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marcelt
19-09-2009, 02:12
STAND OR FALL Superstars Ready to War at K-1 FINAL16

For the first time ever HDNet will broadcast the K-1 GP FINAL16 card from Seoul, Korea live and exclusive across North America on September 26. MICHAEL SCHIAVELLO previews the 8 fights.



Source: K-1 Official (http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/index.php)




http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2009/images/0917_wgp_01/ph02.jpg (http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2009/images/0917_wgp_01/ph02b.jpg)
Remy Bonjasky vs Melvin Manhoef

Current K-1 World GP Champion Bonjasky and the always-dangerous Manhoef have battled twice with Bonjasky winning on both occasions.
Their first encounter took place in 2002 with Bonjasky winning by decision. Their second match took place last year and ended with Bonjasky breaking Manhoef's ribs with a flying kick in the third round.
Both men come into their trilogy match on victories: Bonjasky with a lackluster decision over Alistair Overeem in March (after knocking down Overeem once with a punch) and Manhoef off a crushing first round KO of Muay Thai stylist Ramazan Ramazanov in August.
Manhoef gained a ticket to the FINAL16 thanks to fans who voted him as their choice in K-1's worldwide online poll. It's a deserved place too for the busiest fighter in the world and the only man to swing between top level striking and MMA competition, sharing his career between K-1 and DREAM duties.
While the fans will certainly be behind Manhoef and his rampaging fists, it is hard to pick against the three-time and current K-1 World GP champion Bonjasky for the win in Seoul.
Bonjasky is a master strategist with arguably the best defense in K-1. Rarely does he get hit with clean shots and Manhoef will have to wear Bonjasky's vicious roundkicks to the legs, ribs and head and then deal with the champ's knees just to try and get on the inside.
I'm a massive fan of Manhoef's powerful walk-forward style and my imagination boggles at the possibility of seeing him in the K-1 Grand Prix for the first time. But Bonjasky is too big, too smart, has too many weapons and that virgin's defense - impenetrable - that has seen him lose only one match in the last three years.
Pick: Bonjasky by TKO



http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2009/images/0917_wgp_01/ph03.jpg (http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2009/images/0917_wgp_01/ph03b.jpg)
Errol Zimmerman vs Glaube Feitosa

This is a rematch of Zimmerman and Feitosa's FINAL16 match in Seoul from 2008. On that occasion it was a then in-form Zimmerman who pounded Feitosa for three rounds solid in one of the worst beatdowns I have ever seen in K-1. How Feitosa survived to reach the final bell after getting hit with cannonball after cannonball still amazes.
Feitosa comes into Seoul off a win over Junichi Sawayashiki in March, while Zimmerman has none of the momentum he carried at the same time last year, entering this match on a four-fight losing streak.
Zimmerman cannot afford to rest on his laurels here and think “Hey, I beat him up last year, I'll do it again." Feitosa and his trainers at Team Ichigeki tell me that they've worked out a gameplan to defeat Zimmerman and ensure history doesn't repeat itself in Seoul.
More than this, Feitosa knows that September 26 could be his last roll of the dice for K-1 Grand Prix qualification. At 36 years old, married and with a child, he is in the twilight of his career and must make way for Ewerton Texeira to take over as Kyokushin's number one gun. Come September 26 Feitosa will be a man on a mission. Revenge against Zimmerman is on his mind but so too is his determination to show that he's got one last run at the crown left and isn't ready to retire his famed finishing technique - the Brazilian kick - just yet.
Pick: Feitosa by decision



http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2009/images/0917_wgp_01/ph04.jpg (http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2009/images/0917_wgp_01/ph04b.jpg)
Ruslan Karaev vs Kyotaro

I believe this could turn into the fight of the night on September 26. In Karaev and Kyotaro you have two of the hungriest and most dynamic strikers in the world with vastly different styles.
Karaev is a man with more combinations than a Rubik's Cube. The lightning-fast Russian mixes hands and feet like no other heavyweight in the world and only knows one speed: full throttle.
While his balls-to-the-wall fighting style has served him well in recent times, winning the 2008 K-1 in Taiwan GP in epic fashion knocking out all three opponents, it has also been his undoing in the past when Karaev has sacrificed defense for out-and-out offense.
Against K-1's best counter fighter, Kyotaro, Karaev needs to employ defense and choose his attacks wisely. If he decides to go all out and attack Kyotaro from the opening bell, the Russian will find himself on the receiving end of Kyotaro's delicious finishing counter right cross that he used to knockout Melvin Manhoef in March and Jan Soukup in August.
Although veteran Musashi is getting one last crack at a K-1 Grand Prix berth, Japanese hopes will be pinned on Kyotaro, who as the current K-1 world heavyweight champion is the only Japanese heavyweight to ever hold a K-1 world title.
A superb strategist with excellent footwork, a full tank of gas and the ability to beat anyone with his counter game, look for Kyotaro to catch Karaev's questionable jaw at some stage in what promises to be an exhilarating match.
Pick: Kyotaro by KO

marcelt
19-09-2009, 02:13
http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2009/images/0917_wgp_01/ph05.jpg (http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2009/images/0917_wgp_01/ph05b.jpg)
Ewerton Texeira vs Singh "Heart" Jaideep

On paper this looks like a gift for Texeira and I believe that's how it will play out in the ring.
Jaideep comes in as the winner of the K-1 Asian GP in Seoul in August on his K-1 debut but defeated a weak line-up to win the title. He has never faced a fighter of Texeira's talents and will find himself on the receiving end of Texeira's brutal Kyokushin leg and rib kicks and the Brazilian's finely tuned hands.
For Jaideep to have a chance he has to utilize his greatest advantage: height. At 6' 5" he will have three inches on Texeira and needs to keep Texeira on the end of his jab and front kicks and use his knees should Texeira get on the inside.
It's doubtful that Jaideep will have any weapons to faze Texeira, as the Indian's hands don't carry much power. Expect Texeira to crack away at Jaideep's lead thigh, slow down the Indian, then get on the inside and land his punches.
Pick: Texeira by decision



http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2009/images/0917_wgp_01/ph06.jpg (http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2009/images/0917_wgp_01/ph06b.jpg)
Badr Hari vs Zabit Samedov

Another match which on paper looks like a gimme for Badr Hari. While I believe that Badr will take this one, Samedov will do the former world's heavyweight champion no favours and make a real fight out of it.
Samedov is incredibly fast and works a lot of angles. Hari will have to be on his game and hunt down the evasive Azerbaijan fighter as Samedov will look to get inside, work his hands and legs, then move out and circle, trying to earn a win on the judges's score cards.
Personally I don't think this gameplan will work against Hari. The Moroccan is a wrecking machine and one of the most proficient knockout artists in K-1. He comes into this match off of a complete tooling of Semmy Schilt, knocking out the High Tower in just 45 seconds of their match in Amsterdam in May.
Schilt had at least 15 kilograms and five inches on Hari. It made no difference. Samedov will give away at least 11 kilograms and six inches to Hari. It will make a big difference.
Samedov can hit and run as much as he likes but fact is that Hari will catch him, will unload on him and will hit him harder than anyone has ever hit Samedov before. It's unlikely Samedov will get on the inside of Hari's leg kicks. If he does then he runs into Hari's extraordinary jab. He gets past the jab and he finds Hari's knees coming up under his chin. Somewhere in all of that craziness, Samedov will be knocked out.
Pick: Hari by KO



http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2009/images/0917_wgp_01/ph07.jpg (http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2009/images/0917_wgp_01/ph07b.jpg)
Jerome LeBanner vs Musashi

Now here's a name we didn't think we'd see again. Old warhorse Musashi is given a final chance to make the K-1 Grand Prix, a competition he twice placed runner up back in 2003 and 2004.
Musashi has announced that he'll hang up the gloves at the end of 2009 and it's likely that LeBanner's retirement won't be too far behind. So in effect this is probably a last chance for both men to qualify for the Grand Prix and take one last crack at the crown.
Musashi hasn't fought since Dynamite where Gegard Mousasi owned him inside of one round under K-1 rules. Indeed the Japanese veteran comes in on a three-fight losing streak dating back to June 2008.
LeBanner comes in off a grueling decision loss after two extension rounds to Ewerton Texeira in March.
LeBanner and Musashi both fought each other in 2002 in the quarterfinals of the K-1 Grand Prix with LeBanner bashing Musashi inside of two rounds. It was in that tournament that LeBanner's arm was broken in the final by Ernesto Hoost and the Frenchman hasn't looked the same in the power department since. Indeed LeBanner, historically famed as K-1's hardest puncher, has not knocked out an opponent since 2007.
If both of these southpaws “bring it" on September 26 expect an entertaining match. If they choose to play a point-scoring game then it could turn into dull contest.
Pick: LeBanner by decision



http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2009/images/0917_wgp_01/ph08.jpg (http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2009/images/0917_wgp_01/ph08b.jpg)
Semmy Schilt vs Daniel Ghita

Even with Ghita's incredible win in the K-1 Last Chance Tournament on August 11 in Tokyo - in which he ran through three opponents in an amazing 5:15 - it's hard to tip in his favour and go against Semmy Schilt for this mouth-watering fight.
I can see K-1's reasoning for this match. Schilt is an awesome three-time K-1 Grand Prix champion but he's a hard commodity to market as he has less personality than a cabbage. No doubt K-1 is hoping that the momentum from his August 11 win stays with Ghita and he brings the aggression with which he won the Last Chance GP to this one-match on September 26 and keeps Schilt out of the Grand Prix for a second year running (Aerts did them that favour in 2008).
The question I'm pondering, however, is has K-1 placed too much hope on Ghita and oversold his Last Chance GP win? Let's be realistic here: John Love, Yuki and Sergeii Lascenko combined would not be able to beat Schilt.
At 6' 5" and 110kg, Ghita has great size but will still be dwarfed by 6' 11", 120kg Schilt. Ghita has power in his hands and his legs but his chin has never been tested and you can bet that's the spot Schilt will target with his knockout jab and high knees.
Pick: Schilt by TKO



http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2009/images/0917_wgp_01/ph09.jpg (http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2009/images/0917_wgp_01/ph09b.jpg)
Peter Aerts vs Alistair Overeem

This fight has been granted main event status on September 26 and rightly so. It is another in FEG's continuing trend of K-1 vs MMA matches and with a place in the K-1 Grand Prix up for grabs the stakes have never been higher.
Overeem gets an invitation to the FINAL16 courtesy of the online worldwide fan vote. It seems Overeem's handling of Hari last NYE under K-1 rules and his going three rounds with Remy Bonjasky in March was enough for the fans to want to see more.
FEG has done Overeem no favours in matching him up against the legendary Dutch Lumberjack, especially given Aerts's current shape.
For his last fight against Yosuke Nishijima in August, Aerts looked in the best physical condition I've seen him in for almost a decade. Reunited with master strategist Thom Harinck who guided Aerts to back-to-back K-1 Grand Prix crowns in 1994 and 1995, Aerts is looking revitalized, hungry and ready to capture a record-equaling fourth K-1 crown.
Overeem's win over Hari gave him a lot of cred with K-1 fans, as did his showing against Bonjasky. But Aerts at the FINAL16 is a whole different story. The Lumberjack will be looking not only to beat Overeem but also to beat him up!
Overeem's best chance here is to use his strength and size to bull-rush Aerts from the opening bell and swing for Aerts's jawline just like Hari did against Aerts in last year's GP quarter final.
Meanwhile Aerts will need to weather the storm and go to town on Overeem's legs, hacking away with outside thigh kicks to the front and back legs before lining up the Goodnight Irene roundkick to the head.
I don't think this fight will go the distance but it will be a maelstrom of madness while it lasts.

Pick: Aerts by KO

Wiseguy
19-09-2009, 02:32
No way dat Maeda gaat winnen van Karaev gaat winnen. Verder denk ik ook dat overeem van Aerts wint. Voor de rest ben ik het met hem eens.

Omar.
19-09-2009, 03:13
Ik denk ook niet dat Karaev dit gaat verliezen!
Aerts - Overeem kan echt alle kanten op, toch denk ik ook Overeem.
Wat betreft de andere partijen ben ik het wel helemaal met 'm eens!
Ik kan niet wachten!!

micha
19-09-2009, 06:52
het wordt iig smullen

marcelt
19-09-2009, 12:16
Idd. vette line-up !

Karel
19-09-2009, 12:20
ben ook wel benieuwd naar het gameplan van feitosa, denk alleen niet dat het op punten beslist wordt...
voor de rest is het ook moeilijk te zeggen, die vent die het schrijft schijnt wel erg uit te gaan van garanties in het verleden... en gelukkig kan je daar vaak genoeg niet vanuit gaan met de k1

ZakKa!
19-09-2009, 13:26
ben ook wel benieuwd naar het gameplan van feitosa, denk alleen niet dat het op punten beslist wordt...
voor de rest is het ook moeilijk te zeggen, die vent die het schrijft schijnt wel erg uit te gaan van garanties in het verleden... en gelukkig kan je daar vaak genoeg niet vanuit gaan met de k1

Hij en Ewerton zijn beide aan hun boxingskills gaan werken bij dezelfde persoon.

Karel
19-09-2009, 13:31
hoop dat Zimmerman hem net als Badr weet te overrompelen, die ging behoorlijk door de dekking heen...

Omar.
19-09-2009, 15:34
Feitosa is een hele kalme vechter! Daar kan Zimmerman z'n voordeel uithalen, aangezien Zimmerman wel van een slugfest houdt.