Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2009

Photos Courtesy of FEG

There are some people who don’t regard K-1 as a real sport. They lump it in with professional wrestling as a perverse form of fighting entertainment. They’re wrong, of course, but K-1 has often shot itself in the foot by presenting cartoon characters as fighters and expecting the audience to buy it.

Well, it seems the public stopped believing this stuff quite some time ago, and the rumor is that K-1 is now struggling to survive. Clearly, what it needs to do is reinvent itself as a sport: a real sport.

It made a good start at the World Max finals at the end of last month. Apart from the clown fighter who dresses as a manga character (looks like a schoolgirl, fights like a schoolgirl), the World Max bill had some impressive matchups. Indeed, one of the best fights was between two schoolkids—Masato protégé Hiroya and karate kid Ryuya Kusakabe—which bodes well for the future. More importantly, the new K-1 Max (under 70kg) champion, Italian Giorgio Petrosyan, displayed awesome fighting skills as he disposed of two-time title-holder Andy Souwer of the Netherlands in the final. K-1 is no doubt hoping its new champ will demonstrate similar purity of spirit at the World Grand Prix Finals in Yokohama on December 5.

Last year’s final did not go well. Badr Hari, who for some strange reason is not known as the “Mad Moroccan,” met the man he loves to hate, two-time champion Remy Bonjasky. The two are not, to put it mildly, the best of friends. Unfortunately, unhappy Hari took his Remy rage into the ring and attacked the Dutchman when he was down on the mat. As he was pulled away, he delivered a kick to the head for good measure and was disqualified, thus making his opponent a three-time champion.

Both are back for this year’s climactic series, and could meet in the final again. Bonjasky will have to get past Curaçao’s Errol Zimmerman to make it to the semifinals, where he will face veteran Jerome Le Banner of France or Dutchman Semmy Schilt, the reigning champion from 2005 to 2007. Zimmerman is strong, but lacks Bonjasky’s skills. He is, however, nearly a decade younger than his opponent, and this may count in his favor.

Towering at 212cm, the giant Schilt is 36 years old, but will still be fighting an even older man in Le Banner. The Frenchman is a born fighter who never gives up, but you have to figure his days are numbered and it won’t be too long before he joins stalwarts Peter Aerts and Musashi in retirement.

In the other half of the draw, Hari will be up against Russia’s Ruslan Karaev in the first round and will then have to face Dutchman Alistair Overeem or Brazil’s Ewerton Teixeira in the semis. The Moroccan has all the skills but needs to control his temperament to get through to the final. Karaev could also go all the way, and neither fighter is likely to be overly troubled by the erratic Teixeira or the overstuffed Overeem (how does one guy produce so much muscle?).

K-1 will be keeping its fingers crossed for a night of pure fighting. The days of buffoonery are apparently over, although we still have the end-of-year “Dynamite” festival at Saitama Super Arena to come, when Masato will make his final appearance, bravely taking on the dynamic and dangerous Petrosyan.

Hopefully, there won’t be any fighters dressed up as schoolgirls—well, unless they’re actually schoolgirls.

World Grand Prix Final
Dec 5, 5pm. ¥6,000-¥100,000. Yokohama Arena. Tel: 03-3796-5060.

Dynamite
Dec 31, 4pm. ¥4,000-¥100,000. Saitama Super Arena. Tel: 03-5775-5065.