It has just been announced that the current Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair "Demolition Man" Overeem has been offered another K-1 match by K-1's governing body, the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG). The proposed opponent is fellow Dutchman, K-1 Champion Remy Bonjasky. Overeem and his management (Golden Glory) have already accepted the offer, the ball is now in Bonjasky's court according to some sources. At the end of 2008, Overeem shocked the world of martial arts by knocking out K-1 star Badr Hari under the K-1 rules at Dynamite!!. On March 28, Overeem will continue his K-1 career and with a victory over Bonjasky, he could become the world's most feared striker.

What an entertaining show on the New Year's Eve when FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008 comes to us live from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Wednesday, December 31, 2008.

Here are the official results for the event:

• Opening Fight: K-1 KOSHIEN Reserve Fight/K-1 KOSHIEN Rules: Taishi Hiratsuka (Japan/Chubu Area 3rd Place) def. Daizo Sasaki (Japan/Kanto Area 2nd Place) by KO at 1:00 of Round 2

• Fight #1: DREAM Rules: MINOWAMAN (Japan) def. Errol Zimmerman (Suriname/Golden Glory) by submission (ankle hold) at 1:01 of Round 1

• Fight #2: K-1 KOSHIEN Semifinal/K-1 KOSHIEN Rules: Koya Urabe (Japan/Kanto Area 1st Place) def. Ryuya Kusakabe (Japan/Chubu Area 1st Place) by TKO at 2:29 of Round 3

• Fight #3: K-1 KOSHIEN Semifinal/K-1 KOSHIEN Rules: HIROYA (Japan) def. Shota Shimada (Japan) by unanimous decision

• Fight #4: K-1 Rules: Artur Kyshenko (Ukraine/Captain Odessa) def. Yoshihiro Sato (Japan/FULLCAST/Nagoya JK Factory) by split decision

• Fight #5: DREAM Rules: Daisuke Nakamura (Japan/U-FILE CAMP.com) def. Hideo Tokoro (Japan/Team ZST) by submission (armbar) at 2:43 of Round 1

• Fight #6: DREAM Rules: Andy Ologun (Nigeria/Team Ologun) def. Yukio Sakaguchi (Japan/Sakaguchi Dojo Yokohama) by KO at 3:52 of Round 1

• Fight #7: K-1 KOSHIEN Final/K-1 KOSHIEN Rules: HIROYA (Japan) def. Koya Urabe (Japan/Kanto Area 1st Place) by unanimous decision

• Fight #8: DREAM Rules: Bob Sapp (USA/Team Beast) def. Kinniku Mantaro by TKO at 5:22 of Round 1

• Fight #9: DREAM Rules: Semmy Schilt (Holland/Seido Kaikan) def. Mighty Mo (USA) by submission (triangle choke) at 5:31 of Round 1

• Fight #10: DREAM Rules: Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (Japan/Mach Dojo) def. Katsuyori Shibata (Japan/ARMS) by TKO at 7:01 of Round 1

• Fight #11: K-1 Rules: Tatsuya Kawajiri (Japan/T-BLOOD) def. Kozo Takeda (Japan/Jiseikan) by KO at 2:47 of Round 1

• Fight #12: K-1 Rules: Alistair Overeem (Holland/Golden Glory) def. Badr Hari (Morocco/Show Time) by KO at 2:02 of Round 1

• Fight #13: DREAM Rules: Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (Croatia/Cro Cop Squad) def. Choi Hong-man (Republic of Korea) by KO at 6:32 of Round 1

• Fight #14: K-1 Rules: Gegard Mousasi (Holland/Red Devil International) def. Musashi (Japan/Seido Kaikan) by KO at 2:32 of Round 1

• Fight #15: DREAM Rules: Melvin Manhoef (Holland/Show Time) def. Mark Hunt (New Zealand/Oceania Super Fighter Gym) by KO at 0:18 of Round 1

• Fight #16: DREAM Rules: Shinya Aoki (Japan/Paraestra Tokyo) def. Eddie Alvarez (USA/Fight Factory) by submission (heel hold) at 1:32 of Round 1

• Fight #17: DREAM Rules: Joachim Hansen (Norway/Frontline Academy) vs. Gesias "JZ Calvan" Calvancante (Brazil/American Top Team) was canceled*

• Fight #18: DREAM Rules: Kiyoshi Tamura (Japan/U-FILE CAMP.com) def. Kazushi Sakuraba (Japan/Laughter7) by unanimous decision

*Hansen didn't pass a pre-fight medical examination, reportedly due to a recent hospitalization for a head injury.

The K-1 Dynamite!! bout on New Year's Eve between Shinya Aoki (picture) and Eddie Alvarez will determine the first ever World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA) Lightweight Champion.

With just a few days to go before the show, it's been made official by press release that WAMMA will recognize the winner of the bout between Aoki and Alvarez as their lightweight champion. The press release also states that the winner will not receive the physical belt at the event, but it will be presented to them in a ceremony at a later date.

"New Year's Eve is rich in both history and tradition for combat sports in Japan," WAMMA Chief Operating Officer Michael Lynch said. "FEG officials have put together an amazing night of fights and WAMMA is looking forward to recognizing the winner of the Aoki versus Alvarez fight as our first ever lightweight champion."

Aoki and Alvarez would have met in the finals of the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix 2008, but Alvarez sustained an eye injury in his win earlier that night against Tatsuya Kawajiri. This brought in Joachim Hansen, who won the reserve bout, to step in for Alvarez. Hansen then defeated Aoki by TKO to become the first DREAM Lightweight Champion.

In the WAMMA rankings, Aoki is ranked number two in the lightweight division while Alvarez is ranked number three. UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn is ranked number one.

"WAMMA's board of directors supports the WAMMA pollsters in their recognition of BJ Penn as the number one rated lightweight fighter in the world," Lynch said. "However, Penn has not fought since May 24 and isn't scheduled to compete again until January 31. His January 31 fight will be contested at welterweight against Georges St. Pierre for the UFC's 170-pound crown. If Penn wins, UFC President Dana White has already stated that Penn's next fight will be a welterweight title defense against Thiago Alves. Needless to say, Penn's future as a regular competitor in the lightweight division is uncertain."

Lynch continued by saying that if Penn's returns to lightweight, WAMMA would approach the UFC to facilitate a fight between Penn and the WAMMA Lightweight Champion. However, that's only wishful thinking as the UFC has strongly opposed cooperating with WAMMA.

WAMMA is an independent sanctioning organization for mixed martial arts, with their own fighter rankings and championships. Earlier this year, Fedor Emelianenko became the first and only current WAMMA titleholder when he submitted Tim Sylvia in 36 seconds at Affliction: Banned. Fedor holds the WAMMA heavyweight title.

Bob Sapp fought a comedian at last year's Dynamite!! New Year's Eve event, and he will return this year with an even more unlikey opponent, which is a cartoon character.

FEG, the parent company of K-1 and DREAM, announced today that Sapp will take on a fighter under DREAM rules by the name of Kinniku Mantaro, a character out of the manga and anime series "Ultimate Muscle".

The fighter portraying Mantaro is a heavyweight that has been training at Kazushi Sakuraba's gym.

Three-time K-1 World Grand Prix and current K-1 Super Heavyweight Champion Semmy Schilt will return to fighting under MMA rules on the big stage at FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008 on New Year's Eve at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Schilt (25-14-1 in MMA) has found greater success in K-1 but has had an extensive career as a mixed martial artist. Beginning with Pancrase, Schilt moved onto the UFC and then PRIDE FC. His last major MMA appearance was at a K-1 HERO'S event in August 2006, where he won via triangle choke against Kim Min-soo. He fought in January of this year, knocking out a relatively unknown opponent at an event in Serbia.

In one of the three bouts added on Tuesday to the card, Schilt will face fellow K-1 fighter Mighty Mo. Mighty Mo, a Samoan-American kickboxer, has only three professional MMA bouts to his credit, winning all three by TKO or KO, and this will mark his first MMA action in a year and a half. Schilt and Mighty Mo have fought before under K-1 kickboxing rules. Schilt defeated Mo by decision in a K-1 Super Heavyweight title bout in June 2007.

The other two additions are Yoshihiro Sato vs Artur Kyshenko in a K-1 bout and Hideo Tokoro vs Daisuke Nakamura in a MMA bout.

There are also two previously announced high profile lightweight MMA bouts on the card. Joachim Hansen, who won the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix earlier this year, will fight Gesias Calvancante and Shinya Aoki will square off with Eddie Alvarez.

Here is the current fight card for FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008:

• Semmy Schilt vs Mighty Mo (DREAM rules)

• Hideo Tokoro vs Daisuke Nakamura (DREAM rules)

• Yoshihiro Sato vs Artur Kyshenko (K-1 rules)

• Jerome LeBanner vs Mark Hunt (DREAM rules)

• Shinya Aoki vs Eddie Alvarez (DREAM rules)

• Kozo Takeda vs Tatsuya Kawajiri (K-1 rules)

• Musashi vs Gegard Mousasi (K-1 rules)

• Kazushi Sakuraba vs Kiyoshi Tamura (DREAM rules)

• Joachim Hansen vs Gesias "JZ Calvan" Calvancante (DREAM rules)

• HIROYA vs Shota Shimada (K-1 KOSHIEN Semifinal/K-1 rules)

• Ryuya Kusakabe vs Koya Urabe (K-1 KOSHIEN Semifinal/K-1 rules)

• Winner of HIROYA/Shimada vs Winner of Kusakabe/Urabe (K-1 KOSHIEN Final/K-1 rules)

One of the biggest friends of Gesias Cavalcante in American Top Team, Jorge Santiago is training for his fight at Sengoku, in January, when he takes a shot against Kazuo Misaki for the middleweight title. Set to fight in Japan in January 4th, Jorge Santiago will follow Gesias in his fight at K-1 Dynamite, against Joachim Hansen, champion of the DREAM lightweight GP.

"Gesias is a monster! He's training in a way that sometimes I don't know where he takes so energy (laughs). He's training to don't happen any surprises at the fight, he's with the ground, striking and wrestling well-trained… You can wait that he'll give a great show," guarantees Santiago, that discards the ambience of revenge between the fighters, that faced themselves in Shooto, in 2004, and finished with victory of the Norwegian. "I don't see it like a revenge, but like a new meeting. Gesias in that time was very young, that was his third professional fight and, of that time for now, he has changed a lot, like Hansen did."

If in the first meeting between the fighters Hansen won, Jorge has not doubts in his bets. "I can tell you certainly that the fight will be completely different. If somebody tells me that Hansen is two times better today, I can assert you that Gesias is ten times better than before (laughs)," guarantees Jorge, who continues in Japan after the fight of Gesias, to fight with Misaki in Sengoku and still support the team partner Antônio Bigfoot against Yoshihiro Nakao, in the same night.

Taken from: tatame.com

K-1 World GP 2008 Final took place a little earlier this Saturday at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan.

It was an enjoyable event, filled with nonstop action. Unfortunately, it was marred by a bizarre and unsatisfying ending.

Yes, a bizarre and unsatifying ending. It was happen when Badr Hari pulled Remy Bonjasky to the ground in Round 2 and continued to pummel Bonjasky and even tried to stomp on his face.

It was truly shocking, especially seeing as he might of cost himself the whole tournament. Hari was given a yellow card for his "insanity" and fined 10% of his purse.

Bonjasky was given 5 minutes to recover but was still seeing double after the time elapsed. So, the referee called the match and disqualified Hari for his actions and talkabout a disappointing ending to an otherwise great event.

When all was said and done, Bonjasky was crowned the K-1 World GP Champion for a third time in his career.

This event also featured EliteXC fighter Kimbo Slice as guest commentator.

Here are the official results for K-1 World GP 2008 Final:

• Opening Fight #1: Taisei Ko (Japan/Kyokushin Kaikan) def. TAKERU (Japan/Seido Kaikan) by unanimous decision

• Opening Fight #2: Mitsugu Noda (Japan/Silver Ax) def. Tsutomu Takahagi (Japan/Team Dragon) by KO at 2:49 of Round 2

• Fight #1: K-1 World GP 2008 Quarterfinal #1: Badr Hari (Morocco/Show Time) def. Peter Aerts (Holland/Team Aerts) by TKO at 1:39 of Round 2

• Fight #2: K-1 World GP 2008 Quarterfinal #2: Errol Zimmerman (Suriname/Golden Glory) def. Ewerton Teixeira (Brazil/Kyokushin Kaikan) by split decision

• Fight #3: K-1 World GP 2008 Quarterfinal #3: Gokhan Saki (Turkey/Team Rebel) def. Ruslan Karaev (Russia) by unanimous decision

• Fight #4: K-1 World GP 2008 Quarterfinal #4: Remy Bonjasky (Holland/Team Bonjasky) def. Jerome LeBanner (France/LeBanner Xtream Team) by TKO at 1:46 of Round 3

• Fight #5: Reserve Fight #1: Ray Sefo (New Zealand/Ray Sefo Fight Academy) def. Choi Hong-man (Republic of Korea) by unanimous decision

• Fight #6: Reserve Fight #2: Melvin Manhoef (Holland/Mike's Gym) def. Paul Slowinski (Australia/Team Mr. Perfect) by Ko at 2:26 of Round 1

• Fight #7: K-1 World GP 2008 Semifinal #1: Badr Hari (Morocco/Show Time) def. Errol Zimmerman (Suriname/Golden Glory) by KO at 2:15 of Round 3

• Fight #8: K-1 World GP 2008 Semifinal #2: Remy Bonjasky (Holland/Team Bonjasky) def. Gokhan Saki (Turkey/Team Rebel) by KO at 0:53 or Round 2

• Fight #9: K-1 World GP 2008 Final: Remy Bonjasky (Holland/Team Bonjasky) def. Badr Hari (Morocco/Show Time) by disqualification at 0:53 of Round 2

FieLDS K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 Final will be held at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on Saturday evening. The event will start at 5 PM in Japan time. Here is the fight card for the event:

• Opening Fight #1: TAKERU (Japan/Seido Kaikan) vs Taisei Ko (Japan/Kyokushin Kaikan)

• Opening Fight #2: Mitsugu Noda (Japan/Silver Ax) vs Tsutomu Takahagi (Japan/Team Dragon)

• Fight #1: K-1 World GP 2008 Quarterfinal #1: Peter Aerts (Holland/Team Aerts) vs Badr Hari (Morocco/Show Time)

• Fight #2: K-1 World GP 2008 Quarterfinal #2: Errol Zimmerman (Suriname/Golden Glory) vs Ewerton Teixeira (Brazil/Kyokushin Kaikan)

• Fight #3: K-1 World GP 2008 Quarterfinal #3: Gokhan Saki (Turkey/Team Rebel) vs Ruslan Karaev (Russia)

• Fight #4: K-1 World GP 2008 Quarterfinal #4: Remy Bonjasky (Holland/Team Bonjasky) vs Jerome LeBanner (France/LeBanner Xtream Team)

• Fight #5: Reserve Fight #1: Choi Hong-man (Republic of Korea) vs Ray Sefo (New Zealand/Ray Sefo Fight Academy)

• Fight #6: Reserve Fight #2: Paul Slowinski (Australia/Team Mr. Perfect) vs Melvin Manhoef (Holland/Mike's Gym)

• Fight #7: K-1 World GP 2008 Semifinal #1: winner of Quarterfinal #1 vs winner of Quarterfinal #2

• Fight #8: K-1 World GP 2008 Semifinal #2: winner of Quarterfinal #3 vs winner of Quarterfinal #4

• Fight #9: K-1 World GP 2008 Final: winner of Semifinal #1 vs winner of Semifinal #2

The Sun Sentinel is reporting an interesting piece of information as they caught up with Kimbo Slice, who was at one of his kid's career days at school. Slice apparently is talking to his agent and considering fighting at K-1 Dynamite!! 2008 which will be held on December 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. His opponent would be none other than Seth Petruzelli.

The October 4th main event between Kimbo Slice and Petruzelli would always be known as the final nail in the coffin for ProElite, but now Slice may get his only chance to avenge his 14 second loss to Petruzelli.

Here's what the Sun Sentinel is saying:
"He may fight on the DREAM K-1 New Year's Eve show in Japan, possibly a rematch with Petruzelli."

Chris "The Polish Hammer" Horodecki will enter the Shootboxing "S-Cup 2008", the same-night eight-man tournament on November 24 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Horodecki will take on Shoot boxing-trained Hiroki Shishido in the quarterfinals of the biennial tournament, which will also feature PRIDE Bushido veteran Luiz Azeredo -- the first man to beat Anderson Silva -- and 2-time K-1 MAX and 2-time S-Cup Champion Andy Souwer.

Shoot boxing, also referred to as standing vale tudo, is similar to kickboxing except that throws and standing submissions are allowed.

After this fight, Horodecki -- the Polish-born Canadian mixed martial artist -- will fight against Dan Lauzon on January 24, 2009 at Affliction 2: Day of Reckoning in Anaheim, California.

When former Division I collegiate wrestling heavyweight champion and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar Brock Lesnar made the decision to compete in MMA, he set lofty goals. After his debut win over Kim Min-soo in K-1, Lesnar set his sights on the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

"I'm a fighter, and I believe that if somebody should be holding a belt in the UFC, it's Brock Lesnar," that's what the 31-year-old pro wrestler told in August 2007.

Lesnar debuted in the UFC against former heavyweight titleholder Frank Mir at UFC 81 and lost via kneebar in a fight he was dominating. "I've been in front of a lot of crowds, but the one thing I hadn't been in was the Octagon and fighting a former champion," commented Lesnar. "I put a lot of pressure on myself that first fight. I had more pressure on my first fight I think than I did this fight."

UFC President Dana White had reservations about bringing Lesnar into the UFC. "When Brock said he wanted to fight in the UFC, I told him, 'This isn't the place to learn how to fight. You should fight in smaller shows,'" White told the media during the UFC 87 post-fight press conference. "He wanted to come here and test himself against the best."

After Lesnar's performance against Heath Herring at the Target Center in Minneapolis, White admitted something he rarely admits. "I'll be honest, I didn't think he could come in here with no fights and compete at this level. He proved me wrong. He looked unbelievable... I'm very impressed and I think everyone else is too."

Following his first win in the UFC, Lesnar told the media, "I got really excited after I won. And I have every right to be. I came off a loss. And it was tough. I don't like to lose. And it feels good."

Lesnar dropped Herring early in the first round with a right hand. Questioned if he's been working on his striking, he answered, "I've been working on everything, not just the right hand. It's one of those things where we broke Heath Herring down. And the advantage we had in our camp was Heath didn't have any footage on me and we had everything on him. He was expecting me to shoot on him and I faked a shot, faked a jab, and came with the right hand and put it where I needed to put it."

Following his impressive victory some criticized Lesnar for his post-fight antics, comparing it to his pro wrestling days in the WWE. "That was just me. I was excited," stated the heavyweight fighter. "That was for Heath's camp because on the way out to the Octagon there was some things said before the fight. And I had the last laugh and the last words to say. That's all that matters to me.

"I may have went a little overboard," he added. "But I was having fun. You know? I like where I'm at and if I offended anybody, I'm sorry. Ah… not really."

With only three MMA fights, Lesnar hasn't shed that stigma of being a former professional wrestler despite the fact that several mixed martial artists also participate in pro wrestling matches in Japan.

"First and foremost, I'm an amateur wrestler," stated Lesnar. "I was in the entertainment business for four and a half years. I didn't forget who I was nor will I ever forget. I started wrestling when I was five years old. Nobody gave me anything in my entire life. I've had to fight for every damn thing that I've got and I'm proud of it. I'm proud to be here."

Lesnar admitted that two years ago he was at a crossroads in his career and didn't know what direction he'd end up going. But the former three times WWE Champion has found a place in the UFC. "I feel at home here. People bounce around from job to job their whole lives and never find a home. I feel like this is where I belong."

White appears to agree, "(Heath Herring's) fought the best fighters in the world. He got dominated… dominated by Brock Lesnar. Brock Lesnar is a mixed martial artist, no doubt about it."

Do you agree with him?

There was another awesome event in Japan on the end of the year. That was FieLDS K-1 Premium 2007 Dynamite!! which held in Kyocera Dome, Osaka. Here are the results of Dynamite!!:

• Kazushi Sakuraba (Japan/Team Sakurabatake) defeated Masakatsu Funaki (Japan/ARMS) by submission (chicken wing armlock) at 6:25 of Round 1.

• Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto (Japan/KRAZY BEE) defeated Rani Yahya (Brazil/Ataide Junior Jiu-Jitsu) by KO at 3:11 of Round 2.

• Bob Sapp defeated (USA/Team Beast) Bobby Ologun (Nigeria/Team Ologun) by KO at 4:10 of Round 1.

• Masato (Japan/Silver Wolf) defeated Choi Yong-soo (Korea/Khan Gym) by TKO at 0:51 of Round 3.

• Nicholas Pettas (Denmark/Team Spirit AE) defeated Kim Young-hyun (Korea/Thaiyu Kaikan) by KO at 0:41 of Round 2.

• Musashi (Japan/Seido Kaikan) defeated Bernard Ackah (Ivory Coast) by KO at 1:26 of Round 3.

• Kiyoshi Tamura (Japan/U-FILE CAMP) defeated Hideo Tokoro (Japan/Team ZST) by submission (armbar) at 3:08 of Round 3.

• Zulu (Brazil/B-TOUGH) defeated Minowaman (Japan) by TKO at 2:13 of Round 3.

• Melvin Manhoef (Netherlands/Show Time) defeated Yousuke Nishijima (Japan/Takada Dojo) by KO at 1:49 of Round 1.

• Joachim Hansen (Norway) defeated Kazuyuki Miyata (Japan) by submission (sleeper choke) at 1:33 of Round 2.

• Takashi Tachikawa (Japan) defeated Yoshihisa Inoue (Japan/Buyukai) by KO at 1:43 of Round 1.

• K-1 Japan U-18 Tournament Reserve Fight: Ryo Murakoshi (Japan/Shonan Kakuto Club) defeated Arata Fujimoto (Japan/Otsuki Dojo) by KO at 2:00 of Round 1.

• K-1 Japan U-18 Tournament #1: Hiroya (Japan) defeated Kizaemon Saiga (Japan/Taisei Juku) by unanimous decision.

• K-1 Japan U-18 Tournament #2: Yudai (Japan/Jiseikan) defeated Kenji Kubo (Japan/Tachikawa KBA) by unanimous decision.

• K-1 Japan U-18 Tournament Final: Yudai (Japan/Jiseikan) defeated Hiroya (Japan) by split decision after Extra Round.

See also Bob Sapp Signing With WWE.

We're glad to be back to report news and information about MMA events. What an amazing night in Japan on the end of the year when FieLDS Yarennoka! Ohmisoka! 2007 was held in Saitama Super Arena, Saitama. Here are the results of Yarennoka!:

• Shinya Aoki (Japan/Paraestra Tokyo) defeated Jung Bu-kyung (Korea) by unanimous decision.

• Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (Japan/Mach Dojo) defeated Hidehiko Hasegawa (Japan) by unanimous decision.

• Fedor Emilianenko (Russia/Red Devil) defeated Choi Hong-man (Korea) by submission (armbar) at 1:54 of Round 1.

• Kazuo Misaki (Japan/GRABAKA) defeated Yoshihiro Akiyama (Japan) by KO at 8:12 of Round 1.

• Mitsuhiro Ishida (Japan/T-BLOOD) defeated Gilbert Melendez (USA/Jake Shields Fighting Team) by unanimous decision.

• Makoto Takimoto (Japan/Yoshida Dojo) defeated Murilo Bustamante (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team) by split decision.

• Tatsuya Kawajiri (Japan/T-BLOOD) defeated Luiz Arezedo (Brazil/Chute Boxe Academy) by unanimous decision.

• Mike Russow (USA) defeated Roman Zentsov (Russia/Red Devil) by submission (north south choke) at 2:58 of Round 1.
  

FieLDS K-1 Premium 2007 Dynamite!! will be held in Kyocera Dome, Osaka, Japan on December 31, 2007. Here is the match card of the event:

• HERO'S Rules: Kazushi Sakuraba (Japan/Team Sakurabatake) VS Masakatsu Funaki (Japan/ARMS)

• K-1 Rules: Masato (Japan/Silver Wolf) VS Choi Yong-soo (Korea/Khan Gym)

• HERO'S Rules: Rani Yahya (Brazil/Ataide Junior Jiu-Jitsu) VS Norifumi Yamamoto (Japan/KRAZY BEE)

• HERO'S Rules: Melvin Manhoef (Netherlands/Show Time) VS Yousuke Nishijima (Japan/Takada Dojo)

• HERO'S Rules: Minowaman (Japan) VS Zulu (Brazil/B-TOUGH)

• HERO'S Rules: Kazuyuki Miyata (Japan) VS Joachim Hansen (Norway)

• HERO'S Rules: Bob Sapp (USA/Team Beast) VS Bobby Ologun (Nigeria/Team Ologun)

• HERO'S Rules: Kiyoshi Tamura (Japan/U-FILE CAMP) VS Hideo Tokoro (Japan/Team ZST)

• K-1 Rules: Musashi (Japan/Seido Kaikan) VS Bernard Ackah (Ivory Coast)

• K-1 Japan U-18 Tournament #1: Hiroya (Japan) VS Kizaemon Saiga (Japan/Taisei Juku)

• K-1 Japan U-18 Tournament #2: Kenji Kubo (Japan/Tachikawa KBA) VS Yudai (Japan/Jiseikan)

• K-1 Japan U-18 Tournament Final: K-1 Japan U-18 Tournament #1 Winner VS K-1 Japan U-18 Tournament #2 Winner

• K-1 Japan U-18 Tournament Reserve Fight: Ryo Murakoshi (Japan/Shonan Kakuto Club) VS Arata Fujimoto (Japan/Otsuki Dojo)

• K-1 Rules: Takashi Tachikawa (Japan) VS Yoshihisa Inoue (Japan/Buyukai)

See also Bob Sapp Signing With WWE.

FieLDS Yarennoka! Ohmisoka! 2007 will be held in Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan on December 31, 2007. Here is the match card of the event:

• Shinya Aoki (Japan/Paraestra Tokyo) VS Jung Bu-kyung (Korea)

• Fedor Emilianenko (Russia/Red Devil) VS Choi Hong-man (Korea)

• Kazuo Misaki (Japan/GRABAKA) VS Yoshihiro Akiyama (Japan)

• Makoto Takimoto (Japan/Yoshida Dojo) VS Murilo Bustamante (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team)

• Tatsuya Kawajiri (Japan/Mach Dojo) VS Hidehiko Hasegawa (Japan)

• Mitsuhiro Ishida (Japan/T-BLOOD) VS Gilbert Melendez (USA/Jake Shields Fighting Team)

This is an interesting news. WreslingObserver.com wrote that K-1 management is attempting former multiple times world heavyweight boxing champion, Evander Holyfield, for New Year's Eve event at the Osaka Kyocera Dome.

Type	Private
Founded	1993
Founder	Kazuyoshi Ishii
Headquarters	Tokyo, Japan,
Key people	Sadaharu Tanigawa, President Nobuaki Kakuda, Executive Producer
Industry	Martial arts promotion
Parent	Fighting and Entertainment Group
Website	http://www.k-1.co.jp/index.html

K-1 is a combat sport that combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San shou, Kickboxing and traditional Boxing to determine the single best stand-up fighter in the world (the "1").

The K-1 organization's governing body is Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG). They organize a variety of fightsport events in Japan and around the world. There are K-1 Regional Elimination Tournaments which qualify fighters for the K-1 World Grand Prix, along with licensed K-1 Fighting Network events designed to develop new talent internationally and there is also a 70.5kg (155lb) Super Middleweight division called K-1 MAX ("Middleweight Artistic Xtreme"). In 2007, K-1 introduced a two new Title belts separate from K-1 World GP Champions, Super Heavyweight World Title for fighters over 100kg/220lbs and Heavyweight World Title for fighters under 100kg/156-220lbs. FEG also promotes HERO's mixed martial arts events.

History

The sport was first formed by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a former Kyokushin karate practicioner who had formed his own organization, Seido-kaikan karate, in 1980. Seido-kaikan arranged several successful challenge events against other martial arts organizations, originally using rules based on the Kyokushin Knockdown karate rules, but gradually adapting and changing closer to kickboxing rules. In 1993 Mr. Ishii founded the K-1 organization exclusively as a kickboxing organization, closely cooperating with, but independent from Seido-kaikan.

K-1 Grand Prix

Throughout the year there are 6 K-1 World Grand Prix tournaments and 4 main K-1 MAX events. The winners will qualify to the K-1 and the K-1 MAX WGP Final Eliminations held in Osaka Dome, Japan. From there the final top 8 fighters will compete in the K-1 World GP Finals in Tokyo Dome, Japan.

List of K-1 events

Every year there are dozens of other K-1 qualifying tournaments and preliminaries all over the world.

K-1 Rules & Tactics

Tactics

The principal objective of K-1 is to win either by a knockout or by a split or unanimous decision. Victories are usually achieved by kicks to the legs, head or midsection or using traditional boxing punches, such as the jabs, hooks or uppercuts.

Classic defensive boxing stance is rather ineffective against leg kicks, and fighters are more or less forced to constantly move and counterattack

No major K-1 tragedies have been reported; nonetheless, the risk of sustaining a serious injury still exists.

K-1 Rules

• Each match is three or five rounds in duration, with each round lasting three minutes.
• The match can end by Knockout, Technical Knockout, Decision, Disqualification, Draw or No Contest.
• Both the referee and the ring doctor have full authority to stop the fight.
• The fight is scored by three judges on a ten-point must system (The winner of each round receives ten points, and the loser receives nine or less. If the round is even, both competitors receive ten points).
• If there is a draw after three rounds, the judges' scores are thrown out and one or two extra three-minute rounds are contested. The judges' decision will then come from the scoring of each extra round only. If, after the extra round(s), there is still a draw, the judges will decide a winner based on the flow of the entire match, considering even the slightest difference. A fight can only end in a draw if both fighters go down at the same time and cannot get up, or in the case of accidental injury in the late stages of the contest.
• The three-knockdown rule is in effect (three knockdowns in a round results in a technical knockout).
• The mandatory eight count is in effect (the referee must count to at least "eight" on all knockdowns).
• The standing eight count is in effect (the referee has the right to declare a knockdown on a fighter who appears to be in a dangerous condition to continue in the match).
• A fighter can be saved by the bell only in the last round.

In K-1 single elimination tournament matches:

• Each match is three rounds in duration.
• The three-knockdown rule becomes a two-knockdown rule for all matches except the final.
• One or two reserve fights are held prior to the single elimination matches. If for any reason a fighter who wins and advances through the brackets is unable to continue, a reserve match competitor, or the fighter's opponent from the most recent match, takes his place. There are certain exceptions to this rule (i.e. a fighter who lost a match by knockout might not be eligible to replace another fighter).

Fouls

The following actions in K-1 are considered fouls:

• Using the head or elbow to deliver a blow
• Attacking the opponent in the groin
• Delivering wrestling or judo throwing or submission techniques
• Thumbing, choking or biting the opponent
• Punching the opponent in the throat
• Attacking the opponent while he is down or in the process of getting up
• Attacking the opponent after the referee calls a break
• Holding the ropes
• Using offensive language to the referee
• Attacking the back of the head with a punch
• Attempting to cause the opponent to fall out of the ring
• Voluntarily exiting the ring during the course of a match
• Attacking an opponent who turns around and shows his back (unless the opponent loses his will to fight)
• Delivering a backspin blow in an unauthorized area
• Charging inside the opponent's arms with the head held low (inducing a head-butt)
• Fighting in a passive manner (without attacking), including continuous holding and clinching
• Attacking more than once while holding the opponent's kicking leg, or while holding the opponent's neck with both hands

A fighter is penalized as follows:

• Caution - verbal reprimand by the referee
• Warning - fighter is shown a yellow card
• Point Deduction - fighter is shown a red card

Two cautions result in one warning. Two warnings result in a point deduction, and three point deductions in one round can result in a disqualification.

A red card is shown automatically if a fighter commits a foul with malicious intent.

Qualification & match-ups

K-1 Qualification System until 2005

The system of K-1 is changing from time to time as a response to the growing popularity in different parts of the world.

In the beginning of the K-1 series it was a single tournament in Japan with fighters participating by invitation. By today K-1 has branched out to all parts of the world and has been divided into preliminary Grand Prix-s, Fighting Networks and qualifiers. There are six regional GPs on all continents (except Africa and Antarctica) and all of them have the exclusive right to send the winners to the Final Elimination. Preliminaries are organized in countries with minor attendance and consists of tournaments where the winners qualify to the regional GPs.

Until 2006 K-1 wanted to gain popularity in the United States therefore two of the GPs were in the U.S., however only a few Americans have been qualified for the Finals. This situation changed with 2006 and one of the American GPs was relocated to Auckland, New Zealand. Also the K-1 Paris GP lost its qualifying right in favor of Amsterdam.

The Final Elimination is an event where the 16 participants compete for the final eight spots in the Finals. The line-up is made up of 6 new GP winners, the eight finalists from the previous year's Final, plus 2 fighters selected by the K-1 organization. In 2006 there was some minor modifications because Peter Aerts was substituted by Glaube Feitosa who reached the final match, therefore he was included in the 2006 Final Elimination.

Match-Ups

Usually the combatants of the Elimination 16-men 8-match super fights are paired by drawing but at the Tokyo Dome it's a different case. The whole event is combined with a ceremony and a press conference. It looks like a lottery show, with all the fighters pulling a ball from a glass bowl. The balls represent numbers 1 to 8, which determines the fighters' order in choosing a position from a giant tournament tree figure standing in front of a drawn bracket. The fighter with a number 1 ball will choose first "empty" section. This procedure goes on until all the fighters have selected their first quarterfinal opponent. This system gives a freedom of choice and tactics to the fighters with the help of a little luck.

Restructuring the system

In 2007 because of the monopoly-like reign of Semmy Schilt the K-1 organization introduced two new title belts as well as restructured the qualification system. Two new titles can be acquired through single fights. One was created for the heavyweights under 100 kg fighters and the other for the super-heavyweights. Meanwhile the well-known 8-men tournament system stays and the GP titles will be still handed out.

The new tournament qualification system will be: the 8 finalists of last year, 4 new Grand Prix winners and two new single title champions - if some of the fighters holds more than one title, then the extra ones will be chosen by K-1. Finally the last two spots will be selected by the K-1 team and the votes of the fans from around the world.

Popularity and Criticisms

The sport is very popular in Japan, Brazil, and most of Europe but enjoys only limited popularity in the United States. In most US states K-1 fight rules are banned. To date, all K-1 tournaments in the US have taken place in Las Vegas or Honolulu (with one exception: Milwaukee 2001).

The events are frequently shown on Tokyo Broadcasting System and Fuji Network in Japan, Pay Per View or ESPN 2 (after its "Friday Night Fights" boxing show) in the United States, The Fight Network in Canada, and on Eurosport in Europe. Smaller K-1 events are broadcast in other countries by national sport channels.

The competitions have met some fans criticisms over the past few years since K-1's use of lower quality athletes that headline the events for no other reason than the size (Bob Sapp and former Yokozuna Akebono) or reality show celebrity status like comedian Bobby Ologun.

There's been a few alleged nationality biased controversies as well. On May 13, 2006, an all-Dutch judging panel decided in favor of Remy Bonjasky from Netherlands against Jerome Le Banner from France at the K-1 World Grand Prix in Amsterdam. Many thought Jerome Le Banner had won the contest but judges had a slim majority decision in favor of the Dutch fighter Bonjasky (30-30, 29-28, 30-28).

Le Banner filed a protest and K-1 officials from Japan and the United States reviewed the match based on current K-1 Grand Prix judging criteria and two weeks later on June 30, 2006, the result was reversed and Jerome Le Banner was officially announced as the new winner.

K-1 World Grand Prix Champions

Year	Champion
1993	Branko Cikatić
1994	Peter Aerts
1995	Peter Aerts
1996	Andy Hug
1997	Ernesto Hoost
1998	Peter Aerts
1999	Ernesto Hoost
2000	Ernesto Hoost
2001	Mark Hunt
2002	Ernesto Hoost
2003	Remy Bonjasky
2004	Remy Bonjasky
2005	Semmy Schilt
2006	Semmy Schilt

K-1 MAX World Grand Prix Champions

Year	Champion
2002	Albert Kraus
2003	Masato
2004	Buakaw Por.Pramuk
2005	Andy Souwer
2006	Buakaw Por.Pramuk
2007	Andy Souwer

K-1 Current Title Champions

Division	Champion	Since
Super Heavyweight (221 lb- above / above 100 kg)	Semmy Schilt	March 3, 2007
Heavyweight (156-220 lb / under 100kg)	Badr Hari	April 28, 2007

Other Notable K-1 fighters

• Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović (left K-1 to puruse a career in MMA)
• Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge K-1 Hawaii GP 2005 champion
• Alexey Ignashov K-1 2001 GP Nagoya Champion, Paris GP 2003 Champion
• Jérôme Le Banner K-1 2000 GP Nagoya Champion, 2001 GP Osaka Champion
• Stefan Leko - 2 time K-1 USA GP Champion
• Michael McDonald 3 time K-1 USA Champion
• Musashi 2 time K-1 Japan Champion
• Ray Sefo
• Choi Hong-man - K-1 Korea GP 2005 Champion
• Ruslan Karaev - K-1 USA GP 2005 Champion
• Glaube Feitosa - K-1 USA GP II. 2005 Champion
• Kaoklai Kaennorsing - K-1 Korea GP 2004 Champion (retired)
• Francisco Filho (retired)
• Chalid Arrab K-1 US GP 2006 Champion
• Björn Bregy - K-1 Scandinavia GP 2005 Champion, K-1 EU GP 2006 Champion
• Mike Bernardo - K-1 World GP 2000 Fukuoka Champion. (retired)
• Mighty Mo - K-1 Las Vegas GP 2004 Champion, K-1 Hawaii GP 2007 Champion
• Paul Slowinski K-1 New Zealand 2006 Champion, K-1 Europe 2007 Champion
• Badr Hari K-1 Heavyweight Title Champion
• Yusukue Fujimoto 2 time K-1 Asia Champion
• Gary Turner (left K-1 to puruse a career in MMA)

Traditional boxing stars at the K-1 tournament

• Francois Botha - former IBF World Heavyweight Champion.
• Shannon Briggs - former WBO Heavyweight Champion.
• Ray Mercer - former WBO World Heavyweight Champion.
• Vince "Cool" Phillips - former IBF World Light-Welterweight champion.
• Eric Butterbean Esch - former IBA World Super Heavyweight Champion.
• Mike Bernardo - former WBF World Heavyweight Champion.

Other fighters from various sports

• Sean O'Haire - former WWE/WCW wrestler.
• Bob Sapp - former NFL player and K-1 Japan GP 2005 Champion.
• Akebono Tarō - former Sumo wrestler with highest possible rank, Yokozuna.
• Sylvester "The Predator" Terkay - former WWE/UPW/NWA Zero One wrestler.
• Tom "Green Beret" Howard - former WWE/UPW/NWA Zero One wrestler.
• Kazushi Sakuraba - Kingdom Pro Wrestling, UWFi, PRIDE Fighting Championships.
• Brock Lesnar - former amateur wrestler, NCAA champion and WWE wrestler.
• Royce Gracie - former UFC and brazilian jiu jitsu practicioner.

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-1