MMA FanHouse

Badr Hari: Most Exciting KO Artist Ever to Step in the K-1 Ring

Michael David Smith — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: K1

The K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 is the year's biggest kickboxing event, and as we get ready for the Dec. 5 show, we have K-1 announcer Michael Schiavello offering his commentary on each of the fighters. His thoughts on Badr Hari are below.

By Michael Schiavello

BADR HARI
Nickname: The Golden Boy, The Devil Prince
Nationality: Morocco
Age: 24
Height: 6' 6"
Weight: 221
Stance: Orthodox
Gym: Mike's Gym, Holland
Career Record: 72-9-1 59KO
K-1 Record: 14-5, 12 KO
Notable Wins: Semmy Schilt KO, Stefan Leko KO, Peter Aerts KO, Errol Zimmerman KO
Strength: Right Cross, whipping round kicks, K-1's best jab
Weakness: Questionable jaw that he leaves exposed
HDNet K-1 Ranking: 2
Probability of QF Win vs. Ruslan Karaev: 80%

Arguably the most exciting knockout artist to ever step inside the hallowed K-1 ring, Badr Hari is a young man with the world at his feet who finally seems ready psychologically and physically to capture the crown experts have prophesized would be his since his teenage days.

When he was just 18, Hari's then trainer - the great Thom Harinck of Chakuriki Gym - proclaimed that a teenage Hari had more talent than Branko Cikatic and Peter Aerts combined. While Hari has showcased his enormous repertoire of dynamic technique since his K-1 debut in 2005 at the Tokyo Dome (where he knocked out Stefan Leko with a spinning hook kick to the head), he is yet to acquire the coveted Grand Prix title not for a lack of skill or physical strength but for a lack of mental potency.

In 2008 after knocking out Peter Aerts and then Errol Zimmerman in stunning fashion in his run to the final, Hari had a complete meltdown against Remy Bonjasky and handed Bonjasky his third GP crown.

"I basically gave him $400,000 and the title," said Hari. "I made a mistake. I still don't know what I was doing. My mind just goes a hundred miles an hour, you know, and I just did something really stupid. It won't happen again."

Once again Hari is poised as the favourite to take the GP crown this year. He will enter the Yokohama Arena on December 5 with two wins in 2009 over Semmy Schilt and Zabit Samedov who collectively lasted no more than three minutes in the ring with Hari. Indeed Hari's win over triple GP champion Semmy Schilt in May in Amsterdam was 45 seconds of violence the likes of which we have never seen before. Schilt, K-1's most powerful champion ever, was handled like a play toy as a ferocious Hari exploded out of his corner and knocked out the 6' 11" Hightower from Holland with a right cross gifted from the Gods.

On September 26 in Seoul Hari main-evented against K-1 European Champion Zabit Samedov. Again Hari made short work and became the only man to knockout the elusive Samedov when he sunk a single right hand to the stomach that floored the Belarussian and booked Hari his third Grand Prix appearance.

The Hari who will enter the ring on December 5 seems to have exorcised the demons that ravaged his past. Under the tutelage of father-figure trainer Mike Passeniere, and with the calming influence of main training partner Melvin Maenhoff, Hari's preparations are on target to finally achieve his destiny. His time spent in Morocco earlier this year as a special guest of the Moroccan King helped Hari to put his life into perspective and realize what an inspiration he is to millions.

"That was a great experience," he says of his time in Africa. "The people there were so nice and they had so much belief in me, it really helped me relax, center myself and get focused to do what I have always said I would do: become the K-1 champion."

FAST FACT
Badr Hari and Ruslan Karaev have fought twice before for one win apiece. In 2006 in Osaka it was Karaev who won a controversial TKO in the first round. In March 2007 Hari got his revenge in stunning fashion when after being knocked down in the second round, he threw just one right cross off the recommencement of the bout and knocked Karaev out cold.

HDNet is your home for MMA. For more information visit www.hdnetfights.com.

Badr Hari: Most Exciting KO Artist Ever to Step in the K-1 Ring originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Masato to Retire Against Andy Souwer

Ray Hui — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:18:00 EST

Filed under: K1

The opponent for Masato's farewell to competitive kickboxing will be fellow two-time K-1 World MAX GP champion Andy Souwer on the New Year's Eve Dynamite!! 2009 event in Saitama, Japan, promoters announced Thursday.

Masato, whom Souwer has already beaten twice, will aim to avoid the clean sweep in the finale to his 12-and-a-half year career.

Masato wanted to fight this year's K-1 World MAX champion and the eventual winner, Giorgio Petrosyan, accepted, but will not be allowed to compete due to a hand injury suffered in his semifinal bout against Yuya Yamamoto on Oct. 26.

Petrosyan was looking to force Masato to pass him the torch as the new face K-1 MAX.

"I'm sure the Japanese fans think so," Petrosyan told the K-1 website. "He's a Japanese fighter. But MAX doesn't equal Masato in my opinion. He's from the past ... It's mine, now. Right? That's what I think."

A victory over Souwer would be a grand way for Masato to finish his career, as besides the two losses to Souwer, Masato has won 18 of his last 20 bouts.

Dynamite!! 2009 Fight Card:

K-1 MAX: Masato vs. Andy Souwer
K-1 Koshien Semifinals: Hiroya vs. Masaaki Noiri
K-1 Koshien Semifinals Shota Shimada vs. Katsuki Ishida
K-1 Koshien Reserve: Tsukasa Fuji vs. Tatuya Kusakabe
DREAM: Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

Masato to Retire Against Andy Souwer originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Retiring Masato Fights, Sends Off Silver Wolf Teammate

Ray Hui — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: K1

Before he himself retires on New Year's Eve, two-time K-1 World Max champion and Japanese fan favorite Masato snuck in a fight over the weekend to help send-off his friend and teammate Daiguji Susumu.

Masato made the surprise appearance in an exhibition fight against his 31-year-old Silver Wolf cohort at a kickboxing show Saturday at the JCB Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The two initially attacked each other wearing headgear and shin guards but in an act of showmanship, removed their headgear for the second and final round. The bout was declared a draw.

Masato is scheduled to headline this year's Dynamite!! 2009 against an opponent to be determined. He would have fought K-1 World Max GP 2009 winner Giorgio Petrosyan, but Petrosyan will not be eligible to compete due to a broken hand suffered two weeks ago on the evening of his championship win.

The video at the top is of the entire fight and below is Susumu's emotional farewell speech.

Retiring Masato Fights, Sends Off Silver Wolf Teammate originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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K-1 World Grand Prix Final 2009 Video: Getting Hype Right

Michael David Smith — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:25:00 EST

Filed under: MMA Videos, K1

K-1 has released the latest promotional video for its World Grand Prix Final 2009, and it shows once again that K-1 knows how to hype a fight. Video below.

K-1 has all sorts of promotional challenges. It's a Japanese promotion, but none of the fighters is Japanese. Three of the fighters are from the Netherlands, one from Morocco via the Netherlands, one from Brazil, one from Russia, one from France and one from Suriname. They're trying hard to establish a foothold in the United States, but none of these guys is known to American sports fans.

And so they just release a video that looks cool, shows the fighters as big, tough guys, and makes you think you'd like to know more about them. The UFC is the gold standard when it comes to using YouTube for cinema verite promotional videos, but for glossy, professional ads, the K-1 YouTube channel is the best there is in fight promotion.

K-1 World Grand Prix Final 2009 Video: Getting Hype Right originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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K-1 World Max 2009 Final Results

Ray Hui — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: K1

Giogrio Petrosyan won the K-1 World Max 2009 championship Monday at the Yokohama Arena in Japan and will likely face last year's champ Masato in his retirement fight at "Dynamite!! 2009" on New Year's Eve.

Petrosyan made quick work of his first opponent Yuya Yamamoto, knocking out the lone Japanese tournament representative with a right hook two minutes and nine seconds into the fight. In the finals (video above), Petrosyan won unanimously on the scorecards against two-time K-1 World Max champ Andy Souwer, who advanced earlier in the evening with a split decision over Buakaw Por.Pramuk.

In the Koshien quarterfinals, K-1's tournament for high school students, Hiroya, Katsuki Ishida, Shota Shimada and Masaaki Noiri won their respective bouts and will fight in a single-night tournament on New Year's Eve.

Kozo Takeda, perhaps most known to MMA fans as Tatsuya Kawajiri's first K-1 opponent at "Dynamite!! 2008," lost in his retirement match against Albert Kraus via TKO in the second round.

Results are below:

K-1 Koshien Quarterfinals:
Hiroya def. Ryuya Kusakabe via split decision
Katsuki Ishida def. Tsukasa Fuji via unanimous decision
Shota Shimada def. Hiroki Akimoto via unanimous decision
Masaaki Noiri def. Keisuke Miyamoto via unanimous decision

K-1 World Max Final 4:
Semifinal: Giorgio Petrosyan def. Yuya Yamamoto via KO - R1, 2:09
Semifinal: Andy Souwer def. Buakaw Por.Pramuk via split decision
Reserve: Yoshihiro Sato def. Yasuhiro Kido via KO - R2, 2:23
Final: Giorgio Petroysyan def. Andy Souwer via unanimous decision

Other Bouts:
Xu Yan def. Yuichiro Nagashima via KO - R1, 1:04
Jae Hee Cheon def. Kazuhisa Watanabe via split decision
Albert Kraus def. Kozo Takeda via TKO - R2, 2:10
Drago def. Taishin Kohiruimaki via unanimous decision
Artur Kyshenko def. Toofan Salafzoon via KO - R3, 1:50
Hinata def. Mike Zambidis via unanimous decision

K-1 World Max 2009 Final Results originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alistair Overeem: I Want to Fight Fedor Emelianenko in April 2010

Michael David Smith — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:35:00 EST

Filed under: DREAM, MMA Videos, Strikeforce, K1, M-1 Global

After beating James Thompson in a Dream 12 squash match Sunday, Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem said he wants his next MMA fight to be against a much, much tougher opponent: The best fighter in MMA, Fedor Emelianenko.

"I want all of you to write this down," Overeem told reporters after the fight against Thompson. "I want to fight Fedor. Alistair Overeem wants to fight Fedor in April 2010. So write that down."

Overeem is turning his attention to kickboxing for the rest of the year: He'll fight in the K-1 World Grand Prix Final on December 5 and then he expects to fight a K-1 rules match in the New Year's Eve Dynamite show. But after that he's going to turn his attention back to MMA, and he said he thinks by April he'll be ready to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world.

Interestingly, Overeem said he'd prefer to fight Fedor in Dream rather than in Strikeforce, even though the Fedor-Overeem fight is one that Strikeforce has said it hopes to promote. Overeem did, however, say he'd be happy to fight for either promotion, and my guess is that if the fight does take place, it'll be a Strikeforce/M-1 Global co-promotion on American soil, televised by CBS or Showtime. And it'll be one of the best fights of 2010.

Alistair Overeem: I Want to Fight Fedor Emelianenko in April 2010 originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For Alistair Overeem, MMA Squash Matches Are K-1 Tune-Ups

Michael David Smith — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:40:00 EST

Filed under: DREAM, Strikeforce, K1

In North America, people who know who Alistair Overeem is know him as an MMA fighter. He's the Strikeforce heavyweight champion, and his 14 fights in Pride included one in Las Vegas (against Shogun Rua) and one against Chuck Liddell when Liddell was the most popular fighter in the UFC. To the extent that Overeem has any name value in this country, it's for what he's done in MMA.

But in both his home country (The Netherlands) and the country where he's done most of his fighting (Japan), Overeem is working hard at establishing himself as a world-class kickboxer, and he's putting MMA on the back burner while he hones his kickboxing skills. That's why Overeem's two MMA fights over the last two weekends were squash matches in which he easily beat two overmatched opponents. Overeem just wants to treat MMA as a way to stay busy and make a little extra pocket money while he gets ready for the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final in December.

And so when you see Overeem destroy James Thompson at Dream 12 and destroy Tony Sylvester at last week's Ultimate Glory event, and you ask yourself why Overeem can't fight better competition, just remember that Overeem doesn't care much about MMA right now. He decided to make 2009 the year that he puts all his energy into kickboxing, and that's what he's focusing on.

I'm excited about seeing Overeem in the K-1 World Grand Prix Final, where he'll be part of an eight-man heavyweight kickboxing tournament comprising the best heavyweight kickboxers in the world. I don't think he's going to win (I like Remy Bonjasky to beat Badr Hari in the final), but I think he has an outside chance, and I think it's exciting that an MMA fighter is giving high-level kickboxing a try.

I also hope Overeem returns to MMA on a permanent basis, though. Overeem has real MMA talent; it says something about his well-rounded fighting style that he's a K-1 kickboxer and yet he's won more fights by submission than by knockout or TKO. In 2010 I'd love to see Overeem defend his Strikeforce belt against Fedor Emelianenko. If he does, that will be one of hte marquee MMA fights of the year.

But for 2009, we'll just have to settle for seeing Overeem focus on kickboxing. For now, his MMA fights are just tune-ups.

For Alistair Overeem, MMA Squash Matches Are K-1 Tune-Ups originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What Does Ultimate Glory Say About the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final?

Michael David Smith — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: K1

Only the hardest of the hard-core fans watched it, but the Ultimate Glory MMA and kickboxing event in Amsterdam Saturday featured four of the eight participants in December's K-1 World Grand Prix Final 2009: Errol Zimmerman, Ruslan Karaev, Alistair Overeem and Semmy Schilt. So what did that event tell us about what we should expect from the year's biggest and best kickboxing event?

Errol Zimmerman: He was unimpressive through most of his fight with Wendell Roche, and after regulation time the judges ruled it a draw. Zimmerman finally started fighting with fire in the extension round, and he won the fourth round to win the fight by unanimous decision. But while he got the win, it wasn't a particularly impressive performance against the mediocre Roche, and it's hard to see any reason to think he has much of a chance of beating defending champion Remy Bonjasky in the K-1 World Grand Prix Final.

Ruslan Karaev: Hesdy Gerges battered Karaev's legs with low kick after low kick after low kick on his way to a dominant unanimous decision. It was a very bad performance by Karaev, who will be a heavy underdog in his first-round fight with Badr Hari at the K-1 World Grand Prix Final. I don't think Hari is going to use the same game plan as Gerges -- Hari would much rather deliver a one-punch knockout than pepper his opponent with leg kicks -- but Hari has to be pleased with how badly his opponent fought.

Alistair Overeem: It's hard to tell much about a kickboxer by watching him in an MMA fight against an overmatched opponent, but Overeem certainly appeared to be in good fighting shape when he whipped Tony Sylvester. The Sylvester fight was basically a tune-up; Overeem just wants to stay active and be ready to peak for the Grand Prix Final in December.

Semmy Schilt: Schilt earned a fairly low-key unanimous decision win over Alexey Ignashov in the Ultimate Glory main event, and for Schilt there was a sense of personal vindication because Ignashov dominated him with a first-round KO win five years ago. Like Overeem, Schilt is eyeing the Grand Prix Final and will treat any fights prior to that as warm-ups.

Conclusion: Schilt and Overeem did basically what I expected them to do, and that means I still expect them to win their first-round fights at the K-1 World Grand Prix Final. But Zimmerman and Karaev were worse than I expected, and that makes it almost impossible for me to picture them beating Bonjasky or Hari. Look for the Grand Prix Final Four to consist of Hari vs. Overeem and Bonjasky vs. Schilt.

What Does Ultimate Glory Say About the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final? originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Semmy Schilt Beats Alexey Ignashov

Michael David Smith — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:11:00 EST

Filed under: K1

Getting revenge for an ugly loss more than five years ago, the enormous Dutch kickboxer Semmy Schilt defeated the Belarusian Alexey Ignashov in a fairly dull decision Saturday at Golden Glory's Ultimate Glory 11 event in Amsterdam.

It was a big win for Schilt mostly because of what it meant to him personally: In 2004 Ignashov beat Schilt with a stunning first-round knockout, using powerful knees to chop down the giant, and Schilt has wanted to even the score with Ignashov ever since. Now he has.

The 2009 version of Semmy Schilt vs. Alexey Ignashov, however, was not a great fight. Schilt was fairly cautious and was satisfied with winning an easy decision against an inferior opponent -- and yes, an inferior opponent is what Ignashov is to Schilt, no matter what happened the first time they fought.

Up next for Schilt is a date with Jerome Le Banner in the first round of the K-1 World Grand Prix Final 2009. That will be a much better fight than this one, which was mostly, for Schilt, a matter of pride.

Semmy Schilt Beats Alexey Ignashov originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alistair Overeem Destroys Tony Sylvester in MMA Mismatch

Michael David Smith — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:52:00 EST

Filed under: DREAM, Strikeforce, K1

Alistair Overeem hasn't fought in the United States since winning the Strikeforce heavyweight championship two years ago, but on Saturday he beat an overmatched American, Tony Sylvester, in Golden Glory's Ultimate Glory 11 event in Amsterdam.

Overeem's first-round submission win was short and not particularly good: Overeem landed a hard knee to Sylvester's face, knocked him to the ground, landed a couple of punches, let him back up, and then forced him to tap with a standing guillotine choke. The whole fight lasted just under a minute and a half. Sylvester never went on the offensive at all.

Let's hope Overeem, who has a busy schedule ahead of him, fights some better opponents soon. He might fight again next weekend at Dream 12, although an opponent has not been announced, and he is slated to fight in the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final in December. After that he's finally expected to make his return to the United States and defend the Strikeforce heavyweight belt -- maybe against the best heavyweight in the world, Fedor Emelianenko.

A fight with Fedor would be tremendous, and the K-1 World Grand Prix features the best field of kickboxers in the world, so hopefully we'll get to see Overeem, who improved his professional MMA record to 30-11, test himself against high-quality competition going forward. Sylvester, who falls to 11-3, didn't belong in the same ring with him.

Alistair Overeem Destroys Tony Sylvester in MMA Mismatch originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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K-1, DREAM Announce 'Dynamite!! 2009'

Ray Hui — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:12:00 EST

Filed under: DREAM, K1

K-1 event producer Sadaharu Tanikawa and DREAM producer Keiiti Sasahara held a press conference Wednesday in Tokyo to formally announce "Dynamite!! 2009" for New Year's Eve at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Tanikawa said the event will be similar to last year's in that there will be a mixture of K-1 kickboxing and DREAM mixed martial arts bouts to fill out an 18-fight lineup.

The retirement fight of two-time K-1 World MAX champion Masato, one of the organization's most dominant and popular fighters, will will likely serve as the main event for the card airing live on Japan's TBS.

The expected DREAM bouts so far are Shinya Aoki defending his DREAM lightweight belt against Tatsuya Kawajiri and the finals of the Super Hulk tournament between Ikuhisa Minowa and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, though the Aoki-Kawajiri bout is less certain, as Aoki, after his title win at DREAM.11, wouldn't comment on a Kawajiri fight.

The card will also feature semifinals and finals of this year's K-1 Koshien tournament, a 137-pound kickboxing tournament for high schoolers.

K-1, DREAM Announce 'Dynamite!! 2009' originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMA Twitter Mailbag: UFC 106 or Strikeforce on CBS?

Michael David Smith — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:50:00 EST

Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, K1, M-1 Global

The last 24 hours have given us some big news on the two biggest MMA cards of the fall: The November 21 UFC 106 got better with Forrest Griffin stepping in for the injured Mark Coleman to face Tito Ortiz, while the November 7 Strikeforce/M-1 Global card got better with Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou facing Gegard Mousasi.

So which card is better: UFC 106: Lesnar vs. Carwin, or Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Rogers? I asked MMA fans on Twitter to weigh in, and a majority picked UFC. A selection of answers -- plus a bonus question about a fight card that I think might be more fun than either of them -- is below.

UFC 106:
gaewsky1: UFC fight. I want to see @shanecarwin kick Brock's butt. I think Carwin should be able to handle Brock's size.

rmann18: UFC card. Mayhem, Werdum and Sokoudjou are all UFC castoffs for a reason!!

mrblades: With Tito now fighting Forrest, gotta give the UFC card the edge. Strikeforce has good fighters with lame opponents.

MPEverett: UFC 106. Especially since Tito's fighting a more compelling opponent in Forrest Griffin, now.

antontabuena: I really like both,but If i had to choose..UFC106.It's one of the few mega cards this year thats stacked from top 2 bottom.

PJHarrison: I like the UFC card better. Although I am looking forward to Shields kicking Miller's ass!

mmajuan: Fedor Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi and Jake Shields are the only people worth watching in this card. I know people complain about UFC but come on, if you mach every champion in each organization. UFC will win. Other organizations have old UFC fighters.

ArkCowboy: The UFC card is better just because Lesnar and Ortiz will get whipped!

uchoo786: That's a really tough one, but overall I would have to say UFC 106 because they have more quality fighters on the card.

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers:
beewsee: I'm gonna have to say Strikeforce, MDS.

moreno1: Way more excited for Strikeforce card.

Eckmania: Hard to say now w/add of Griffin to UFC card. In terms of what I get for my money, Strikeforce has better overall card.

gimpshot: Leaning slightly toward the Strikeforce card.

ESpencerKyte: Strikeforce, hands down. Fedor, Miller v. Shields, Mousasi and it's free!

Too close to call:
padrickbrewer: It's hard for me to say which is better, but I know I am glad they are on different nights. Both are awesome cards.

CRM_alumnigonzo: I don't know, but the UFC better stick a couple of those prelims on Spike at 9pm.

Finally, a question about a fight card that might just end up being more entertaining than either UFC 106 or Strikeforce on CBS:

MMAUSA what's your prediction for the FieLDS K-1 World GP 2009 Final?
Most Americans don't know what K-1 is, but trust me: If you watch the K-1 World Grand Prix Final on HDNet in the early morning on December 5, you won't be disappointed. This is going to be a great event. Here's how I see it shaping up:

Round 1:
Badr Hari beats Ruslan Karaev
Alistair Overeem beats Ewerton Teixeira
Semmy Schilt beats Jerome Le Banner
Remy Bonjasky beats Errol Zimmerman

Semifinals:
Hari beats Overeem
Bonjasky beats Schilt

Final:
Bonjasky beats Hari

I expect Bonjasky to repeat as champion and once again beat Hari in the main event. Bonjasky may lack Hari's punching power, but I consider Bonjasky the most skillful kickboxer in the world. In the first round I'm particularly looking forward to Schilt vs. Le Banner in a match-up of two legends of the sport, and in the second round I think a rematch between Hari and Overeem could be one of the fights of the year. Overall I think the World Grand Prix 2009 Final is going to be one of the best sports events of the year.

Want to be part of our next MMA Twitter mailbag? Post a question or comment on Twitter.com, and be sure to start it with @MichaelDavSmith.

MMA Twitter Mailbag: UFC 106 or Strikeforce on CBS? originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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K-1 World GP Final Brackets Set

Michael David Smith — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 07:43:00 EST

Filed under: MMA Videos, K1

One of the things I enjoy about K-1 is the way it determines the draw for the World Grand Prix final tournament, with the fighters first slotting themselves into the brackets. That slotting process was done the morning after Saturday's World Grand Prix in Seoul, so the results are in.

Here's how the draw looks:
Badr Hari vs Ruslan Karaev
Ewerton Teixeira vs Alistair Overeem
Jerome LeBanner vs Semmy Schilt
Remy Bonjasky vs Errol Zimmerman

My very early predictions: Hari, Overeem, Schilt and Bonjasky will win in the first round. Hari will beat Overem and Bonjasky will beat Schilt in the second. And Bonjasky will beat Hari in the Grand Prix Final.

K-1 World GP Final Brackets Set originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 07:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Badr Hari, Remy Bonjasky Win at K-1 World GP in Seoul

Michael David Smith — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 07:52:00 EST

Filed under: K1

Badr Hari landed one hard punch to the midsection of Zabit Samedov in the first round of their fight Saturday at the K-1 World Grand Prix Final 16 in Seoul, and that one punch was all it took to make Samedov crumple to the ground in the corner and quit, bringing the Final 16 to a dramatic end.

Hari's victory was the only knockout of the event, which got started with defending champion Remy Bonjasky beating Melvin Manhoef by unanimous decision. Manhoef fought a much more tactical, cautious fight than is the norm for him, but Bonjasky used his enormous height and reach advantage to pick Manhoef apart and win a close decision.

Here are the full results from the Final 16:

Remy Bonjasky beat Melvin Manhoef by unanimous decision.
Errol Zimmerman beat Glaube Feitosa by unanimous decision.
Ruslan Karaev beat Kyotaro by unanimous decision
Ewerton Teixeira beat Singh "Heart" Jaideep by unanimous decision
Semmy Schilt beat Daniel Ghita by unanimous decision.
Jerome LeBanner beat Musashi by unanimous decision.
Alistair Overeem beat Peter Aerts by unanimous decision.
Badr Hari beat Zabit Samedov by first-round knockout.

The eight winners have advanced to the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final, a one-day tournament that will take place on December 5 in Yokohama, Japan, to crown the K-1 world champion. Bonjasky and Hari, who met in last year's final, have to be considered the two favorites. They're the two best kickboxers in the world.

Badr Hari, Remy Bonjasky Win at K-1 World GP in Seoul originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 07:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alistair Overeem Beats Peter Aerts at K-1 World GP in Seoul

Michael David Smith — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 07:35:00 EST

Filed under: Strikeforce, K1

Whether it's in kickboxing or mixed martial arts, Alistair Overeem is one of the toughest men in the world, as he showed once again on Saturday in defeated Peter Aerts at the K-1 World Grand Prix Final 16 in Seoul.

The 38-year-old Aerts is one of the legends of K-1, but he was simply no match for the bigger, stronger Overeem, who threw him around the ring and battered him with punches and kicks for three rounds in winning a one-sided unanimous decision. Overeem entered the fight as the underdog, but that's a function of K-1 fans knowing Aerts better than they know Overeem. There's no doubt that Overeem is the superior fighter.

Now Overeem will advance to the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final, a one-day tournament that will take place on December 5 in Yokohama, Japan, and he'll have to be considered one of the favorites. Overeem is just 4-3 in his kickboxing career, but he has been nothing short of outstanding in his last three fights: He dominated Aerts on Saturday, he lost a very close decision to defending champion Remy Bonjasky in March, and he knocked out Badr Hari on New Year's Eve.

Overeem's primary sport is MMA, and he's expected to defend his Strikeforce heavyweight championship against Fedor Emelianenko some time in 2010. He showed once again on Saturday why he'd be a real threat to Fedor: His stand-up game might be the best of any heavyweight in MMA.

But while a fight with Fedor would be great next year, this year Overeem's focus is on kickboxing. In December he has a real chance of being crowned the best kickboxer in the world.

Alistair Overeem Beats Peter Aerts at K-1 World GP in Seoul originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 07:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remy Bonjasky K-1 Video: I Don't Want to Get Knocked Out

Michael David Smith — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:29:00 EST

Filed under: MMA Videos, K1

Early on Friday I noted that Melvin Manhoef prides himself on being a brawler when he steps into the ring, rather than a cerebral fighter with a game plan. So that makes it especially interesting to note that Manhoef's opponent in Saturday's K-1 World Grand Prix in Seoul, Remy Bonjasky, prides himself on being a cerebral fighter who protects himself from knockouts -- and from the long-term brain damage that he fears suffering in the ring.

"I'm a thinker," Bonjasky tells K-1 announcer Michael Schiavello in the above interview. "You have to win the fight. If you win by points, if you win by knockout, both are good. The thing is, I don't want to get knocked out. I have two sons. I want to teach them math when I'm 40 or 50 years old. This is a game that is hard and not completely good for your health. After this I want to do something else where I use my brain. Getting knocked out is not the thing for me. I don't want that to happen. That's why I keep my guard up at all times."

Some fans and other fighters criticize Bonjasky as a boring fighter -- or even a coward -- because of that attitude. But I actually find it refreshing that a fighter is willing to openly acknowledge that he's concerned about getting knocked out, both for his short-term interests in winning a fight, and for his long-term interests in having a healthy and happy life after he retires.

Bonjasky vs. Manhoef will air at 3:30 AM ET Saturday on HDNet.

Remy Bonjasky K-1 Video: I Don't Want to Get Knocked Out originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Melvin Manhoef: F**k the Game Plan

Michael David Smith — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:58:00 EST

Filed under: K1

With four words in the above video, Melvin Manhoef explains why he's such a popular K-1 and MMA fighter -- and why he's also a fairly limited fighter who wins plenty of fights by exciting knockout but also loses plenty of fights to more tactical opponents.

The four words: "F**k the game plan."

Manhoef will fight Remy Bonjasky on Saturday in the K-1 World Grand Prix Final 16 in Seoul, and in an interview with K-1 broadcaster Michael Schiavello, Manhoef explains that while he knows he needs to have an effective game plan in order to beat a great opponent like Bonjasky, he also knows that when it comes time to fight, his nature is to disregard his game plan and turn it into a brawl.

"I'm going to keep on my game plan -- try to keep on my game plan," Manhoef said. "But if he's going to hit me hard or something, I'm going to go ballistic again and then it's f**k that. F**k the game plan and we're going to fight. ... We have to fight. We are fighters. We are gladiators. We have to come into the ring and fight."

Manhoef mentions that he sees a distinction between himself as a "fighter," and Bonjasky as a "sportsman." I see that distinction, too: Bonjasky doesn't just enter the ring planning to throw as many haymakers as he can; he enters the ring with a strategy for winning the fight. The distinction between those two approaches is why Manhoef is a more popular fighter, but it's also why Bonjasky is already 2-0 against Manhoef, and is likely to improve to 3-0 on Saturday.

The K-1 World Grand Prix Final 16 will air live on HDNet at 3:30 a.m. Saturday. If you follow K-1, follow me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.

Melvin Manhoef: F**k the Game Plan originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alistair Overeem: This Year is for K-1, I Hope to Fight Fedor Next Year

Michael David Smith — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:59:00 EST

Filed under: MMA Videos, Strikeforce, K1

Speaking with reporters in Japan prior to his K-1 kickboxing fight on Saturday, Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem said that he expects to defend his title against Fedor Emelianenko some time in 2010.

"This year is the K-1 year and then after this I am world heavyweight champion in America of Strikeforce, which is a pretty big promotion," Overeem said (at the 6:30 mark of the video above). "Fedor Emelianenko signed with them two months ago and I'm hoping to fight him next year in America."

Overeem became the heavyweight champion of Strikeforce in November of 2007 and hasn't fought for them since, raising questions about whether he ever intended to return to the promotion, or whether he'd simply continue to fight in Japan. But Overeem says fighting Fedor is what he wants to do next year.

In the mean time, Overeem has a big kickboxing fight against Peter Aerts in the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final 16. That fight will be shown live on HDNet early Saturday morning.

Alistair Overeem: This Year is for K-1, I Hope to Fight Fedor Next Year originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Strange K-1 Video: Alistair Overeem Smashes Bicycle With Sledgehammer

Michael David Smith — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: MMA Videos, Strikeforce, K1

Well, this is something you don't see every day: Alistair Overeem, the Strikeforce heavyweight champion who's taking some time off from MMA in an attempt to become the heavyweight kickboxing champion of Japan's K-1 organization, is preparing for Saturday's K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 in Seoul by smashing things with sledgehammers.

Overeem, for no apparent reason, destroys a bicycle with a giant hammer in the above K-1 promotional video. He then destroys a camera and tripod before declaring, "Everybody's gonna die."

I'm not really sure what to make of that, but I am sure I'm excited about seeing Overeem back in the ring. He hasn't defended his Strikeforce title since winning it two years ago and has had only one fight of any kind, kickboxing or MMA, in 2009.

His second fight of 2009, against Peter Aerts, will be broadcast live early in the morning Saturday on HDNet. If he beats Aerts, he'll advance to the K-1 World Grand Prix Final 2009 in December. And after that he might even fight for Strikeforce again some time in early 2010. I'm guessing CBS won't be using any footage of him destroying bicycles.

Here's the K-1 hype video for Aerts:

Strange K-1 Video: Alistair Overeem Smashes Bicycle With Sledgehammer originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hari 'Throws to Hurt With Every Shot'

Michael David Smith — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:42:00 EST

Filed under: K1

I've always believed that the one thing Japan's K-1 kickboxing promotion needs to take off in the United States is the emergence of one recognizable star. It's looking increasingly like HDNet, which owns the U.S. TV rights to K-1, thinks that star is Badr Hari.

On Friday night HDNet will air a 90-minute show devoted to the career of Hari, a Dutch-Moroccan heavyweight with powerful punches and a bad-boy attitude. The above video promoting the show pretty well describes why Hari has the potential to emerge as the first kickboxer to really gain traction with American fans.

"What sets Badr apart from everyone is his aggression," K-1 announcer Michael Schiavello says. "The guy throws to hurt with every shot."

That's a good way of saying it. Fight fans like to see guys who push the pace and fight to finish, and that's what Hari does. Throw in the fact that he's got a nasty streak (sometimes too nasty, as in his disqualification against Remy Bonjasky in last year's World Grand Prix Final) and this is a fighter fans can either grow to love or love to hate. Either way, they'll want to watch.

I don't think Hari is the best kickboxer in the world -- I'd still pick Bonjasky, who has beaten Hari in the last two K-1 World Grand Prix finals -- but I do think Hari has the potential to become the best, and stay the best for a long time. The 24-year-old Hari will next step into the ring on September 26 against Zabit Samedov, and if you have any interest in kickboxing, that's a fight you won't want to miss.

Hari 'Throws to Hurt With Every Shot' originally appeared on MMA FanHouse on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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