Bailey (MMA Ratings);
Jared Barnes (Freelance);
Jordan Breen (Sherdog);
Jim Genia (Full Contact Fighter, MMA Memories, and MMA Journalist Blog);
Jesse Holland (MMA Mania);
Robert Joyner (Freelance);
Todd Martin (CBS Sportsline);
Jim Murphy (The Savage Science);
Zac Robinson (Sports by the Numbers MMA);
Leland Roling (Bloody Elbow);
Michael David Smith (AOL Fanhouse);
Joshua Stein (MMA Opinion);
Ivan Trembow (Freelance);
Dave Walsh (Head Kick Legend).

March 2010 Independent World MMA Rankings
Ballots collected on March 9, 2010

Heavyweight Rankings (206 to 265 lbs.)
1. Fedor Emelianenko (31-1, 1 No Contest)
2. Brock Lesnar (4-1)
3. Frank Mir (13-4)
4. Cain Velasquez (8-0)
5. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-6-1, 1 No Contest)
6. Junior dos Santos (10-1)
7. Brett Rogers (10-1)
8. Alistair Overeem (32-11, 1 No Contest)
9. Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1)
10. Andrei Arlovski (15-7)

Light Heavyweight Rankings (186 to 205 lbs.)
1. Lyoto Machida (16-0)
2. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (18-4)
3. Rashad Evans (14-1-1)
4. Anderson Silva (25-4)
5. Gegard Mousasi (27-2-1)
6. Forrest Griffin (17-6)
7. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-3)
8. Dan Henderson (25-7)
9. Thiago Silva (14-2)
10. Vitor Belfort (19-8)

Middleweight Rankings (171 to 185 lbs.)
1. Anderson Silva (25-4)
2. Dan Henderson (25-7)
3. Chael Sonnen (24-10-1)
4. Vitor Belfort (19-8)
5. Nathan Marquardt (29-9-2)
6. Demian Maia (12-1)
7. Jake Shields (24-4-1)
8. Robbie Lawler (17-5, 1 No Contest)
9. Yushin Okami (23-5)
10. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (11-2, 1 No Contest)

Welterweight Rankings (156 to 170 lbs.)
1. Georges St. Pierre (19-2)
2. Jon Fitch (21-3, 1 No Contest)
3. Thiago Alves (16-6)
4. Josh Koscheck (14-4)
5. Paulo Thiago (13-1)
6. Dan Hardy (23-6)
7. Nick Diaz (21-7, 1 No Contest)
8. Matt Hughes (43-7)
9. Paul Daley (23-8-2)
10. Matt Serra (10-6)

Lightweight Rankings (146 to 155 lbs.)
1. B.J. Penn (15-5-1)
2. Shinya Aoki (23-4, 1 No Contest)
3. Eddie Alvarez (19-2)
4. Kenny Florian (12-4)
5. Tatsuya Kawajiri (26-5-2)
6. Gray Maynard (9-0, 1 No Contest)
7. Frankie Edgar (11-1)
8. Diego Sanchez (21-3)
9. Gilbert Melendez (17-2)
10. Joachim Hansen (19-8-1)

Featherweight Rankings (136 to 145 lbs.)
1. Jose Aldo (16-1)
2. Mike Brown (23-5)
3. Urijah Faber (23-3)
4. Hatsu Hioki (20-4-2)
5. Bibiano Fernandes (7-2)
6. Marlon Sandro (16-1)
7. "Lion" Takeshi Inoue (18-3)
8. Raphael Assuncao (14-2)
9. Manny Gamburyan (10-4)
10. Michihiro Omigawa (9-8-1)

Bantamweight Rankings (126 to 135 lbs.)
1. Dominick Cruz (15-1)
2. Brian Bowles (8-1)
3. Joseph Benavidez (12-1)
3. Miguel Torres (37-3)
5. Masakatsu Ueda (10-0-2)
6. Scott Jorgensen (9-3)
7. Takeya Mizugaki (12-4-2)
8. Damacio Page (15-4)
9. Wagnney Fabiano (13-2)
10. Akitoshi Tamura (14-8-2)

The Independent World MMA Rankings are tabulated on a monthly basis in each of the top seven weight classes of MMA, from heavyweight to bantamweight, with fighters receiving ten points for a first-place vote, nine points for a second-place vote, and so on.

The rankings are based purely on the votes of the members of the voting panel, with nobody's vote counting more than anybody else's vote, and no computerized voting.

The voters are instructed to vote primarily based on fighters' actual accomplishments in the cage/ring (the quality of opposition that they've actually beaten), not based on a broad, subjective perception
of which fighters would theoretically win hypothetical match-ups.

Inactivity: Fighters who have not fought in the past 12 months are not eligible to be ranked, and will regain their eligibility the next time they fight.

Disciplinary Suspensions: Fighters who are currently serving disciplinary suspensions, or who have been denied a license for drug test or disciplinary reasons, are not eligible to be ranked.

Changing Weight Classes: When a fighter announces that he is leaving one weight class in order to fight in another weight class, the fighter is not eligible to be ranked in the new weight class until he has his first fight in the new weight class.

Catch Weight Fights: When fights are contested at weights that are in between the limits of the various weight classes, they are considered to be in the higher weight class. The weight limits for each weight class are listed at the top of the rankings for each weight class.

Special thanks to Eric Kamander, Zach Arnold, and Joshua Stein for their invaluable help with this project, and special thanks to Garrett Bailey for designing our logo.

1.5 Matches Added to DREAM.13 Featherweight's Yoshiro Maeda (26-7-2) vs. Cole Escovedo (15-4) has...

2010-03-12T10:56:31Z

1.5 Matches Added to DREAM.13

Featherweight's Yoshiro Maeda (26-7-2) vs. Cole Escovedo (15-4) has been added to the March 22nd card.

Josh Barnett will participate but with an opponent yet to be named.

Krush×Survivor - 3/13

2010-03-12T07:36:55Z

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Krush hold their Krush×Survivor show this Saturday at Korakuen Hall in cooperation with FEG. Krush looks to be the place where FEG is developing new talent for K-1, perfect for their new 63kg weight class.

WPKC World Muay Thai Ligthweight champion Haruaki Otsuki will face J-Network Lightweight champion Akihiro Kuroda in the main event. Otsuki's had a few fights up in K-1, going 2-0 with wins over David Douge and Ryuji Kajiwara back in 2008. He's also the winner of the All Japan Lightweight the Strongest Tournament Champion '03. His opponent will be the reigning J-Network Lightweight champion Akihiro Kuroda.

RISE 55kg champion Nobuchika Terado will meet former New Japan Kickboxing Federation Flyweight champ KENJI. Another top match will see the #1 ranked J-Network Lightweight Junpei Aotsu face off against the 60kg Krush GP2009 runner-up Yuta Kubo.

Other notable fighters in action include Keiji Ozaki, who finished third in the K-1 World MAX 2007 Japan tournament going up against YOSHI and 2006 All-Japan Karate Lightweight Champion Takuya Shirahama meets Syunsuke Ohishi, the #1 ranked J-Network Super Lightweight. The K-1 Koshien 2009 runner-up Shota Shimada faces off against GMC/Pancrase mixed-martial-artist Daisuke Endo and the K-1 KOSHIEN 2008 third place finisher Ryuya Kusakabe will be in action against 60gk All-Japan Karate champion Shota Takiya.

Krush×Survivor
Sat. March 13th, 2010
Tokyo Korakuen Hall.

62kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minutes 3R (extended 1R)
Haruaki Otsuki vs. Akihiro Kuroda

55kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minutes 3R (extended 1R)
Nobuchika Terado vs. KENJI

64kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minutes 3R (extended 1R)
Junpei Aotsu vs. Yuta Kubo

65kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minutes 3R (extended 1R)
Keiji Ozaki vs. YOSHI

63kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minutes 3R (extended 1R)
Takuya Shirahama vs. Syunsuke Ohishi

55kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minutes 3R (extended 1R)
Shota Takiyavs. Ryuya Kusakabe

62.5kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minute 3R (extended 1R)
Tsukasa Fuji vs. Hideaki Yamazaki

63kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minute 3R (extended 1R)
Shota Shimada vs. Daisuke Endo

70kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minute 3R (extended 1R)
Tomohiro Goto vs. Asami Zaurus

75kg contract / K-1 Rules / 3 minute 3R (extended 1R)
Ken Mun vs. Taivan-Yortonts

Jerome Le Banner in Training; Still Wants Fight with Tim Sylvia

2010-03-12T03:41:02Z

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Jerome Le Banner's camp has been somewhat busy as of late with various news of the fighter's scheduled and desired fights for 2010, and some of it is pretty weird.

First up, what is confirmed: we already know Le Banner will fight Ruslan Karaev in Yokohama in April. To prepare, JLB just finished training with Georges St. Pierre and Denis Kang in Montreal (fans may remember them training together late last year) and is now working with Thom Harinck in Amsterdam. This is good news, as Le Banner was supposed to train with Harinck before last year's GP, but it fell through and the end result was a poor performance. Hopefully a tough, seasoned trainer like Harinck will help push Le Banner here. After that, Le Banner will face his sometimes training partner Brice Guidon in France on June 5.

Now, here's where things get a bit more strange...

Apparently, Le Banner has been clamoring to get a 2-fight contract with UFC. His hope was to come in for 2 fights only, then return to K-1. For understandable reasons, neither the UFC nor FEG were much interested in this, so it fizzled out. But that doesn't push his MMA hopes aside. In his goals for 2010, Le Banner has stated that he wants to face both Alistair Overeem and Tim Sylvia in MMA fights. Overeem should come as no surprise due to the MMA v. K-1 angle he pushed last year, while the Sylvia fight is a rehash from a few years ago. During Sylvia's UFC HW title reign, some heated words were exchanged over the internet between Sylvia and Le Banner, including Le Banner stating "I will fix his chicken legs with some good low kicks" and insulting Sylvia's boring style. Affliction reportedly considered the fight at one point, though in the end nothing ever came of it. Well, apparently Le Banner remembered and is ready for the fight now. And to be honest, now's not a bad time for it. Given each man's fading star, a clash in Dream is not as bizarre an idea today as it was in 2006.

Beyond this, Le Banner wants kickboxing fights with Schilt, Hari, and Overeem in 2010. Finally, he wants to face boxer Jean-Marc Mormeck in a boxing match, however it appears Mormeck has turned down the fight.

A lot of this is pretty delusional, but you have to give Le Banner this - with his time at the top rapidly drawing to a close, he's definitely trying to scratch out every last big fight he can.

Raul Catinas v. Carter Williams Set for Bucharest

2010-03-12T03:20:27Z

Carter Williams returns in Bucharest

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New fight announced for the K-1 East Europe GP in Bucharest May 21, and it's somewhat unexpected: #22 ranked fighter Raul Catinas will face the returning Carter Williams. As a reminder, this is the big GP event with the winner earning a place in the Final 16.

Catinas made his K-1 debut last year where he made the semi-finals of the Europe GP. He looked good in his quarter final win before falling to eventual tournament winner Zabit Samedov. Since then he's had just one fight, a highly entertaining battle with Dzevad Poturak for K-1 ColliZion, in which Catinas earned the decision victory. A young fighter at only 21, Catinas brings in an 11-3 record, with his biggest wins coming against Poturak, Stefan Leko and Mindaugas Sakalauskas. He's a tough fighter with a lot of potential, though his under 6' frame may prove to be a notable disadvantage as he moves through the rankings.

His opponent, Carter Williams, is a popular American fighter making his return to K-1 after a 3 year absence. Last seen in an August 2006 loss to Stefan Leko, Williams has a number of very impressive accolades under his belt, including a win in the 2003 Vegas GP and wins over Bjorn Bregy, Chalid Die Faust, and Gary Goodridge among others. With over 50 fights and 10 years experience to his name, Williams will have a huge experience advantage, but that will be coupled with a lot of ring rust. As mentioned, he has not fought in a pro kickboxing fight in over 3 years, though he did have 2 MMA loses in that time (one to UFC fighter Paul Buentello in Strikeforce).

Honestly, this one is virtually impossible to call as Williams is just too much of an unknown right now. Can he show the form that brought him the win in 2003, or is he returning to the spotlight too late? I'd love to see him do well, but I'd have to favor the hungry and rising Catinas here.

Yoshihiro Sato Interview

2010-03-11T15:17:11Z

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Former Welterweight Muay Thai World champion and two time 2006, 2007 K-1 World MAX Japan champion, Yoshihiro Sato talks about his family, the turning point in his career and his game plan against Giorgio Petrosyan at the upcoming K-1 WORLD MAX 2010 -70kg Japan Tournament.

Yoshihiro Sato Interview.