Don't worry. There is still an even on May 2nd. It is just more like last years K-1 Las Vegas than the K-1 USA.
Here is a brief history of the K-1 USA and K-1 Vegas.

1998 Rick Roufus wins. The finalist, Schuster, couldn't fight. Roufus fights Filho in Osaka and gets his legs kicked until he falls.
1999 No event.
2000 Andrei Dudko wins. He doesn't fight in the next tournament; finalist Kucharzewski does.
2001 Maurice Smith wins. He qualifies for the K-1 Vegas in August where he beats Krut and losses to Aerts.
2002 Michael McDonald wins. He qualifies for the K-1 Vegas in August where he wins. He then fights Sem Schilt and losses by decision after he takes a knock down in the third round.

Unlike other "national" tournaments, the May 2nd event doesn't qualify the winner for yet another tournament but rather for the one off matches. In fact, the winners of the preliminary tournaments are actually trying to qualify for the May 2nd event since it is one of the 4 Semifinal Tournaments.

K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 Preliminary Tournaments will be held in France (Jan 25), Brazil (Feb 23), South Africa (Feb 23), Sweden (Mar 15), Holland (Apr 6), Italy (May 10), Croatia (May 10), Belarus (May 15), and Spain (Jun 21).

These will be 8-man elimination tournaments in the familiar K-1 knock-out format, with a single man from each advancing to one of the Semifinal Tournaments (Las Vegas, May 2; Basel, May 31; Paris, June 14; Melbourne, Jul 27).
-Source: K-1 Official Website.


So, far this is in the works. Expect some changes.

Superfights
Mirko Filipovic[1] x Michael McDonald[19]
Stefan Leko[16] x Eric Esch[unranked]*
Mark Hunt[10] x Gary Goodridge[14]


Grand Prix

Jeff Ford[42]
Dewey Cooper[120]
Gissepe DeNatale[133]
Rick Roufus[159]
Carter Williams[166]
TBA
TBA
TBA

As we can see, there are 3 spots left. One was supposed to go to the K-1 Brazil Champ but he got his brains scrambled by Ernesto Hoost.

So who will take the spots.

K-1 France Champ? Not a chance. Tony Gregory is certain to fight in the K-1 Paris.

K-1 Sweden Champ? Unlikely. Lindwall would be too dangerous and winning would be anti-climactic. Notice they took out the Canadian who won last year. The winner has to be American.

K-1 Netherlands Champ? Not as dangerous as Lindwall, Krut is still an unlikely choice. However, he lost to Smith so if Mo can be coaxed back into the tournament, we might see Krut in the K-1 Vegas again.

K-1 South Africa? There was no K-1 Africa this year. Still Andrew Thompson might be a good choice. He is big and has no chance of winning the tournament.

K-1 Brazil finalist? Also a possibility. Jefferson Silva wouldn't have won the tournament so we can reasonably assume that the guy he beat in the final won't either.

Others:
Quinton Jackson[22] might be a good choice but he is interested in fighting Vanderlei Silva for the PRIDE title. May be a little too expensive too.

Marvin Eastman[43] knocked out Duke Roufus last year but is essentially an MMA fighter. Probably a better choice than Jackson.

Jeff Roufus[50] probably won't like fighting his brother.

Chad Bannon looked too embarrassing to be given a second chance. Also, a member of the Sherdog forum did some research and discovered that he posed nude for gay men's magazines. That's just not proper.

Kevin King was supposed to fight Fujimoto but that didn't happen. Maybe he'll get a shot now or maybe he'll be in the same place as Bannon (I mean out of the tournament, not in gay porn.)

It won't be long now. We'll find out who is in and who is out.

If I were in charge, I would get
Smith
Krut
Thompson

*Yes that is Butterbean.

What do the numbers mean after the names??

Is it there rankings as a K-1 heavyweight in the world?

yes and no.

if you click on my profile you'll find:
1- a list of the top 202 heavyweight kickboxers in the world.
2- a history of the top ten since i started the list at the end of 2000
3- a list of the lineal champions from cikatic to filipovic

although the k-1 matches throughout the world provide most [say, 90%] of the information, the list would continue if the k-1 went bankrupt. for example, dixon's show recently had andrew peck lose his rank to a huge croatian.

so yes they are rankings but no they are not directly connected to the k-1 promotional company.

a quick run down of how fighters are ranked:
-beat someone higher and take his rank just like taking a title.
-lose to someone ranked lower and fall 5 ranks.
-go one year inactive [jan-dec] and fall 5 ranks
-go two years inactive and fall 15 ranks
-go three years inactive and fall to the bottom of the list
-go four years inactive and fall off the list entirely
-if the only fight a fighter had ended in a no-contest it is just that and won't count towards his activity in the ring [a draw does count].
-a dq loss is a 5 rank drop regardless of whether or not the fighter is ranked higher than his opponent. his opponent will not take the rank.

how fighters are NOT ranked:
-personal opinion
-friendship with me
-titles
-tournament championships
-second or third fights in an evening
-who would win if....if whatever
-foot size or butt size or height or... you know.



anyway, when you read anything on ax written by me about heavyweights, you'll see where the fighters are ranked in the world today.

if you type the word "ranking" in the search engine, you will be able to find a few past topics and updates. there is one titled "felix's rankings" where several members said "they suck" and a few said "they're weird" and a very small number said "they make sense".


in an effort to not hijack my own thread, here are my picks [if the above matches happen]:

mirko but KO over mcdonald [prove me wrong michael]
leko by leg kicks over butterbean
hunt by ktfo over goodridge

OMG, I just figured out what this says...

-------------
Stefan Leko[16] x Eric Esch[unranked]*

*Yes that is Butterbean.
-------------

I am speechless.

In fact, I'm so stunned that I can't even move my hand to my mouse to close this window.

...
..
.

wow

smart move if they can get him. but a big wow for me too.

having butterbean in the k-1 is so bizarre i thought felix was joking at first.
i dont think hes a big draw to pull fans in.

a couple historical questions;

in 98, didnt schuster also go to japan and lose to someone in the qualifiers?
i recall ishii saying that he deserved to advance because of his courageous
showing.

what was the story with dudko? k-1 just lost his phone #? he hasnt competed
in any k-1 event since...

Felix, what is your opinion on the main event players ,give us a guess on the play

david,
butterbean has proven himself in the PPV numbers. he is also free ink when it comes to mainsteam boxing magazines. after his loss to holmes, this is an interesting move for him.

schuster was in a reserve fight and won but that was in 1997. i think in 98 he was too injured to fight. the annoucement by ishii was a nice touch to satisfy the crowd who didn't get to see a final match.

dudko was a mystery. coker tried to pass him off as an immigrant american. i don't know why he didn't fight in japan. he wasn't invited back to the k-1 usa either. last i heard he went back to russia and brought jeff ford over to beat in front of his home town fans. ford busted andrei's nose in the first round.

the next year, gunter singer was the immigrant american. no one bought it and last year coker stopped the trend.

voodoo,

hard to say. this is just on paper and may very well change. but here goes:

mirko x mcdonald
mirko is going to hit hard from beginning to end. i don't think michael can stay on his feet for the full 5 rounds.
mirko will have this one fight on his mind. last time he was thinking about hoost in the final of the melbourne gp. he even experimented with knees and mcdonald got him not paying attention. this time, mirko is very focused on mcdonald. he requested this fight.

leko x esch
butterbean is the king of the 4 rounders in boxing. or so he says. like sapp, he came out of the toughman circuit. he'll try to rush leko and beat him unconcious early. leko may go down but i think he will hold on and then start working the low kicks.

hunt x goodridge
goodridge looked much better in his fight with musashi. that isn't saying much though. all he had to do was use his left hand [which he did]. he even threw a few kicks. still, hunt is a power puncher and gary is going to get hit by something similar to the lebanner jab that knocked him out. basically, hunt can't be hurt by gary but can dish out big bombs. this fight won't get out of the 1st round.

The "King of the Four Rounders" in K-1, I don't have a problem with Butterbean fighting in K-1. I am not sure how well he will do, but no problem with him fighting. He is more legit then guys like Bannon and others K-1 has been booking recently.

(My) TOP 10 "Pound-For-Pound" Kickboxers :
1) Mirko Filipovic- I consider him to be #1 in K-1 right now.

2) Ali Hallack- IKF World Featherweight champion in 3-styles (fc, int. rules, and Muay Thai).

3) Ernesto Hoost

4) Rick Roufus- though inactive, still top-rated by sanctioning bodies, probably needs a great showing in Vegas (maybe even having to win it all) to stay in Top 10.

5) Ray Sefo

6) Adam Watt- ISKA World Light-Crus. champion (Int. Rules and Muay Thai).

7) Fransisco Filho- still capable of stepping in with anyone.

8) Jean-Claude Leuyer- ISKA World Super-hvy. champion (Int. rules and Oriental rules).

9) Jerome LeBanner- ISKA World Super-hvy. Muay Thai champion.

10-tie) MASATO- ISKA World Welterweight Oriental rules champion

10-tie) Anthony Bartinelli- IKF World light-Middle. Full Contact chmapion.

As far as contenders I think you guys under- rate Williams as a contender, talking main event now.
There isn't anybody he can't hang with in there and he proved that with knocking out FORD,LEO ,Quasada and is hungry !True exper helps but I think he's ready now and could suprise everyone.

i think carter is a tough nut. i would have given him ford's rank if he had beaten him in the first fight of the evening. both he and ford had already fought so it was a nice exibition in terms of my list.

roger,
are you saying that if rick roufus stayed inactive he would actually do better in your rankings?

Felix, question... when he fought Ford that was the only time he fought him, in what was suppose to be an 8 man tour turned into a 4 man tour in S.Carolina.
Carter first fought the russian (if anybody has that guys name I need that info)
and then Jeff, wish we could have had him first but the promoter made the dec.
I respect your view on Williams , he's changed his training program thanks to cconstructive critisizm and extended the endurance port. of the program thanks to POLYS.
Just wish the line was set so homework can be worked.

No- he is still listed as a #1-contender by the major sanctioning bodies. But to me, he has to do very well in Vegas to still be considered that. Since he has been inactive, he has to prove himself in Vegas. I still have him in the TOP 10 because he is fighting in Vegas (so his inactivity is over). But for him to be considered a top-ranked fighter, he has to show himself in Vegas.

Plus- aside from K-1, there is not a whole lot of big-time kickboxing happening. A lot of these World champions don't get the chance / (offers) to fight on a consistent basis.

Must say you guys are sharp, funny how some sites become trash gardens.
Seems like the Intellgent linger here, you guys seem constructive how do you feel they will line up the starters..we have Rick Roufus,Guesippi,Cooper,Williams,the 2nd place guy from S.Amer. Jeff Ford -are you sure of this???Maurice Smith (good source) and one moreI don't know of?? and why do you think they would set it up like that?

VOODOO - no jus a correction of statemens - "There isn't anybody he can't hang with in there and he proved that with knocking out FORD,LEO ,Quasada and is hungry" - he did not KO Ford - Ford went the Distance. I will say this, he is underated but then I don't know if he has reall been tested yet. I think this event will test him and see how it goes. Second - I would love to be in the touney but hae not heard that i am in - have you guys heard something i have not...............

VOODOO - i looked up your profile and did not find it - were you in NC for that fight?

voodoo,
nothing is final at this point. why would they set it up this way? my guess is that this is the first year they are going to try to really make money on PPV. they need an american to win the tourney and they need a real ppv draw. that means mcdonald is out of the tournament and butterbean is in a superfight.

i'll see if i can find carter's opponents name in that tourney.

roger,
if rick gets his head caved in, he'll still be ranked high by the sanctioning orgs. the reason, the iska and the ikf are based in the us. no org updates their lists unless the fighters fight on a sanctioned event and when they do they go up in rank, not down. andy hug was dead and still ranked for nearly a year after his death. he may still be ranked by some.

No- he is still listed as a #1-contender by the major sanctioning bodies. But to me, he has to do very well in Vegas to still be considered that.

are you somehow going to change the rankings of said organisations? if your opinion is based on where orgs rank this fighter, how can you change it if rick remains ranked the same regardless of the outcome of this tourney?

jeff,
you might want to contact coker and find out if you are penciled in.

To Big D, yes I am sorry to confuse the facts YOU were not KO'd you went all the way.My mistake for the wording.
And yes I was there , who ate sushi with your permission with your wife!
The things I was hearing is that you were being considered and if anybody you should be there!
And yes agreed he needs to be pushed to the limit to be the best you know that road and I truly believe he can.That day will be the first day of the rest of his life.
Jeff ...question , did you ever get a tape of S.Carolina???
Respects and regards to you and the wife please give my Hi's

Regardless of where the major sanctioning bodies have him ranked. If Roufus "gets his head caved in" in Vegas (which is not likely), then I would no longer consider him a TOP 10 fighter.
It is hard to make a kickboxing TOP 10 (that includes every style, and weight-class). Again- due to the lack of shows that take place. A lot of the top-rated fighters and World champions don't get to fight on a regular basis. But I don't believe you can make a legit TOP 10 of this kind based strictly on what happens in K-1. They focus more on the heavyweights, and seem to have a select list of fighters they use.
To me, I would like to see K-1 go to weightclasses, and put on cards that feature the best in World. Not just heavyweight shows, with someone like Peter Aerts or Ernesto Hoost fighting a guy for the 10th time. Or some Japanese fighter in a match agaisnt a B-level MMA fighter. Or Bob Sapp fighting anyone.

felix, i havent paid too much attention to butterbean. the only ppv im aware
of his being in was that novelty fight against a 50 year old larry holmes.
maybe it does make marketing sense, i just dont like the direction this \
indicates for k-1. leko- butterbean will be a poor man's crocop-sapp.
but they do want a new american star in k-1 to bring in $. it would be nice
if they could come up with a kickboxer,though!!

VOODOO - no i never got a tape, from what I understand they went a bit overboard and did not get the money they thought. I don't believe they ever go out of debt or got the tapes together - i will call Cory Schafer to see if he has one - i would like it. How is little fells traininig coming - i have been there twice to train (San Francisco & San Jose) but lost your # to call - shoot me an email and i will call when i come down next time. jeff@combatsportskc.com

Regardless of where the major sanctioning bodies have him ranked. If Roufus "gets his head caved in" in Vegas (which is not likely), then I would no longer consider him a TOP 10 fighter.

if you can use the words "regardless" after the vegas event why not use it before like this "regardless of where the major sanctioning bodies have him ranked, he has done nothing in the last year"? why have you draw the line on a k-1 event? a tournament no less.


A lot of the top-rated fighters and World champions don't get to fight on a regular basis.

of course they do. if they aren't fighting they aren't really top rated or champions. paper champions don't count.


But I don't believe you can make a legit TOP 10 of this kind based strictly on what happens in K-1.

agreed, but if they are the most active in promoting. it should show in the rankings.

They focus more on the heavyweights, and seem to have a select list of fighters they use.

who on earth would put a middleweight and a heavyweight on the same list?

As I have simply said- this is Roufus's chance to prove himself as a top-rated fighter.

As far the middleweight and heavyweight thing. A pro boxing example. De La Hoya would never get into a ring with a heavyweight, but does that mean Lennox Lewis is a better boxer than De La Hoya- based strictly on the fact the Lewis is the heavyweight. That is the whole idea of having weight classes. I'm not sure what you are getting at there- aside from you believing that all heavyweights should be consider better than any other fighters at the lesser weights.

Your K-1 rankings.
1) Mirko- I agree with you.
2) Sefo- no problem there.
3) Parris- maybe a touch high, but no real arguement there.
4) Hoost- I agree he is still TOP 5 without a doubt.
5) Schilt- you could be right that he is TOP 5.
6) Sapp- still unsure of how good he is under k-1 rules against the elite fighters.
7) LeBanner- no problem there.
8) Filho- no problem there.
9) Bernardo- no problem there.
10) Hunt- no problem there.

But then with all those fighters you have listed, you rank Gary Goodridge #14. How is Goodridge better than all those guys listed behind him? Fighting Musashi to a dead-even draw makes him TOP 15?

You say Roufus is inactive, then rank Quinton Jackson #22. Based on what? Potential? How many kickboxing matches has Jackson done???

You keep "ripping" (lol) me on the Roufus thing. But lets take more of a look at Goodridge- who you have at #14. Here is a guy who has a MMA record of 17-13-1. Most of the good fighters he fought, he lost to. Frye twice, Vovchanchyn twice, Ruas, Coleman, Ricco, etc. He was knocked by a kick to head from Gilbert Yvel. His wins over Van Dams and Nortje was under Pride rules. He had a draw with Braga in Pride. His K-1 record is 4-2-1. This guy is worthy of the #14 K-1 ranking? Goodridge is a better kickboxer than Rick Roufus? You have Rick at #159. There is 158 heavyweight kickboxers out there better than him??? Goodridge is better than Aerts, Leko, McDonald, Skelton, Grgory, Nicholson, etc? All who you have ranked lower than him. You have Braga listed #126. Musashi #37. Again- two guys Goodridge has fought to draws with.

Age is a factor we can't ignore the fact of the matter is Rick has had to many injuires to the same spot and is not getting any younger, this is just a fact not downplaying his ability just the truth.
Really does he have to prove anything? he's already a "Proven Champion" many times over, I give him credit above and beyond for being in the tour. be he's taking a chance, but thats the name of the game.Same thing is happening to HOOST.
On the other note K-1 would be the "ELITE" of the "ELITE" if they had different weight classes, this would be the greatest way to determine a undisputed champion. Why they haven't capitalized on this I don't know.The way they do a show one of this type would be the best.

Sapp he's just too...I don't know what to say about him , don't really feel he's should be in anything but a superfight.....he's a super kinda guy.

goodridge is a bum. it is a shame musashi couldn't do what he was expected to do.

that said, i didn't decide to put him in the #14 spot. he did. he put on the gloves and knocked out then #8 ranked mike bernardo.

quinton jackson knocked out cyril abidi.

whether rick can beat jackson or goodridge is not going to be reflected in my lists because it is counterfactual. honestly, i believe he can but we both know he hasn't and most likely won't.

parris is too high in my mind too but he beat thompson who beat abidi. really, my rankings are explained in great detail on my profile. the fourth post on this thread describe how fighters are ranked.



no roger, i'm not ripping you about rick. i just see a contradiction in your argument.
on the one hand you say
-i rank rick high BECAUSE he is ranked high by lax sanctioning orgs

on the other you say
-i will rank rick low DESPITE being ranked high by lax sanctioning orgs

put these two points together and what do you get? a very confused felix. LOL.

Felix I do have one question when Carter clearly beat Pedro in mexico city you still have him below him(Fernandez) in rank ( yes they called it a draw, but if you watched the tape and saw him carried away and Carter danced that said enough.

i had to make a few tough decisions early on. one was how to deal with disqualifications and the other is bad decisions. maybe carter did beat pedro from pillar to post but if the judges at ringside say it was a draw then that is what it is. unless you can get the decision reversed, that is how it will appear on my list. no exceptions. my opinion will not play any part in the rankings.

if carter was robbed, all i can say is that he wasn't the only one. i felt aerts beat sefo in december. i watched sapp miss hoost 3 or 4 times in the corner and the referee jumped in to stop the fight. i saw van dams get hit twice as many times as skelton and still win.

when a fighter agrees to step in a ring, he agrees to live by the decisions of the judges. sometimes there is a risk going to someone else's backyard, but that is what sanctioning orgs are for.

really, if i were carter, i would fight to win and fight to open some eyes. a round 1 rush would provide the k-1 org with the footage they need to hype future matches. after that he can fight a normal gameplan. whether or not he loses the tournament, he'll get a match in japan if he shows that he is a beast [hopefully, a more skilled beast than sapp]. winning isn't enough. lots of guys have won prelim tounaments and never been given a chance in japan while sapp and bannon have.

if anyone asks who he wants to fight, never say "anyone". that is just plain stupid. say "musashi". when they ask why say something dirty. [no don't say "vulva"]

voodoo, are you carter?

also, let me mention that a loss will not haunt a fighter for the rest of his life. if carter lost to someone ranked 200, he would drop 5 ranks as usual. however, if he then beat someone ranked #10, he would take that rank and jump past even the guy who beat him in his last fight.

in other words, it is better to keep active that to try to hold onto a rank.

Felix i agree when you take a fight you take the outcome regardless, but that does'nt mean you can't relay the truth of the matter. The Judges cards were one infavor of Pedro(30-24??) one for Carter (30-27) And one draw, on the one judges card was 30 to 24 Fernandez in all rounds when Carter knocked him down 3 times twice for the 8 count.We take what we get, good with the questionable. no complaints just facts.I take nothing from Pedro he was even suprised, Maybe just my egotism not Carters being his trainer I'm protective about the truth.Yes if he keeps to the game plan he will prevail because a smart fighter needs to pace himself yet take advantage of any situation at anytime the opening presents itself as fast as possible.
I agree 100 per cent on the Aerts/Sefo issue for sure.
And a big yes to keeping busy for all the heavys out there its a pain to book good fights and a fair payday to these guys.

in a fight in okinawa a few years ago, stan put a beating on his opponent like nothing you could imagine. the judges tried to rip stan off but his team stormed the ring and demanded that the judges explain themselves. the crowd was shocked but finally they came around to admitting that the scores were improperly recorded and that murakami got stans scores and stan got murakami's. they reversed the decision.

happy endings are nice, huh?

with my list, carter will never have to worry about getting on my good side. i made sapp #1 and i hated him at that time.

not that carter is on my bad side. in fact, i'd like to see more of him.

Felix:

First I would like to say that I respect your top 100 & 200 list, and your amazing work. It is based on an enormous knowledge, years of experience and dedication. You have a databank and knowledge about almost every fighter in the world, no matter country or tournament - And that's make your raking 2nd to none. I most admit that many of the fighters and names on your list, is fighters that I dont even know or ever have heard about before?

Still I don’t always "agree" about your top 10 fighters on your list. A good example is when Bob Sapp was on the # 1 spot. I know the beast beat up Hoost, still it is not enough in my world to get the first place, or even to get in top 10? But... That is my personal opinion, and it is made up by who I think is the best, and not by who won or lost there last fight. (I still got Peter Aerts in top 10, and he just lost to Leko). So I am very conservative when it comes to raking, still I truly believe that my homemade list is close to be 99% waterproof and also very realistic.

I know that your list is made of what exactly is happing in the K-1 today, even do it is very hard to make a legit TOP 10 of this kind based strictly on what happens in K-1 as we speak. I think it is safe to say, that making a top 10 list is more or less impossible, because all the top 10 fighters can on the day beat each other, as most of them also have done serial times in there career.

If I was to make a top 10 list today, over the best fighters in the K-1 year 2003 it will look like this:

1) Ernesto Hoost (K-1 champion, need I say more).

2) Jerome Le Banner (I know Jerome not has been fighting in year 2003, still he is the best K-1 fighter in the world in my opinion. He is strong, smart a good technical fighter who has a strong chin and heart, and then he got dynamite power in his hands and legs!).

3) Ray Sefo (Properly the best boxer in the K-1? Ray is just getting better and better).

4) CroCop (Amazing speed and technique, first class footwork and boxing skills).

5) Mark Hunt (Strong heart, strong chin, and strong fist. But to heavy).

6) Ignashov (Mr. Scorpion with the amazing knee strikes, who is impossible to knock out. Here is a man who loves to fight and to push his body to the limit).

7) Martin Holm (The champion of the future. Viking from top to toe. The biggest talent in the K-1).

8) Peter Aerts (Old Fox, very dangerous and fearless. Never say never when the Lumberjack is fighting).

9) Stefan Leko (Fast and also one of the best boxers and the K-1, but sadly for Leko is he to unstable).

10) Mike Bernado (Mike is over the hill, and so is his spirit and chin. Still Mike did well in his last fights against Ray Sefo & Hunt – so he gets the last spot on my homemade Top 10 list, even do I very insecure about this former South Africa knock out bomber.)

i wouldn't worry too much about bob sapp. no one today talks much about patrick smith who was probably the least worthy #1 ranked fighter.

93/04/30 Branko Cikatic [CRO] K-1 Grand Prix 1993 Tournament Champion
94/03/04 Andy Hug [SUI] defeated Branko Cikatic [CRO] by DEC-5
94/04/30 Patrick Smith [USA] defeated Andy Hug [SUI] by KO-1
94/09/18 Andy Hug [SUI] defeated Patrick Smith [USA] by KO-1
94/10/02 Andy Hug [SUI] defeated Jeff Roufus [USA] by KO-2
94/12/10 Andy Hug [SUI] defeated Rob Van Esdonk [NED] by KO-4
95/03/03 Mike Bernardo [RSA] defeated Andy Hug [SUI] by TKO-3
etc.




I think it is safe to say, that making a top 10 list is more or less impossible, because all the top 10 fighters can on the day beat each other, as most of them also have done serial times in there career.

in the real world, fighters' abilities would form a pyramid shape, i believe. the base would be very wide and the top narrow but still inconclusive. for me to take the names and put them in a straight line is a little unnatural. still, the human mind likes rank order so that is what the list does. the only way i can compromise is to allow the full volatility. that means allowing smith and sapp to become champs.


anyway oliver,
you know i have pools throughout the year. that is where my opinion gets satisfied. i don't win as much as others so if my list were subjective, what would people think? maybe glen is the best man for the subjective list.

my list has had a lot a criticism but one thing that is really interesting is that the comments i get from fighters are extremely positive.

bernardo looked very good against nak. he may be back to the level he was at the beginning of 2001 when he fought lebanner. if he fought hunt or sefo tomorrow, i'd bet on him. no shame in having him on your top 10.

Felix:

It was not a criticism!!

It was simply exchanging of thoughts and ranking. As I also told you above, your list is 2nd to none and based on an enormous knowledge, years of experience and dedication.

Yes... Humans do like rank order, which is also why I made my primitive list.

i know you weren't criticising. i think your list is more or less who most of us would have in a top ten list.

anyway, who will win between mirko and mcdonald?

I will bet all my money on CroCop. ($2.95 cents)

I am not that impressed of Michael McDonald, not as much as I have been.

McDonald was with out any chance against Semmy last year at the K-1 Saitama. Semmy was more or less playing with The Black Sniper, and knee striking him around the ring, as if he was playing with a mowing sandbag. Martin Holm defeated McDonald using the same technique, and I think that CroCop will do the same.

McDonald need to defeat some of the big boys in the K-1 to win my heart again, because one thing is to win in Vegas against American fighters. ( I am not saying that it is easy), but there is world between beating Jeff Roufus and then fighting CroCop.

Hee Oliver,
Jerome Le Banner doesn't have a strong chin. That's why he never succeeded in winning the K-1 finals every year, year, year, etc. Therefor he maybe never does.

Jerome broke his arm against Hoost, that is why he did not succeded in winning last year K-1 GP finale. A broken in tree different places has nothing to do with a weak chin!

To Felix, I know you were just discussing and having a difference of opinion. That is why I put (lol) besides ripping. And unlike rankings for pro boxing and MMA, I think it is very hard to come with a World rankings for kickboxing. K-1 is the only real major kickboxing promotion.

As far as Jackson, he might do well in K-1. But to me, he is more of a puncher than a kickboxer. I wonder how well he would do against an elite K-1 fighter who can kick. Jackson is tough, no doubt. Like Butterbean, I would have no problem with Jackson fighting on K-1 shows. I would rather see him than someone like Bannon or Tom Erickson. I would still like to see Chuck Liddell in K-1, but he has stated that he really has no interest in it- but money talks. And how about Wanderlei Silva- who proved he could stand-in with a K-1 top heavyweight when he fought Mirko. Silva's two brothers also have potential. Both of which have been rumored for K-1 fights recently.

I still would like to see K-1 go to weightclasses, and feature the best kickboxers in the World- something they once did. I know the heavyweights are exciting because of the knock-outs and such. But there is so many great fights out there they could do with guys who are not heavyweights.

oliver i like your top ten. i would probably put crocop in #2 or 3.
also, im not sure martin holm has showed enough against the top fighters
yet to be in the top 10. maybe this will be the year, hes fun to watch and
i like his skills ( especially those long knees)

scorpio, even the top 10 fighters have their own strengths and weaknesses.
jerome showed a lot of heart in his fight against hunt in paris. i thought
he was going out again, but he recovered and took the fight.
he has won a couple of tournaments ( not finals)

hoost doesnt have an iron chin, he has been k.o.'d quite a few times.

cro cop may not have the durability or endurance to win a tournament either.
he always seems to be hurt or worn out in the final match of a tournament.

ray sefo's ability to take leg kicks is a question. he also takes a lot of
punishment that prevents him from going far in a tournament.

hunts size limits his endurance. he also doesnt have much of a repertoire
besides his fists.

ignashov needs to expand his game also. k-1 is making it hard for a knee
specialist with their new clinching rules. his punching could be better....

You got the right idea Felix , keep up the good work.
somebody has to have some fun out there.
stay objective.

Not that i am complaining or anything - just preturbed at the lack of american fighters in ANY top ten list. What is it going to take to get a credible american heavyweight, do we have any prospects. The only one i can think of is Cater williams but his height will never allow him to get farther then anyone who is fighting now - so again, who do we have to get a credible.

And David Lucas is related to the Star Wars Director, George Lucas. Both have in common Fantasy and excitement, and both up with the Fairy's.

his height?

sefo and hunt are 5'10". mcdonald is 5'9". how short is carter?

When we finished his physical for Vegas, his offical height is 6'1" and a poss 2" max out in a year or so, so says the DOC.
And we cut weight to ?. can't give anymore.

Carter is listed as 5'11, 250.

Not sure about an American heavyweight "prospects". Doesn't look like there is a lot. Here are 3 possible "prospects."

Mark Selbee (6'5, 215) U.S. Full Contact champion. Has a 6-0 5ko pro record, and was 11-0 4kos as an ametuer. But he is 33 years old.

There is a younger (24) guy from California, but I don't who the comeptition he was fighting. His name is Milan Roldzak. His pro record is 4-0 4kos, and his ametuer record was 15-0 15kos. Maybe someone on here knows more about him(?)
He is 6'1, 230.

There is also a 20-year old ametuer champion, Trent "Thunderfoot" Tompkins who has a record of 14-0 8kos. Is 6'1, 217. He might have a future.

And again- I still would like to see Chuck Liddell in K-1. I think he has the potential to a top 10 fighter in K-1. But again, he has stated that he really doesn't have much interest in K-1.

There still is a list of American heavyweights worthy of fighting in K-1. Carter Williams, Jeff Ford, Lane Collyer, Roman Roytberg, Derek Panza, Moti Hornstein, etc. I mean any of these guys are more credible than guys like Chad Bannon and Tom Erickson.

if these full contact kids can learn to check the low kicks effectively, i see no reason why they can't be the next big thing in the K-1 usa.

i've never bought into the taller is better thing. i read a recent article where the writer actually attacked that belief. he said that if taller is better then if we take lennox lewis' fights against the 5 tallest opponents and compare them to the fights against the 5 shortest opponents, the result should be that the taller group did better [ie. lasted longer]. the opposite was true. the shorter group gave lewis more trouble than the giants.

we can probably do the same for kickboxing. pick a fighter, say, jerome lebanner. next see who gave him the most trouble, the tall guys or the short guys. hug, hunt, sefo or nortje, majer, watt. who would give him more trouble, mcdonald or schilt?

voodoo,
6'1" is a good height. don't go for 6'3"!! btw, how is that possible?

roger,
quinton jackson is young and very talented. he beat abidi after 9 months of training. everyone screamed fluke so he came back and did it again. what's not to like about this guy.

Yeah- Quinton Jackson has the potential to be a top 10 fighter in K-1. He is definitely tough, and has punching power. I just think Liddell may have more potential- due to his background. He and Jackson are almost the exact same size. And Chuck has a 20-2 16kos record as a kickboxers. He held titles in USMPA, WKA, and has two national kickboxing titles. But Jackson is the more likely of the two to be fighting K-1.

VOODOO - 6'1" - then who was i fighting (lol). If i come to Vegas and Carter is 6'1" on the scale then i will wear a pink dress with purple dots and a green hat that says Carter Williams. LOL.

Felix - if you look at the market of fighters right now the average height is 6'4" and the average weight is 240Lbs. compound those numbers with roids, youth and training and you get an average fighter today in any combat sport (boxing, MT, mma). My question is does the US have any fighters who are able to go the distance and win K-1 Japan. I am not overlooking myself, i know that with the training and drive behind me that alot off fighters have then i would sure make my presence known - but joining Fairtex and going to train a few weeks out of a year is alot different then moving there and training. I have the drive and skill to go far but i acknowledged my limitations.

In this game Height obviously is a factor - I can give a few examples but why other s we know that it is case closed - knee's - OOP'S that slipped.

Falix you are the great Wanobi of knowledge - hit me with height facts for Great fighters/Good Fighters.

VOODOO - did i mention i would wear pink pumps as well - ROTFL.

abdul im only related to george lucas when i make restaurant reservations
in california. im not down with your down under humor, you dont think every
fighter has strengths and weaknesses?

"if these full contact kids can learn to check the low kicks effectively, i see no reason why they can't be the next big thing in the K-1 usa"

felix it seems as though it is tough for guys to change their style. rick
roufus is one of the best f.c. fighters ever, but he seems to plant his feet
and is quite vulnerable to leg kicks.

big diesel why dont you get a purple mohawk and get on the beast team? ;)

rick came into the game quite late. i'd look at mirko or leko or hoost as better examples. in the end, it would depend on the individual.

jeff,

Felix - if you look at the market of fighters right now the average height is 6'4" and the average weight is 240Lbs. compound those numbers with roids, youth and training and you get an average fighter today in any combat sport (boxing, MT, mma).

it appears that way, doesn't it? if you look a little more closely you'll see lots of examples that say just the opposite. sergei ivanovich beat filho in vegas and nearly did it again in fukuoka. sergei only weighed 200 lbs. that year filho went on to the finals of the grand prix. the champ that year was 5'10" mark hunt.

i'm at work now but when i get home, i'll give you the height of the top 30 fighters.

My question is does the US have any fighters who are able to go the distance and win K-1 Japan.

the only way to enter the k-1 japan is to be japanese. if you mean the grand prix, then the answer is no. the best us fighters are from another generation. roufus, smith and mcdonald are just too old. carter shows a lot of potential but it will be a few more years before he starts turning head. mirko and hoost weren't overnight sensations and carter most likely won't either.

it is best not to rush things. the japanese have been rushing to produce a top heavyweight and look where they are. if you don't know the situation, read the thread "Japan's 1st K1 World Champ?". we don't want that in the us.

you forget the lizard.i will knock out a boxer this week,then a kickboxer next week.anyone want tickets let me know

Milan Roldzak - where did you get that info. about his record? I doubt that record is true, but I don't know for sure. Look up his pro boxing record and you will see why I doubt that record you are stating is true.

Well BIG D get the pumps out baby ,( the doc said his growth plates are still growing,and he has the potiental of hitting 6'3" maybe) cause when we weigh in I want the picture of you in that outfit on the front page. Its like Rodmen allover again!!!
Hey heres the didy from Japan ....Mo Smith was confirmed tonight for main event so...Mo Smith, Mike McDonald ,Carter Williams ,Dewey Cooper ,Rick Roufus,Gesippi Danatalli, the 2nd place guy from south america, and a japenese fighter ...NO Butterbean commish would'nt go for it .Bob Sapp in super fight.Hunt in superfight and Cung of course and one more.

Well BIG D get the pumps out baby ,( the doc said his growth plates are still growing,and he has the potiental of hitting 6'3" maybe) cause when we weigh in I want the picture of you in that outfit on the front page. Its like Rodmen allover again!!!
Hey heres the didy from Japan ....Mo Smith was confirmed tonight for main event so...Mo Smith, Mike McDonald ,Carter Williams ,Dewey Cooper ,Rick Roufus,Gesippi Danatalli, the 2nd place guy from south america, and a japenese fighter ...NO Butterbean commish would'nt go for it .Bob Sapp in super fight.Hunt in superfight and Cung of course and one more.

Quit using your voodoo spells on the doctor's measuring tape. You know that guy ain't 6'1". Doctor didn't notice he was standing on the telephone book.

Hope the good voodoo is with you in Vegas. Good luck.

you are to cruel legkick, I keep sticking these pins in all these dolls ,I'm bound to get the right combo going.He'll be 6'3" by the time we leave Vegas (LOL) on the real end thank you for your support we apprecate it, I know Carters young and yet to be truly tested but weather it be in Vegas this time or next with the right guidence he'll be the American force to be delt with in K-1.

that's the spirit. this event really means little to the big picture but what an opportunity to beat up on some talented old guys. a truly immeasurable experience.

dan,

is that kickboxing match with low kicks? if so, let me know the results for my rankings. i've been waiting to rank you. if not, let me know for my curiosity.

felix said "rick came into the game quite late. i'd look at mirko or leko or hoost as better examples. in the end, it would depend on the individual."

i dont think hoost started in f.c. i think he was doing dutch muay thai
from the start, wsant he? of course he has done a few fc matches as a sideline.
i dont think anyone can use hoosts career as a model, the way he has blossomed
in his late 30's and moved from middleweight all the way to superheavy is
pretty uncommon, if not outright freakish ;)

i dont know mirko and leko's backgrounds. how did they start?

didnt mike bernardo start as a f.c. fighter? that seems to be reflected in
his style.

i dont say its impossible, it just seems to be very difficult for f.c. fighters
to switch to k-1 style.

Here are some indormation about CroCop:
(Copy from oficial CroCop homepage)


"His strongest weapon is killer left hook. He is CRO COP and his time is coming! Mirko Filipovic is 24 years old. Seven years ago he got familiar with Tai-boxing and other martial arts. In 1996. In Seoul he already became world champion in full contact. That year, in the age of 22, with only two Thai-boxing fights, he entered K1 tournament in Tokyo, where he has defeated one of the eight best fighters, Europiean champion in the professional category at the time and world vice-champion. By that victory Mirko makes an entrance among the "glorious eight" of that absolute invitational world championship in Thai-boxing. He chose that sport because it’s "toughest, the most cruel, the most dangerous and it’s a sport where everything is allowed…"

Mirko is CRO COP, Police Academy student to whom Thai-boxing is a sport challenge and a philosophy of life. That persistent, skilful, nimble and swift high school student, just in a few years, grew up into an excellent boxer. His trainer, Leonard Pijetraj is capable of preparing his 188 cm of height and 98 kilograms of weight for the toughest efforts. Mirko is a sportsman ready for self-sacrifices to obtain top physical and psychical form. CRO COP uses his strenght only in boxing ring. Untill now he had 50 matches, he lost only seven of them but never because of knock-out or knock-down. He respects his opponents, but in the ring he shows no mercy for them. Today he’s a fighter used to fight in front of 70.000 spectators. He obtained self-confidence, firmness, he became faster, more dangerous and deadly. Mirko says he gains internal peace, calm and relaxation with fights, with self-confidence. He hates "lame, pale" fights.

He’s a true fighter and that’s why the audience loves him. Mirko has it all! Youth, wisdom and future are on his side. He’s CRO COP and his time is coming".

Not saying much about his career or how he started. But I like the photo of the young Cop - it more or less reminds me of a clip from a mowie with Van Dam:)

some fc fighters can make the change. others can't. if they approach it properly [ie. defense first] they'll be fine. if they try to approach it offence first they'll look like rick roufus or pele reid. amada, tajima and bernardo all switched over from boxing successfully. by that, i mean that their failures can't be blamed on their origins.

i dont say its impossible, it just seems to be very difficult for f.c. fighters to switch to k-1 style.

the difference between an easy task and a difficult task is time. a fighter can either waste time or save time based on the decisions he makes. if i were trent tompkins. i would go to vos gym. they would teach me how to get the most out of my hands without losing my legs. they have a great track record. if i were noji, on the other hand, i would go to steve's gym.

oliver,
nice story.

First- I can't say for sure if that record is 100% true or not.

Second- to anyone who knows? Is this the card for Vegas- seeing as it has been in flux and keeps changing?

SUPER FIGHTS :
Bob Sapp vs. ? - Is Sapp cleared to fight? What a shocker, him not being in the tournament.

STIKE FORCE (San Shou Rules) : Cung Le vs. Scott Sheeley (pontentially)

Mark Hunt vs. Gary Goodridge (potentially)

Retirement Fight : Nobuaki Kakuda vs. Stan "The Man" (or) Dick Vrij

8-MAN TOURNAMENT :
x) Rick Roufus
x) Mike McDonald
x) Carter Williams
x) Dewey Cooper
x) Maurice Smith
x) Giuseppe DeNatale
x) Eduardo Maiorino "Morfeu" (K-1 Brazil runner-up)
x) Japanese "Heavy Bag"

STIKE FORCE Feature Bout : Kit Cope vs. Blake Lirette

Woops- forgot the R's both times.

felix,this is not legkicks,but in june I am fighting in the tales of pain and in Aug. against Denataleon the harley 100 year anniversary show.I am psyched to fight.The boxing promoters are trying to get me to quit kicking but it will never happen.I don't know some of the guys on your list but it definately looks as though you know your stuff.It might take until july to get on but I am very patient.

Good luck to you Dan , why are they trying to get you to quit??
Well were getting close boys, anybody want to throw in some fantasy K-1 play by play, come all you cowboys give it a shot.

now there is talk of musashi vs. jackson. musashi looked pretty bad against dempsey, braga and goodridge. he got rocked by tomihira and goodridge. jackson beat abidi twice, the first by ko and the second with a knockdown.

my bet. if musashi couldn't take gary's rank he won't take quinton's.


as for the tourney, mike, rick and mo make things interesting. the fact that there are only 3 at that caliber make things a little unbalanced. one fighter will have to beat two of the others to make it. for example, if mike had to meet rick and then mo, mo would have an advantage.

i hope carter will play the darkhorse role well and turn some heads. i'd be very happy if he turned mo's head with his foot. :)

dan,
i'm glad you're patient. as for me, i keep thinking i'm missing something. that is, you've fought and i don't know about it. it keeps me awake at night. LOL. hope to hear the news in june-july.

it looks like the draw will be important in determining the outcome of
the tournament. assuming roufus, smith and mcdonald are the favorites, whichever one of them gets to a final without facing one of the others will
have an easier time of it and be fresher for the final.

In the K-1 merry-go-round, Sapp is now off the card for Vegas again.

hunt x goodridge

leko x ?

kakuda x ?

tournament
mcdonald[19] x denatale[133]
fujimoto[89] x williams[166]
cooper[120] x roufus[159]
smith[33] x maiorino[198]


good luck to carter.
fujomoto is very strong and hits hard. that said, he gets tired and doesn't protect his head well from punches.
strategies for carter
-in the first round give a quick rush that will make him forget everything his coach has been saying about pacing. then keep your hands up and keep the round even.
-round 2. put a little more juice on the punches and throw the combos 3 or 4 at a time.

let me reiterate:
fujimoto is a hard hitter. he dropped pettas with a body blow and ohishi with a high kick. the fans will be able to hear the strikes in the last row.

Now is that middleweight contract fight (or whatever it is called)- the Cung L fight, Cope vs. Lirette, two other fighters completely. What is the scoop on it?

I will be a man and go right out on the limb with my straight-up pikcs for the tournament.

McDonald vs. "The Godfather"- re-match from last year, right. My pick is McDonald. I'll take the Japanese fighter over Williams. Roufus over Cooper. Smith over Maiorino.
I would then have McDonald beating Fujimoto. Roufus beating Smith. McDonald vs. Roufus in the finals. Roufus to win the tournament. I hope Rick knows that I have been hanging myself out for him recently (lol).

I could easily say that Carter, Cooper, or DeNatale could be a "sleeper", but I won't. I could say McDonald to win, but I won't. I could say Smith, but I don't think he can do it. I'm going straight-up with my picks. No ifs, and, or buts. Or whatever saying applies.

I hope they select a good opponent for Leko. I have little interest in Hunt vs. Goodridge. And if Kukuda fight Stan or Vrij- it will probably be uneventful. But seeing as I won't be pay-per-viewing it or being there live. I really won't be disappointed in anything.

mcdonald-denatale
last year, mike hit denatale whenever he wanted. giuseppe is a good fighter but he just couldn't put up an attack with hid defense so wide open.
i think he'll do better this year but it will still be a win for mcdonald.

fujimoto-williams
two short powerhouses swinging at each other until one is standing? that is what the organizers are hoping for anyway. i haven't seen williams fight but from what i've heard his chin is a little more solid than fujimoto's. stamina is a major factor in this fight.
i'll o out on a limb and pick carter.

cooper-roufus
i pick roufus.

smith-maiorino
smith easy.

mcdonald-williams
mcdonald is a little out of carter's league but he is not a power puncher. if carter can stay in the fight until the ending bell without gasping for breath or getting hit on every mcdonald whim, this will be a major success for carter.
winner mcdonald.

smith-roufus
this will either be an exciting battle or a staring contest.
i pick roufus.

mcdonald-roufus
mcdonald by KO. last year mike gave rick a lot of respect but this year it will be a higher pace and a faster end.

it doesn't surprise me that sapp is out. if butterbean couldn't get cleared, how could sapp. i think they will use butterbean in japan though and let the americans watch it on ppv. the reach of one athletic commision is only so far.

These commissions (and the people who pull the strings on them) in America make me shake my head sometimes. I can understand protecting fighters, no problem there. I'm glad they do. I can understand not letting an unstable fighter like Tyson fight- after the guy took a bite out of a man's ear. But- first, they ban the old bare-knuckle, open-weight fighting. And I just don't understand why Butterbean can't fight. Why? Because he is a super-heavweight. Hasn't done a kickboxing match. I don't understand what would have been the big deal of him fighting. I can understand them not letting Sapp fight, if his eye injury is that severe.

Thanks Felix as I an an opened minded coach I take all advise and hopefully use it wisely, Japan called yesterday and gave me Carters match up, we are ready for Fujimoto. We know how he fights, your right on the button.

Thanks Felix as I an an opened minded coach I take all advise and hopefully use it wisely, Japan called yesterday and gave me Carters match up, we are ready for Fujimoto. We know how he fights, your right on the button.

Why is a Japanese fighter in the USA tournament? Or is it the American tournament? Either way I don't think Japan is in the right region. At least not on my globe. I don't know... this globe is kind of old. Maybe things have changed... I'll go to the globe store tomorrow and check this out thoroughly. If Fujimoto wins he will represent the USA/America? How the hell is that supposed to work?

I want him to get his butt whooped just cuz he is not from America and he is in the American tournament. Oh, and please don't say I am anti-Japanese or anti anybody else. I just think fighters from the American regions should be in the tournament. Seems real simple to me.

I'm sending some extra voodoo over to Carter. Whoop some butt!!! USA... USA.... U.S.A!!!!!!

Hey guys,

I saw Hunt last weekend, and he looks to me like he's dropped a fair bit of weight.

I don't know how heavy he was fighting at the end of last year, but he kind of looked on about 120ish this last weekend.

hey legkick,

read the first post. there is a reason why this thread is titled "no k-1 usa". this is more like the k-1 vegas where the winner goes to the one-on-one qualifiers. in fact, it is the k-1 vegas.

there will be a japanese in the following tournaments:
Las Vegas, May 2
Basel, May 31
Paris, June 14
Melbourne, Jul 27

why? because k-1 is a japanese promotional company and they suck at developing their talent. 4 japanese fighters will get beaten to within an inch of their lives, chucked into the k-1 japan and then criticised for losing too many fights.

voodoo,
have you seen many of fujimoto's fights?

roger,
we don't know the reason for butterbean failing to get cleared. it could be any reason: steroids, heart problems, simply not wanting to do it and wanting out of his contract. anything.

Yeah- your are right, it could be any reason I guess.

As far as the Japanese fighter goes- with the merry-go-round with Sapp fighting, the Brazilian winner getting knocked-out, Bannon being pulled etc.; K-1 probably did this sort of last minute. And- with them moving to a new T.V. company in Japan who wants them to feature more Japanese fighters, I can see why they did this. Heck- Kakuda's fight is the last match on the show.

the k-1 website says that a man of butterbeans age can't fight in a knockout contest. cough cough bullshit cough cough.

remember these.
-sem schilt injured his shoulder bowling
-ishii will ref because he is the only one able to control sapp

i wonder why kakuda's farewell fight is in las vegas? hes not exactly a draw
to u.s. audiences. wouldnt it make a lot more sense to get a couple of
american fighters with followings on the card, and have kakuda's fight in
japan??

Felix, No just we heard what you described, any stats would be apprecated!! know of any tapes on him ,was he in pride?what sites have info on him?

voodoo,
you've hit the motherload. i have to go to work but prepare yourself for an information overload.

for now:
178cm 104kg
never in pride. he has a karate background

Weve been changed up again, from what I understand we've drawn M.McDonald for the first fight.
Courious why the change but my thoughts are they want to take us out quick!
Ain't gonna be so easy!

Weve been changed up again, from what I understand we've drawn M.McDonald for the first fight.
Courious why the change but my thoughts are they want to take us out quick!
Ain't gonna be so easy!
as to easy I mean for them , were going to bring it to him like never before.

Heck- with the way K-1 has been handling Vegas, it will probably change 10 more times before the show date.

you know you might be right, stanger things have happend

you know you might be right, stanger things have happend

I just might put a few bucks on Carter.Wonder what the odd's are, on him beating McDonald?

VOODOO - email me, jeff@combatsportskc.com

Does anyone know where or how to check the ODDS!

i think the mirage hotel will be the only place that makes a line on the
fights since they are hosting the show. i think they usually post the odds
no more than a week or two in advance of the date. usually in these tournaments
they make lines on each entrant's odds to win, rather than on the first round
fights.

the k-1 usa site says that the two confirmed superfights are hunt-goodridge
and kakuda-musashi. goodridge has been training with maurice smith to improve
his striking skills. kakuda-musashi is being billed as "yoda vs luke skywalker"
by the japanese press!!!!! ;)

HERE IT IS STRAIGHT FROM JAPAN...

First bout...Williams vs McDonald

Second bout...Cooper vs Fujimoto

Third bout...Maoris vs Roufus

Fourth bout...Smith vs Danatale


Well we will see how long this lasts, We have to be there Tue for press conference, can't wait to see the ODDS on this one.

HERE IT IS STRAIGHT FROM JAPAN...

First bout...Williams vs McDonald

Second bout...Cooper vs Fujimoto

Third bout...Maoris vs Roufus

Fourth bout...Smith vs Danatale


Well we will see how long this lasts, We have to be there Tue for press conference, can't wait to see the ODDS on this one.

HERE IT IS STRAIGHT FROM JAPAN...

First bout...Williams vs McDonald

Second bout...Cooper vs Fujimoto

Third bout...Maoris vs Roufus

Fourth bout...Smith vs Danatale


Well we will see how long this lasts, We have to be there Tue for press conference, can't wait to see the ODDS on this one.

sorry about the double responses ,just discovered the prob.

Voodoo,please tell Carter I said good luck.With the skill he has he doesn't need much luck.It sucks they changed things around but I think Carter can hang with anyone.Also if he beats michael I think the confidence and momentum he will gain could make him unstoppable.Are you still going to tales of pain.I just sent my contract today I am psyched to fight legkicks again.believe it or not I think ther surgery was a blessing in disguise.First the doctor said some of the damage was already there so it is now taken care of and second it got my hunger back.I haven't trained right for a fight in 3 years.Now I called my old trainers back and am in the best shape of my life

If Michael gets past Carter, he will be really beat up, and Rick is in Great shape. I will see him on monday. Looks like a Great card after all!

Dan "HELLO" yes we will be there.Glad your doing good,stay strong but not to strong (LOL).
Ya know were going to give our best we have to, being the underdog you just have to go for it.

Kukuda vs. Musashi as the last fight- K-1 isn't neccessarily booking this show with the American audience in mind. Why do that fight in Vegas instead of Japan? Yoda vs. Luke Skywalker. I know the background, but that is about a stupid as the Japenese press calling Mirko vs. Sapp- a normal man vs. Godzilla.

Even though I am sticking with my pick of Roufus to win tournament. I look at Williams vs. McDonald in the opening round this way. (However this should be worded, but you get my point); there was a pretty good chance that in order for Williams to win the tournament- he was going to have fight McDonald at some point.

mcdonald is one of my favorite fighters. but voodoo is a member so that is where the loyalty lies.

mcdonald probably has the fastest hands in the k-1.

or just things to consider

-legs
not the toughest in the k-1. he has been dropped with low kicks but that was pettas who is scary with the low kicks.
you may want to have a few hard low kicks delived early to keep him from boxing without fear.

-stance
very wide. you usually don't see a stance that wide.
low inside kicks to break his balance and set up head shots while he is recovering his balance may be possible.
if he abandons the wide stance, maybe a few push kicks might tempt him back into it.

-body
mcdonald is still a blown up light heavy.
no one has really tested his ribs. most fighters are so tall they use knees or so strong they try to punch through his guard.

tight defense
-getting a clean shot on his head is tough.
the good news is that his vision is obscured with his hands up like that. hello high kick.

it is a shame i haven't seen carter fight. if i knew his strenghs i might have more to... um more to ignore. right voodoo? LOL.

"dempsey though the ropes"
speaking of dempsey, i wonder why josh dempsey wasn't give consideration this time out. he looked okay against musashi.

You are so right and why not the the first bout what the hell "Lets get it on".
I look forword to it.
Who knows the kid could walk away King of the World, stranger things have happened.

i don't think it would be such a strange thing.Carter is a very talented fighter and I think if the guys in lasvegas underestimate him they could be in for a rude awakening.

in 2001 a twice eliminated fighter entered a tournament and knocked out the tourney favorite, a man who had beaten him by decision the previous year. he then beat used knockdowns to outpoint one of the fastest fighters in the circuit. in the final, he pounded the body of a champion of a karate form that allows bare knuckle body punches.

no one gave him much notice before the tournament but after, mark hunt became one of the most feared fighters in the k-1.

i hope carter gets a chance to meet him before the tournament starts.

We'll make it a point to!

Stefan Leko v Great Kusatsu it was just added on the K-1 website.

i like kusatsu but he needs to hit harder and improve his stamina. leko will knock him out.

I know Jeff was suppossed to fight Leko but they changed their minds for whatever reason and brought in Kusatsu. Is he any good or is this just an easy fight for Leko?

he's both. he's good and an easy fight. strange but true.

With yet another Japanese fighter- it is officially K-1 Vegas, not K-1 USA. I don't know why ESPN would have any interest in this. They are definitely booking it strictly with the Japanese audience in mind. K-1 and Pride do awful by-rates here in the U.S. on pay-per-view. No way they are going to get a serious deal with ESPN. I am sure they will get a nice live crowd in Vegas because it is K-1, but aside from that- I don't see where they are doing anything to establish themselves with a wider U.S. audience. Maybe they don't want to. If you are just a casual fan here in the U.S. and didn't follow K-1, you won't know nearly 3/4 of the fighters on this show. It is pretty clear that the new TV network they are now on in Japan is having a major influence on K-1's match-making.

i think they managed to resign with fuji.

however i do agree with you partly. if they were serious about capturing the US audience they would put on 10 shows a year with americans beating the tar out of each other and foreigners. then when they get a big event the ppv buy rate would go up. how many events have they done since '98? six. how many were won by americans? two.

roufus, usa
dudko, russia [tried to pass him off as an immigrant but he couldn't speak a lick of english]
smith, usa
leko, ger
mcdonald, can
mcdonald, can

at this rate, k-1 should become popular by 2050.

The actual tournament part of the show might turn-out to be decent.

Kakuda vs. Musashi- will probably be a boring fight. I would probably leave after the tournament final and go find a blackjack table. Cause I definitely wouldn't be dropping $250 to sit ring-side for this show.

Hunt vs. Goodridge- probably unventful, except for seeing someone get clocked- most likely Gary.

Leko vs. Great Kasatsu- Kusatsu is pretty solid at 5'11, 210. Has 13 kos in his 20 wins. Might have some decent action to it.

Cung Le vs. Scott Sheeley- 4 years ago Cung Le suplexed the crap out of this guy- breaking his jaw. This shows the lack of fighters out there willing to do San Shou rules. I would have prefered a re-match between Le and Shonie Carter.


This show is going to absolutely bomb on pay-per-view here in the U.S. No way ESPN is going to do anything serious with K-1. Unless ESPN is so star-struck, and thinks Bob Sapp's celebrity can make it a success. But I'm still not sure how his "act" would play over here in the long run.

kusatsu haven't even fought 20 times. and his record is below 50%. there must be a glitch in the website you used as a source. 13 knockouts? no way.

I don't know his actual K-1 fight record. But his official K-1 profile is listed as :

26 years-old

Japan /Team Andy / Karate

5'11 210

1st Seido Kaikan All Japan (weight-system) heavyweight champion

Career record : 28 fights, 20 wins, 7 losses, 1 draw, 13 kos.

Jeff "The Big Diesel" Ford is an alternate.

The Abu Dhabi MMA News site posted this today...

K-1 USA Elimination 2003
Submitted by: Marcello Tetel
Posted On 04/22/2003

Date: Friday, May 2nd, 2003
Place: Mirage Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada

8 Man - Tournament:

1) Eduardo Maiorino vs Maurice Smith
2) Dewey Cooper vs Rick Roufus
3) Fujimoto vs Carter Williams
4) Michael McDonald vs G. Dinatel

Superfights:

1) Mark Hunt vs Gary Goodridge
2) Stefan Leko vs Guy Mezger
3) Musashi vs Quinton Jackson

-------------------

I thought Quinton wouldn't be available because he is supposed to fight Vanderlei Silva in Pride, but it turns out that Vanderlei is recovering from knee surgery and is not 100% for June, so it will likely be in the next Pride instead. That gives Quinton plenty of time.

I'm curious to see how well Guy Mezger fights against Leko. Mezger went toe to toe with Vanderlei Silva in MMA and did okay before getting caught with a left hook (I think).

that information [especially the tournament] seems a little outdated.

musashi is supposed to fight kakuda.
williams is fighting mcdonald.

Name Great Kusatsu
Country Japan
Height 181 cm
Weight 96.4 kg - Heavyweight
Age 26
Birthdate Jul.15.1976
Results 10Fights 3Wins 7Loses 2KOs
Data Sep.22.2002


the above info is from yowiko which only collects k-1 information. i do know that he fought twice for ichigeki and won both matches but neither were by ko.

he has a tight defense. he trained with mcdonald and andy hug so it is hard to get through his guard. unfortunately, he can't crack eggs with his punching power and his stamina dwindles. he handles the stamina problem with conservation but i think he should just run everyday instead.

you should see nice combinations from both fighters though. enjoy.

..."he can't crack eggs with his punching power"...

LOL!

That is what I don't understand- with legitimate American heavyweights like Ford and others, you got an all Japanese main event. A Japanese fighter in the tournament. Gary Goodridge. And Leko against a Japanese fighter.

I think there was at one point going to be more American fighters on the show. But with K-1 moving from Fiji TV to Nippon TV in Japan, things changed. The Tokyo Broadcasting System kept only K-1 middleweight and Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye programming. Nippon picked-up K-1's tv righs.

In 2002 it was reported Nippon TV producers threatened Ishii that they would kick K-1 off their network if they didn't feature Japanese fighters prominently. It is pretty clear to me that Nippon execs are having a major influence on K-1 match-making now.
No way ESPN is going to do a major deal with K-1 if they know a Japanese TV company is pulling the strings and having the most influence on what K-1 does. If I am ESPN, I would do my homework before I signed any kind of deal with K-1.

it is not known who are kakuda and stefan leko fighting?!?!?! just added on the k-1 site. It is very silly for a K-1 organisation to do things so unprofesional like this:(

I definitely agree- kind of unprofessional and silly also. What a mess they have made of Vegas. I wonder if the change in card had anything to do with the ESPN talks. I couldn't understand all the Japanese fighters on the card for the Vegas show.
This probaly also shows that K-1 big shots stil see this a just a chance to go to Vegas, gamble, and party in the U.S. with American women ( in the form of hookers, strippers, and show girls).

That is why I said (even though joking), Williams opponent will probably change 10 more times before the show.

this is nothing new, i think the lineups have often changed for the vegas
k-1's at the last minute. i think the for the last two they changed the opening
round matchups with a week to go also!

Since we all know that K-1 is not going to have a huge PPV buy rate because of the lack of an educated and cash spending fan base, it makes financial sense for there to be Japanese fighters in the mix. This will after all be aired in Japan and have Japanese sponsorship.

The alternative could be no K-1 cards in the USA at all.

From what i have heard Leko is fighting Guy Mezger - i was told that but i have not found it confirmed anywhere - is thatold news or new news - pre or post Kusatsu?

If it is that fight- what do you think of Mezger's chances against Leko??? Leko has a little size on Mezger. Leko is 6'2, 215. Mezger is around 6'0, and weighs right at 200. Of course Leko has been in with some of K-1 best and has been a champion in all styles. Mezger's record (against much lesser competition) is 10-3 7 kos as a pro. 12-2 12 kos as an ametuer.

Leko has 6-4 record in his last 10 K-1 fights. The losses coming twice to Hoost (one by decision and one by ko), and twice to Hunt (one by decision and one by knockout). The 6 wins being over Duke Roufus (ko), Ivanovich (ko), Aerts (ko), Bonjasky (dec.), and Ignashov (dec.).

Mezger MMA record for his last 10 fights is as follows (starting with most recent and going backwards. Antonio Noguiera (loss by split dec.), Yamamoto (win by unam. dec.), Arona (loss by split dec.), Liddell (loss by ko), Egan Inoue (win by ko), Otsuka (win by tko- King of the Cage), Otsuka (win by tko- Pride), Silva (loss by ko), Satake (win by dec.), Sakuraba (loss by forfeit).

They also pulled Cung Le vs. Scott Sheeley off the official card, and now it is just back to being listed as a middleweight contract match.

around and around and around we go, where we stop on K-1 knows!!
More like a circus.

so far, what i've heard about carter is that he has very fast hands and poor stamina. that would explain why fujimoto is not his opponent.

i'm looking forward to seeing him in action.

leko would kill metzger. i don't even believe they are being put in the ring together.

I think Mezger has a change to last the distance. I only give him a 15% chance of winning though, by lucky punch or by decision. I think he has about a 30-40% chance of getting KO'd by Leko. In the fights I've seen of Leko's, I like his use of punching. Since punching is Mezger's biggest weapon, I don't see Leko getting beat in that area.

Mezger's Kickboxing experience mostly has come from much earlier in his career. Most of his experience is in MMA where his biggest losses have come from fighting Elite fighters, or they have been controversial decisions. Mezger was doing well against Lidell before Lidell turned the tides and KO'd Mezger. He was being agressive vs Vanderlei before Vanderlei landed a hard punch that changed everything. (I don't remember the exact details of those fights, just trying to recall from memory what I saw). I have noticed Mezger's style of standup fighting to have changed. He applies more knees know than he used to. He gets knocked off balance less. Things like that. I think his standup has improved in the last few years.

There's one thing to consider with MMA guys fighting in K-1. They really have nothing to lose. If they lose, well they are MMA fighters and don't normally train for just standup. So they have the ability to go balls-out from the beginning of round 1. They can take more chances while the K-1 guys are SUPPOSED to win, so they take less chances as they don't want to make a mistake and get KO'd like Bernardo did vs Goodridge in their first bout.

post #143

we still don't know who is fighting and we are a week and a half from the event.

usually, the who-will-win discussions start up but this has basically been a 143 post thread about who-will-fight.

does this seem weird to anyone else?

just a little!

so felix, how are we going to do a poll? let people guess on whos fighting?? ;)

" so felix, how are we going to do a poll? let people guess on whos fighting?? ;) "

LOL!

I'll give a call to japan and see waz up!

Is someone screwing with K-1's website (lol), now it back to Kakuda vs. Musashi, no opponent listed for Leko, the tournament is back to Williams vs. Fujimoto and McDonald vs. DeNatale in the opening round, and the Cung Le remains unlisted- still back to being listed as the middleweight contract match.

i hope williams does fight fujimoto. he could get past mcdonald too but i don't like to see fighters overextend themselves like that.

Carter is still on with McDonald first fight, and Guy Metzger is not in the tour.

we need to start a part 2 this takes all night to scroll.there was another like this but it had hot women

got that right!

The man , see ya all there!