Brazilian Dynamite: Gracie Submits Akebono
K-1 Dynamite Report Page 3
Dec 31, 2004
The ever-improving Musashi has advanced to the final bout of the
Tokyo Dome World GP two years running now, and here Japan's best
K-1 fighter met American pro wrestler turned contact fighter
Sean O'Haire in a K-1
Rules bout. The big O'Haire, who fights for BJ Penn's MMA Team,
surprised many pundits when he brutalized Shungo Oyama with punches to take a
KO victory just 31 seconds into the first round of their dance at
the Rumble on the Rock in Hawaii last month.
Fighting in his hometown, Musashi had the Osaka crowd pumped as he made his entrance. But from the bell, it was O'Haire who came in. Crouched low, leaning forward, O'Haire tossed in a number of jabs, a right, a low kick and put some knees up from the clinch before Musashi had thrown a single strike. O'Haire looked decent here, working the body blows and connecting with a right uppercut in the early going. Musashi was, as it happened, simply biding his time. Late in the round, after connecting with a couple of low kicks, Musashi planted his left foot on the right side of O'Haire's face for a down.
In the second, it was evident O'Haire had not fully recovered as a
hard front kick put the American on the canvas once again, and just
seconds after resumption Musashi ended the fight in a convincing
fashion with another high kick.
Maybe he had been a little rattled in the first round, but for whatever reason Musashi seemed to have briefly forgotten where he was after the fight, thanking the "Tokyo Dome" crowd for their support from the winners' circle. The forgiving Osaka crowd was of course amused by the slip of tongue, and an embarrassed Musashi corrected himself with a chuckle before thanking one and all.
In a K-1 Rules fight between two of Japan's most popular 70kg (154lb) weight class fighters, 2003 World Max Champion Masato took on the explosive Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto, a mixed martial art specialist. Personality-wise, these two are a study in contrasts -- pretty boy Masato the polite and soft-spoken type, Yamamoto the tough-talking punk.
The Kid has looked very strong since his 2003 debut, and entered the ring unbeaten in his four K-1 and mixed martial arts bouts. But Masato, regarded as one of the world's best stand-up fighters in his class, was determined to stop that streak here. After receiving bouquets and encouragement from 2004 World Max Champion Buakaw Por Pramuk, the two fighters got down to business.
This was a fast-paced, furious fight from the get-go, probably the best bout on the night. Masato got a right straight punch in early on, but Yamamoto the southpaw was able to counter in kind. The Kid proved more than capable in blocking Masato's high kicks, and threw a couple of low kicks of his own. A right hook got through to Masato's head halfway through and seconds later Yamamoto shocked the crowd when he put a left in to score a down. True to his mixed martial arts training (and bad-boy image), Yamamoto instinctively rushed in to finish off his downed opponent, but the referee quickly stepped up to remind the fighter that is not permitted under regular K-1 Rules.
Soon after the count, a low kick hit Yamamoto hard below the belt, and, as doctors investigated, for a long while it appeared the fight might have to be stopped. But, given five minutes to recompose, Yamamoto indicted he was ok and the fight resumed.
The second round saw no abatement in the action, both fighters nimble and quick and throwing hard strikes. Masato's legs were better, and a kick to Yamamoto's chin stunned the fighter, who turned away and so was assessed a standing count. Afterward it was all Masato, who leapt in with flying knees and kicks and then worked the knees from the clinch, looking for the decisive down. But the Kid weathered the storm, landed a couple of haymakers on the counter and continued, undaunted, to step in with punches.
The third saw Masato staying with the leg attacks, working knees and tossing high kicks. Several times Yamamoto seemed to defy nature by not only remaining standing but rallying with aggressive counters. As the clock wore down, the two commenced to literally throwing themselves at one another to end this thrilling contest.
Both young men were bashed and battered and doubtlessly ushered in 2005 nursing their bruised bodies, but it is Masato who got the trophy, by majority decision.
Masato attributed his success to superior legwork, but was very impressed with Yamamoto: "I was most surprised with his kicks," he said post-bout, "I didn't expect that at all."
Contested under Free Fight Rules was the battle between veteran Japanese Pro-wrestler Kazuyuki Fujita and Karam Ibrahim of Egypt, a gold medallist in Greco-Roman Wrestling at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Fujita humiliated Bob Sapp at the Saitama ROMANEX event this May, and has pounded it out with some of the best in mixed martial arts in his long career. Ibrahim, some ten years younger, was making his debut in the sport. Could the Egyptian use youth and speed to avoid the strikes, go to the mat and out-finesse his opponent?
He tried, but he failed.
Things started out well for Ibrahim, and he showed he could stand up and throw a punch, knocking Fujita down with a left but not quite quick enough to get in and follow up. Actually, the two never went to the mat in this one, for just as Ibrahim was attempting a low kick, Fujita countered with a hard right to put the Egyptian on the canvas. Fujita quickly jumped in to finish his opponent off, but that was unnecessary, as Ibrahim, motionless on his back, was already defeated. Quickly, the referee jumped in to pull Fujita off and stop the fight.
In an undercard bout, Pro-wrestler The Predator, appearing in his second Dynamite event, won a Free Fight Rules bout against another two-time Dynamite participant, Kristof "The Phoenix" Midoux of France. This one was over in a minute -- The Predator quickly got the double leg takedown, then relentlessly worked kidney punches from a rear mount position. Midoux attempted to squirm free, but The Predator slid up and got an lock on Midoux's left arm, hyper-extending at the shoulder while twisting Midoux's neck into the canvas to force a submission.
Making appearances in the ring to express their desire to fight in K-1 next year were American mixed martial arts master Heath Haring, star Korean wrestler Che Hong Man, and popular Japanese amateur wrestler Akihito Tanaka.
The K-1 Dynamite 2004 attracted 52,918 to the Osaka Dome and was broadcast in Japan on the TBS television network. The event will be available on a delayed basis elsewhere, check with your local providers for details.
Fighting in his hometown, Musashi had the Osaka crowd pumped as he made his entrance. But from the bell, it was O'Haire who came in. Crouched low, leaning forward, O'Haire tossed in a number of jabs, a right, a low kick and put some knees up from the clinch before Musashi had thrown a single strike. O'Haire looked decent here, working the body blows and connecting with a right uppercut in the early going. Musashi was, as it happened, simply biding his time. Late in the round, after connecting with a couple of low kicks, Musashi planted his left foot on the right side of O'Haire's face for a down.
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Maybe he had been a little rattled in the first round, but for whatever reason Musashi seemed to have briefly forgotten where he was after the fight, thanking the "Tokyo Dome" crowd for their support from the winners' circle. The forgiving Osaka crowd was of course amused by the slip of tongue, and an embarrassed Musashi corrected himself with a chuckle before thanking one and all.
Added Musashi in his post-bout interview: "I didn't know my
opponent so I decided to let him come at me in the first and see
what he could do. In the second, I fought back, showed him what I
could do."
In a K-1 Rules fight between two of Japan's most popular 70kg (154lb) weight class fighters, 2003 World Max Champion Masato took on the explosive Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto, a mixed martial art specialist. Personality-wise, these two are a study in contrasts -- pretty boy Masato the polite and soft-spoken type, Yamamoto the tough-talking punk.
The Kid has looked very strong since his 2003 debut, and entered the ring unbeaten in his four K-1 and mixed martial arts bouts. But Masato, regarded as one of the world's best stand-up fighters in his class, was determined to stop that streak here. After receiving bouquets and encouragement from 2004 World Max Champion Buakaw Por Pramuk, the two fighters got down to business.
This was a fast-paced, furious fight from the get-go, probably the best bout on the night. Masato got a right straight punch in early on, but Yamamoto the southpaw was able to counter in kind. The Kid proved more than capable in blocking Masato's high kicks, and threw a couple of low kicks of his own. A right hook got through to Masato's head halfway through and seconds later Yamamoto shocked the crowd when he put a left in to score a down. True to his mixed martial arts training (and bad-boy image), Yamamoto instinctively rushed in to finish off his downed opponent, but the referee quickly stepped up to remind the fighter that is not permitted under regular K-1 Rules.
Soon after the count, a low kick hit Yamamoto hard below the belt, and, as doctors investigated, for a long while it appeared the fight might have to be stopped. But, given five minutes to recompose, Yamamoto indicted he was ok and the fight resumed.
The second round saw no abatement in the action, both fighters nimble and quick and throwing hard strikes. Masato's legs were better, and a kick to Yamamoto's chin stunned the fighter, who turned away and so was assessed a standing count. Afterward it was all Masato, who leapt in with flying knees and kicks and then worked the knees from the clinch, looking for the decisive down. But the Kid weathered the storm, landed a couple of haymakers on the counter and continued, undaunted, to step in with punches.
The third saw Masato staying with the leg attacks, working knees and tossing high kicks. Several times Yamamoto seemed to defy nature by not only remaining standing but rallying with aggressive counters. As the clock wore down, the two commenced to literally throwing themselves at one another to end this thrilling contest.
Both young men were bashed and battered and doubtlessly ushered in 2005 nursing their bruised bodies, but it is Masato who got the trophy, by majority decision.
Masato attributed his success to superior legwork, but was very impressed with Yamamoto: "I was most surprised with his kicks," he said post-bout, "I didn't expect that at all."
Contested under Free Fight Rules was the battle between veteran Japanese Pro-wrestler Kazuyuki Fujita and Karam Ibrahim of Egypt, a gold medallist in Greco-Roman Wrestling at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Fujita humiliated Bob Sapp at the Saitama ROMANEX event this May, and has pounded it out with some of the best in mixed martial arts in his long career. Ibrahim, some ten years younger, was making his debut in the sport. Could the Egyptian use youth and speed to avoid the strikes, go to the mat and out-finesse his opponent?
He tried, but he failed.
Things started out well for Ibrahim, and he showed he could stand up and throw a punch, knocking Fujita down with a left but not quite quick enough to get in and follow up. Actually, the two never went to the mat in this one, for just as Ibrahim was attempting a low kick, Fujita countered with a hard right to put the Egyptian on the canvas. Fujita quickly jumped in to finish his opponent off, but that was unnecessary, as Ibrahim, motionless on his back, was already defeated. Quickly, the referee jumped in to pull Fujita off and stop the fight.
In an undercard bout, Pro-wrestler The Predator, appearing in his second Dynamite event, won a Free Fight Rules bout against another two-time Dynamite participant, Kristof "The Phoenix" Midoux of France. This one was over in a minute -- The Predator quickly got the double leg takedown, then relentlessly worked kidney punches from a rear mount position. Midoux attempted to squirm free, but The Predator slid up and got an lock on Midoux's left arm, hyper-extending at the shoulder while twisting Midoux's neck into the canvas to force a submission.
Making appearances in the ring to express their desire to fight in K-1 next year were American mixed martial arts master Heath Haring, star Korean wrestler Che Hong Man, and popular Japanese amateur wrestler Akihito Tanaka.
The K-1 Dynamite 2004 attracted 52,918 to the Osaka Dome and was broadcast in Japan on the TBS television network. The event will be available on a delayed basis elsewhere, check with your local providers for details.
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