Wheelie
30-12-2008, 15:58
As dusk descended on the eve of New Year's Eve, Japanese fightsport fans braved falling temperatures to crowd Shinjuku Station Square for a glimpse of the warriors will do battle in tomorrow's FieLDS DYNAMITE!! 2008.
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo01b.jpg
Thirty-six fighters, from age 15 to 40, will step into the ring for the extravaganza, which has become a New Year's tradition in the land of the rising sun. Tens of thousands will fill the Saitama Super Arena, and tens of millions will watch on nationwide television.
Most of the fighters did their final media interviews yesterday, and today the mood was festive, with hundreds of shrieking fans stretching cameras and mobile phones high above their heads, shooting photos and videos of their favorite fighters. The veterans, accustomed to Japanese fan adoration, wore appreciative smiles on their face; while some the younger fighters, particularly those from overseas, appeared in awe of it all.
Dynamite 2008 features a dozen DREAM MMA bouts in a variety of weight classes; a quartet of K-1 Rules contests; and the culmination of the K-1 Koshien high school tournament.
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo02b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo03b.jpg
"Tomorrow, my opponent will face his worst nightmare -- reality!" growled Sapp, who will meet anime character Kinniku Mantaro in a surreal dance. The masked Mantaro, who remained silent through interviews this week, did not respond to the provocation.
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo04b.jpg
Mirko CroCop revealed that he prepared for his bout with the 218cm/7'2" Choi by sparring with a Croatian Olympic basketball player: "He's not a fighter, but he's the same size as Choi!"
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo05b.jpg
Alistair Overeem mocked opponent Badr Hari's foul at the K-1 World Grand Prix Final, to which an almost meditative Hari simply responded, "I will hurt him, I will KO him, I will bring him a lot of pain."
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo06b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo07b.jpg
Samoan-American slugger Mighty Mo, meanwhile, pledged to become the first fighter to KO three-time K-1 World Grand Prix Champion Semmy Schilt. As always, Schilt was restrained with his comments, saying only that he would "show a good fight."
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo08b.jpg
Dutchman Gegard Mousasi, who will mix it up with Japanese K-1 veteran Musashi, told the crowd, "I have nothing to lose, so I'll do everything to win."
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo09b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo10b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo11b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo12b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo13b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo14b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo15b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo16b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo17b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo01b.jpg
Thirty-six fighters, from age 15 to 40, will step into the ring for the extravaganza, which has become a New Year's tradition in the land of the rising sun. Tens of thousands will fill the Saitama Super Arena, and tens of millions will watch on nationwide television.
Most of the fighters did their final media interviews yesterday, and today the mood was festive, with hundreds of shrieking fans stretching cameras and mobile phones high above their heads, shooting photos and videos of their favorite fighters. The veterans, accustomed to Japanese fan adoration, wore appreciative smiles on their face; while some the younger fighters, particularly those from overseas, appeared in awe of it all.
Dynamite 2008 features a dozen DREAM MMA bouts in a variety of weight classes; a quartet of K-1 Rules contests; and the culmination of the K-1 Koshien high school tournament.
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo02b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo03b.jpg
"Tomorrow, my opponent will face his worst nightmare -- reality!" growled Sapp, who will meet anime character Kinniku Mantaro in a surreal dance. The masked Mantaro, who remained silent through interviews this week, did not respond to the provocation.
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo04b.jpg
Mirko CroCop revealed that he prepared for his bout with the 218cm/7'2" Choi by sparring with a Croatian Olympic basketball player: "He's not a fighter, but he's the same size as Choi!"
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo05b.jpg
Alistair Overeem mocked opponent Badr Hari's foul at the K-1 World Grand Prix Final, to which an almost meditative Hari simply responded, "I will hurt him, I will KO him, I will bring him a lot of pain."
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo06b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo07b.jpg
Samoan-American slugger Mighty Mo, meanwhile, pledged to become the first fighter to KO three-time K-1 World Grand Prix Champion Semmy Schilt. As always, Schilt was restrained with his comments, saying only that he would "show a good fight."
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo08b.jpg
Dutchman Gegard Mousasi, who will mix it up with Japanese K-1 veteran Musashi, told the crowd, "I have nothing to lose, so I'll do everything to win."
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo09b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo10b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo11b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo12b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo13b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo14b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo15b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo16b.jpg
http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/images/081230/photo17b.jpg