K-1 Kickboxing World Grand Prix Finals

[Julius Seeker]

I am watching it live right now. Fairly exciting so far, Peter Aerts managed to secure his spot as back-up.

Badr Hari took out Ruslan Karaev in a minute. Sending a message to Overeem who he said he was going to crush if they met.
Ubereem responded by taking out his opponent (I am not familiar with him, he's new) in seconds with a crushing knee that knocked him out cold, 36 seconds in.
Schildt took out LeBanner in 2 minutes

So three fights, less than 4 minutes =P

Bonjasky is about to fight Zimmerman.

[Julius Seeker]

Ouch! Overeem destroyed by Badr Hari in the first. Badr took down the beast.

Between the two veterans:

HOLY SHIT, Schildt dropped by Bonjaski, but Schildt comes back and crushes Bonjaski in the first.

Badr vs Schildt, I am making no bets. Both fighters are in the finals under 4 minutes and could become the fastest winner in history (Peter Aerts holds the record at 6:30)

[Mental]

I had to stop my boxing lessons because my hands were starting to shake and I was dropping shit all the time (yes, even though they were wrapped).

So sadly I'm on hiatus a bit from fightsports. I don't think I should be teaching myself how to fight with hand strikes, really, at all, since I make my livelihood programming.

But I'm glad you're having fun.

[Julius Seeker]

Semmy Schildt rocks the crap out of Badr in the first round. Now Semmy Schildt holds a new record - 5 minutes and 52 seconds
He also equals Ernesto Hoost's record, as a four time tournament champion.

This was THE best combat sports event of the year. Only one fight lasted beyond 3 minutes.

Mental, you damn right I enjoyed this one a lot =)
It reminded me of exactly why I got into kickboxing years ago now, back in the 90's these events were inspirational. this one was just like back then.

[Julius Seeker]

Here are the fights on youtube. Though I would highly recommend watching the event in full to get the full context.

Quarter Finals:

Badr Hari vs Ruslan Karaev
Overeem vs Teixera
Schilt vs Lebanner (unavailable) - Schilt wins in 2 minutes
Bonjasky vs Zimmerman (too long, 5 parts) - Bonjasky wins decision.

Semi Finals:

Badr Hari vs Alistair "Ubereem"
Schilt vs Bonjasky

Finals:
Semmy Schilt vs Badr Hari

[Mental]

I think I need to get back into Capoeira, where the vast majority of the strikes are kicks and hitting with the hands is frowned upon, due to a West African belief that the hands are for creation and the feet for destruction. After watching what even a few months of boxing were starting to do to my hands, I believe the same, I think. Maybe then I could get interested and watch some of this shit with you.

[Julius Seeker]

K-1 is a wonderful sport. Though there are a lot of punches in it too =)

This is one event where the performances are largely western and is very popular in Japan; every single person in the tournament was from Europe or South America. On Japan's largest TV network, Fuji TV, this event was watched by nearly 25 million people. Xenophobia?

This was the culmination of a year of fighting. The way the Final Grand Prix works is, there are 6 tournaments around the world, 6 winners join the tournament of 16. The tournament also contains the final 8 from the previous year and an additional 2 who were not tournament winners, but were very impressive in their fights from throughout the year. This makes a total of 16 fighters. The first event of the WGP is the first 8 fights which narrows it down to the final 8; those were the 8 fighters who fought this weekend.


In comparison to North American MMA, the biggest event in history featured Kimbo Slice and was watched by 6.4 million in the US. The most watched UFC event also featured Kimbo Slice and was watched by 6.1 million in the US. Though the most watched North American MMA event by far, exceeded 26 million viewers worldwide; mostly because it featured International Superstar Fedor Emelianenko who has gone undefeated for 10 years, and is considered the greatest MMA fighter in history.

[Mental]

I really like and respect Kimbo, but they're still not teaching him to be a top-level fighter...they're focusing too much on his scary street-fighter image, but he needs more training and discipline to be a high-level world fighter.

Some people would say he doesn't have the technique for it, but I've been in several streetfights of varying degrees, and I can tell you that "technique" doesn't always win fights. The fights I've been in have all been won by the meanest person involved, I'd say...and Kimbo is a hell of a physical specimen and obviously pretty fucking brave if he got his start fighting in backyard amateur matches like the ones I saw he did in Florida.

I use the term "match" loosely. The kind of neighborhoods he was doing that shit in were the kind where if I won a fight, I'd have my video camera and homies and shit back in the van and the hell out of there in under two minutes, because I'd have no faith whatsoever that the loser wasn't gonna get sour and go get an assault rifle from his bedroom 'cause he's a poor sport.

Bravery like that really helps in a fight. I wish they'd stop marketing and training Kimbo like a gorilla somebody found in the Florida wetlands, and get him some real shit...of course, I haven't checked on all that in awhile so you might know more than me.

[Mental]

Kimbo gets the love here that he does, more so than other fighters, because most Americans (including myself) have a certain respect for the streetfight, I think, in a way that sometimes we don't for professional matches. I certainly can tell anyone who's not been in a real one that it's a different experience.

Ain't nobody giving you a count if you hit the floor, so to speak.

[Mental]

I'll put it this way - I don't think Kimbo is a match for most top-level world fighters inside a ring, yet.

Outside of one, no promises whatsoever.

[Kupek]

After the show, Kimbo started training at American Top Team. He asked Dana where he could go to work on his ground game, and Dana said you're already in Florida, go to ATT. He is training with the right guys.

Kevin Ferguson the man is more than the caricature "Kimbo Slice." He's nowhere near being an elite fighter, and I'm unimpressed by his backyard antics, but his work ethic and respectful attitude have won me over. I like the guy.

[Mental]

That's good to hear. If it's a caricature, though, it's also a title he took for himself while fighting in the streets. I understand that kind of thing.

[Mental]

And if his work ethic is strong, he may make it to the top yet. I was surprised how young he is, given that beard and look in his eyes.

[Julius Seeker]

Alistair Overeem, the man they call Ubereem was shoved around by a gang of bouncers last year. A barfight broke out... Overeem walked away, five of the bouncers went to hospital.

[Mental]

That's pretty amazing, Seek, given how big most of the bouncers I have met are.

And I - who was huffing and puffing after a few rounds with sparring partners, including fifty-year-old-men, in the gym, when we weren't trying to seriously injure each other - managed to have three 200 lb cops huffing and puffing somehow within about twenty seconds when they tried to tackle me to the floor on the street. I still don't understand that one.

Things are different in the streets, for whatever set of reasons.