MASATO: Masato is a kickboxer with a record of 38-4-2 (19 KO) in K-1 and trains with Nuatoranii and Iida Yu at Watanabe Gym as part of the Silver Wolf Team.

He is an I.S.K.A. world welterweight champion and has fought Alberto Kraus (2-1-1), Takehiro Murahama (2-0), Genki Sudo (Pictures) (1-0), Duane Ludwig (Pictures) (1-0), Melchor Menor (1-0) and Buakaw Por Puramuk (0-1) among others. Masato has “owned” the lighter-weight K-1 Max promotion for some time, having won the K-1 World Max 2003 tournament, the K-1 World Max Japan 2002 and 2003 tournaments, placing third in the 2002 K-1 World Max and making it to the final of the K-1 World Max 2004 show.

Masato was upset about facing Norifumi Yamamoto (Pictures) at last year’s K-1 Dynamite show as he felt he should’ve been facing Buakaw Por Puramuk to pit champion against champion.

Puramuk also asked to fight Masato on that card. He wanted to face Masato in a single bout rather than at the end of a tournament like their first meeting. I’d have to agree. This is the fight to see. However, Yamamoto took Masato the distance and Masato has been relatively inactive in K-1 this past year, scoring a decision win over Chi Bin Lim in his only appearance.

OHIGASHI: Akira Ohigashi is a Japanese boxer representing Team Cloud. He won the 21st Japan Super Welterweight Championship in 1996 and remained the 23rd Japan Super Welterweight Champion from ’96 thru ’99. The 35 year old carries a boxing record of 39-8-3 (26 KO).

MY PICK: Masato. It has to be said: MMA is not kickboxing and in turn, boxing is not kickboxing. I don’t think Ohigashi will be prepared for the onslaught that Masato will bring. Akira is a good puncher and likely has good footwork but he has been given a very dangerous opponent to make his K-1 debut. I feel it will be Masato by KO in the second round.