oops - after party anyway I have few more - will get them up ASAP.

So who won?

good pics: BIG-D shame you didnt get it buddy ! keep on keepin on !
sandy man holt u.k.m.t.a.
www.thaiboxing.co.uk

September 29, 2001

Promoted by Scott Coker at San Jose Civic Auditorium

San Jose, California, USA

Jean Claude Leuyer stops Jeff “Big Diesel” Ford in eight rounds to once again earn

The World Super Heavyweight Freestyle Rules Title.



In yet another action packed edition of the STRIKEFORCE series, America’s top kickboxing promoter Scott Coker presented an evening of high kicks and fists flying in beautiful San Jose, California. The fourteen bout card was highlighted by a world super heavyweight title contest, a retirement fight for one of the famed Fairtex champions and two amateur Muay Thai title contests.

The show was hosted at the San Jose Civic Auditorium, a facility famous for it’s “big-fight ambience,” and played to a lively crowd of appreciative fans. In order to fully appreciate the nature of the scheduled main event – here’s a little historical background. In early 2001 perennial champion Jean Claude Leuyer held both the ISKA Oriental Rules and Free Style Rules World Title belts. He was asked to defend his Free Style Rules belt at “Moscow Storm” in May to last year’s K-1 USA Champ’ Andre Dudko. The fight would have been a rematch between the two (hoping to duplicate what was dubbed 2000’s “fight of the year” where both men were almost KO’d by each other several times). That fight ended with a technical knockout victory for Leuyer thanks to his thunderous low kicks, but Dudko was never more than one right hand away from earning the world title. Unfortunately, when Leuyer was made the offer for the rematch with Dudko he was already committed to fight at K-1 USA 2001which was scheduled for the week following Moscow Storm. Leuyer’s plan was to take one last shot at the K-1 Grand Prix and then retire from the ring in order to pursue a movie career in Los Angeles. Jean Claude showed the class of a champion by vacating his Freestyle Title making it available to be contested at the Moscow Storm event. Kansas City’s, Jeff “Big Diesel” Ford was the American matched with the Russian, Dudko for the twelve round world title contest. In front of nearly 15,000 screaming Russian fans at Moscow’s historic Olympic Stadium it took “Big Diesel” just under a minute and a single counter left hook to dispatch of Dudko by TKO. Leuyer, unsuccessful the following week at the K-1 event rethought his retirement plans (as champions often due) and agreed to fight at least one additional bout. So on September 29th, World Oriental Rules Super Heavyweight Champion Jean Claude Leuyer squared of with World Super Heavyweight Champion Jeff “Big Diesel” Ford for Ford’s World Free Style Rules title.

Jean Claude, a notoriously slow starter came out true to form. Ford controlled the action in the first four rounds with his good movement and boxing skills. Listening to the advice from his corner Leuyer opened up in round five and clearly turned things around until the closing seconds. Launching a combination at the end of the round, Ford landed a left hook (a.k.a. the Russian Slayer) to Leuyer’s chin that appeared to make contact after the bell. The referee decided that Ford had initiated the punch before the bell rang so it was called a legal blow. Leuyer could barely make it back to his corner for the rest period. When the bell rang for round six Leuyer still looked shaky but kept his hands high and went back to work on Ford’s legs with his frightening low kicks. Jean Claude won the six round and continued his low kick assault on “Big Diesel” in the seventh. Ford was resolute. Even thought the leg kicks were taking a big toll he’d fire back big punches to Leuyer’s head that would buckle Jean Claude’s knees. Then Leuyer would come back and land leg kicks that would almost take Ford off of his feet. They went back and forth like this throughout the seventh round in about a 90 second slugfest of low kicks vs. head punches that had the entire crowd on their feet. Leuyer finally scored a knockdown and that probably earned him the round and the psychological advantage over Jeff Ford. The eighth round was more of the same; Ford’s left hook and right hand vs. Leuyer’s low kicks. As hard as Ford tried to take Leuyer out it was Jean Claude’s leg kicks that prevailed. He battered Ford’s legs, knocking him down twice in the eighth round and forcing his corner to “throw in the towel” prior to the start of round nine. In a remarkable Super Heavyweight match-up Jean Claude Leuyer reclaimed his Free Style Rules Kickboxing World Title.

cool...how well do you think that is written?

Sounds good.

Sounds like you might need some leg defence though :).

I still think 8-12 rounds leg kicks is nuts...

A close one it seems Big D ... add some cylinders to the machine for the next one :)
Or maybe a stronger fuel compressor ... and an intercooler device :))

Be the best,
A.

Diesel -didnt you and I have a conversation about all this leg kicking stuff :)

yep ! THAT WAS MY POINT ! too ! BLOCK EM ! dont take em ! ta sandy man holt u.k.m.t.a
www.thaiboxing.co.uk

mark l.
the rounds are 2 minutes long, i believe and only world champions and their challengers fight 12 rounds. if you do the math that means 24 minutes of fighting compared to 15 in mt.

Understood. But I still think it makes a differance.

So was it a 10 rounder?

I think going for the KO can be done but I don't think one wants to always trade. I mean you are taking a shot and trying to give one.

I think its important to defend the legs for sure and going for the punch is fine...just not all the time and not at the expense of your legs every shot.

someone once said that it was easier to fight more rounds if they were shorter than fewer longer rounds. in other words, 12x2 may be 14 minutes longer than 5x3 but having a break more often is easier. that's what i've heard.

if the sanctioning body is really world class then only the two best fighters in the world would be required to fight that many rounds. ernesto hoost and stefan leko could probably go 12 rounds.

in this case jeff and jean claude were the two best fighters in the world and they fought 12x2.

Mo has said that to me.

I'll have to think about that some more.

I think every minuit makes a difference but maybe the difference isn't as much as I was thinking.

2 min rounds are easier than 3 it goes without saying and kickboxing rules even with low kicks are easier than muay thai rules.Not many fighters are up to doing 12 rounds but thats why they are world titles but Istill reckon 5x3 is harder specially with knees and elbows.

good point goody !

agreed...12 just seems like so long. I know when I watch start to lose interest around 6 or 7 rounds. It seems so long. I guess its not that much longer.

Though anyone can tell you a couple rounds makes a huge differance. So a few more minuits adds up.

Though I agree that 5 3s is probably harder in many ways.

Big D, if you're listening, how does Leuyer rate as a kicker ?


I saw him fight Roman Roytberg on ESPN and Leuyer dwarfed him. Legs like frieking Redwoods.

Too Live Kru, Lueyer kicks are decent - nothing above average when you take them - as with any kicker it is the accumulation of kicks that i took. When i look at the level of people that i fought - skelton who was about 50 lbs. heavier then me at the time, Dudko who was about 10 lbs. heavier, Hornstein who was about 10 lbs. (i think), his kicks were nothing above avereage. In those fights i just did not take as many leg kicks therefore did not have the problem that i did w/ Leuyer. Then again, I have a high tolerance for pain so what i say may of been a 6 for Leuyer leg kicks may be another persons 9-10. I actually have the fight on my site but it will take awhile to download if you have land lines. I will chop it up this weekend for faster downloads. Let me know if this answers your question.

How much did J.C. weigh in at for this fight? I am fighting him in March.

good luck tko...r u who I think u r?

if ı am not mistaken toshio fujiwara had a fight in thailand with the thai challenger about 10 rounds under muay thai rules...ı would like to emphasize, it was "muay thai, not american boxing or kick boxing...it was a big deal,since ı also agree that so much rounds in muay thai is a very difficult concept and not comparable with kick boxing...

Hey Ercan it wasn't Muay Thai it was for Big D's low kick kickboxing title.

"Let me know if this answers your question."

More than I ever would have known. It's difficult to speculate on just how hard a professional heavyweight kicks. I guess basing it on how they're built is not sufficient.

Thanks for answering the question (from an old thread as well). I've never fought a professional, sparred with some, but never taken a kick from someone who's 6'4+ 250 lbs+. I'm only 205 and still I raise welts on the arms of those who hold pads for me. I imagine even a "6" like Leuyer could break legs.

So, who's a 10 then ?

As far as i have fought so far i would say no-one - no i have been kicked by guys who are about 150lbs and their kicks are harder as they have a point on their shins so it seems to cut - where heavies (that i have fought so far) are more rounded and fell like bats. i my opinion the sharp shin af the little guys hurt alot worse then the club kicks of the heavies.

tko - hope you do well - jsut don't injure him for the k-1 - i am looking forward to recooping that loss (j/k - fighters humor). watch out for the left hook right kick. email me - www.jeffford@jefffordkickboxing.com

leuyer looks fatter everytime i see him

Interesting comments on the sharpness of the shins...

I don't know that I agree about the weight differance effecting the sharpness of the shin...though I haven't really looked at that.

One of the arguements with heavies going down from leg kicks is about weight. Everyone says how much harder they kick etc...(not saying I agree or disagree).

I imagine you haven't fought guys that are 150lbs. Now when I train or play around and get hit it hurts more(or seems to) than when I fight. The focus isn't the same and the adrenaline isn't there.

Man, I'll wear shin pads before the begginers will though I've only had one fight where I was worried about my shins during it. My point being fighting and playing are different and 'feel' different.

Its almost like banging your toe when you're doing nothing. It hurts alot. If you are very busy and in the middle of something then you may hardly notice.

'Sharp' shins can come from kicking. Maybe its a hardness technically i don't know. But you can feel the 'sharpeness' of peoples shins.

How they are built in relation to weight...I'll have to take a look...but I'd rather get kicked by a guy thats 150lbs than a guy thats 230lbs.

Leuyers kicks mustve hurt more than a 150 pounders ? IF not then Mark has a chance of beating your ass !

hehe :) I have Thai secret-you not want to fight. :P

Nobody you miss the point or your just trying to be a smart ass to Big Diesel.

The injury came from taking kicks to the knee not the leg as far as the Leuyer fight goes.
I do understand where Big D is coming from in his last post because I have experienced the same. But the difference to me is the heavyweights kick had more impact but didn't have the piercing feel of a sharp shin bone. Over all I'd rather get hit by the 150 pounder though.

I wonder if it can be in the manner of kicking?

I have fought 'good' leg kickers that didn't penetrate, though they are hard kicks. And I've fought guys whos kicks fely much sharper...now these fighters were very close to the same weight.

Could it be more in the technique? Or at least could that play a part?

hmm.........good question Mark. I want to point out that this is not a discredit to JC's ability at all - he is a very good fighter. the point in question was "how does his kicks rate" - just to have that clear. Technique could be the difference, maybe - i don't know. I know that JC puts more weight on his kicks then anyone that i have fought, meaning that when he kicks he transfers all of his weight in a very committed, akward manner - it makes it difficult to counter because he moves his head way to the lower inside of your right hand. Technique is an issue - but relative to that i believe is the sharpness of the shin - maybe it is a weight issue - for fighters - don't know - i know that kicks from smaller guys penetrate alot more.

How dare you accuse me of being a smart ass

"How they are built in relation to weight...I'll have to take a look...but I'd rather get kicked by a guy thats 150lbs than a guy thats 230lbs."

Mark, I'd change your opinion real fast :).

I don't follow you Too Live Kru...

A kick can be very hard but not be as sharp i think. It may have something to do with speed.

Steele kicks very hard and I think he kicks sililar to JC in some ways but his kicks aren't sharp. No one can argue they aren't hard but my experiances showed me that they weren't sharp.

Danny ?

Where do you train Mark ?

Danny ?

Where do you train Mark ?

See my name in blue there? click on it. :)

Someone asked about this.

WELL done BIG D.

thank you nicu - unfortunately i will not get a rematch, JC is officially retired I hear.