marcelt
27-05-2009, 22:57
K-1 WGP Europe, Samedov takes Victory
Samedov Wins But Lascenko Endears Fans
http://www.fansofk1.com/images/spacers.gif
http://www.fansofk1.com/uploads/articles/2160/photo12000s.jpg
Perennial K-1 regional tournament favourite, Zabit Samedov, booked his first ever ticket to the Final 16 by defeating three opponents in one night to become the 2009 k-1 European Grand Prix Champion in Lodz, Poland. However it was an unknown Ukrainian who captured the hearts of the fans.
http://www.fansofk1.com/uploads/articles/2160/sergeilascenko.jpgTwenty-two year old Ukrainian, Sergej Lascenko, almost pulled off one of the greatest Cinderella stories in fight sports history when he made it to the final of the gruelling 8-man tournament only twenty-four hours after having won another eight-man tournament in a different country.
The night before the K-1 Grand Prix in Lodz, Lascenko competed in the European Muay Thai Championships in Riga, Latvia. He knocked out two of his three opponents to win the European title then quickly left the arena, hopped in a car and drove almost 900 kilometres overnight to Lodz to fight in the K-1 European GP.
Lascenko arrived in Lodz at 8am on the day of the tournament, took a quick nap and shaped up against France's Noel Cadet in the quarter finals at the hallowed Lodz Sport Hall. He knocked out Cadet in one round then moved through to the semi finals where he knocked out stablemate Dmitri Bezus, also in one round, to move through to the final. (NB: Bezus was an alternate for the injured Polish fighter Marcin Rozalski, who had knocked out Korea's Yong Soo Park with ease in the third round of their quarter final match).
Meanwhile on the other side of the draw, pre-tournament favourite Zabit Samedov made hard work of Lithuania's Mindaugas Sakalauskas, winning their quarter final by extra round decision. Samedov moved through to the semi finals against Romanian wrecking ball, Raul Catinas. The Romanian, who had knocked out Poland's Przemyslaw Miekina in an extension round in the quarter finals, could not find a put-away punch against the elusive Samedov who took the win via a comfortable decision.
So it was that Samedov and Lascenko met in the final. By this stage, having fought five fights within 24 hours in two different countries, Lascenko was a damaged unit, particularly his lead leg. It was this target that Samedov went after, chopping Lascenko's inside and outside lead thigh and eventually ending the fight via leg kick KO in the third round.
http://www.fansofk1.com/uploads/articles/2160/photo1000s.jpgLascenko vs Samedov
After controversially placing runner up at the K-1 USA GP in Las Vegas in 2007 and another controversial loss in the final of the 2009 European GP in Amsterdam, Samedov finally claimed a major K-1 tournament crown and booked his place among the elite in Seoul in September.
source: K-1 Official Website
Samedov Wins But Lascenko Endears Fans
http://www.fansofk1.com/images/spacers.gif
http://www.fansofk1.com/uploads/articles/2160/photo12000s.jpg
Perennial K-1 regional tournament favourite, Zabit Samedov, booked his first ever ticket to the Final 16 by defeating three opponents in one night to become the 2009 k-1 European Grand Prix Champion in Lodz, Poland. However it was an unknown Ukrainian who captured the hearts of the fans.
http://www.fansofk1.com/uploads/articles/2160/sergeilascenko.jpgTwenty-two year old Ukrainian, Sergej Lascenko, almost pulled off one of the greatest Cinderella stories in fight sports history when he made it to the final of the gruelling 8-man tournament only twenty-four hours after having won another eight-man tournament in a different country.
The night before the K-1 Grand Prix in Lodz, Lascenko competed in the European Muay Thai Championships in Riga, Latvia. He knocked out two of his three opponents to win the European title then quickly left the arena, hopped in a car and drove almost 900 kilometres overnight to Lodz to fight in the K-1 European GP.
Lascenko arrived in Lodz at 8am on the day of the tournament, took a quick nap and shaped up against France's Noel Cadet in the quarter finals at the hallowed Lodz Sport Hall. He knocked out Cadet in one round then moved through to the semi finals where he knocked out stablemate Dmitri Bezus, also in one round, to move through to the final. (NB: Bezus was an alternate for the injured Polish fighter Marcin Rozalski, who had knocked out Korea's Yong Soo Park with ease in the third round of their quarter final match).
Meanwhile on the other side of the draw, pre-tournament favourite Zabit Samedov made hard work of Lithuania's Mindaugas Sakalauskas, winning their quarter final by extra round decision. Samedov moved through to the semi finals against Romanian wrecking ball, Raul Catinas. The Romanian, who had knocked out Poland's Przemyslaw Miekina in an extension round in the quarter finals, could not find a put-away punch against the elusive Samedov who took the win via a comfortable decision.
So it was that Samedov and Lascenko met in the final. By this stage, having fought five fights within 24 hours in two different countries, Lascenko was a damaged unit, particularly his lead leg. It was this target that Samedov went after, chopping Lascenko's inside and outside lead thigh and eventually ending the fight via leg kick KO in the third round.
http://www.fansofk1.com/uploads/articles/2160/photo1000s.jpgLascenko vs Samedov
After controversially placing runner up at the K-1 USA GP in Las Vegas in 2007 and another controversial loss in the final of the 2009 European GP in Amsterdam, Samedov finally claimed a major K-1 tournament crown and booked his place among the elite in Seoul in September.
source: K-1 Official Website