K-1: na coletiva, Schilt e Le Banner prometem uma "boa luta"

[Convidado Mena I]

SCHILT VS. LE BANNER AT K-1 WORLD GP 2008

Saturday, June 28, 2008 - Press Release by Monti DiPietro (Photos courtesy of K-1)

Dois dos principais lutadores que estarão em ação na super-edição do K-1 World GP 2008 foram bastante econômicos em suas palavras na coletiva à imprensa. Semmy Schilt como de costume, encarando Le Banner disse: "Estou feliz por estar aqui como o campeão do K-1 e irei lhe mostrar uma grande luta! " O francês, que vestia uma camiseta com a costumeira frase "Bad Boy", por sua vez, não se deu por achado e completou rapidamente: "Será uma boa luta! Tome cuidado!"

Dentro de mais algumas horas, o K-1 World GP 2008 acontecerá em Fukuoka, Japão. Esta está sendo vista pela mídia especilizada como uma das melhores edições do evento.

K-1 World GP 08 in Fukuoka Press Conference

FUKUOKA, June 28, 2008 -- After a five-year hiatus, the world's premier fightsport has returned to the Japanese southern island of Kyushu with the K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Fukuoka. Tomorrow's talent-rich fight card aims to make it worth the wait.

The event features the eight-man Japan GP 08 elimination tournament; a Superfight between veteran superstar Peter Aerts and Jan "The Giant" Nortje; and a couple of highly-anticipated title matches -- Badr Hari versus Glaube Feitosa for the K-1 Heavyweight Belt; and Semmy Schilt versus Jerome Le Banner for the Super Heavyweight Belt.

The 14 warriors will do battle on Sunday June 29 at the Marine Messe. Today, they appeared at the Sea Hawk Hotel to share their thoughts with the media.

The first of the title matches features Defending K-1 World GP and Super Heavyweight Champion Semmy Schilt. The 6'11"/211cm - 128kg/282lbs Dutch seidokaikan karate fighter will step in against one of K-1's most respected veterans, Jerome Le Banner of France.

Schilt, arguably the strongest fightsport champion in the world, was his usual relaxed self, and said the same thing he says at every pre-fight press conference: "I'm happy to be here as the K-1 Champion and I'm going to show you a great fight!"

LeBanner, a terrific slugger who has been punching and kicking the pads and doing distance cycling in preparation for this bout, was similarly brief with his comments: "It will be a good fight! Watch out!"

The K-1 Heavyweight title match presents a study in contrasts. Defending Champion Badr Hari of Morocco is an explosive fighter whose long reach, aggressive style and singular bravado have made him a fan favorite. His opponent tomorrow is one of the more technical K-1 fighters, soft-spoken kyokushin stylist Glaube Feitosa of Brazil.

Hari is coming off an impressive win over hard-hitting Ray Sefo in April. Today, he was insouciant if not cocky: "Ladies and gentlemen, the most important thing is that people like me and like my fighting style, I do it all for my fans. I went through a difficult period before this fight, but now I'm ok and my condition is ok. So, tomorrow I just want to get in the ring and knock someone out!"

Said Feitosa: "I want to represent kyokushin and put on a great fight to win the belt." the Superfight, it will be a couple of veterans -- Peter Aerts and Jan "The Giant" Nortje.

They used to call Aerts "The Lumberjack," but now he also carries the honorific "Mr. K-1." Incredibly, this 38-year-old Dutch kickboxer has competed in every K-1 WGP Final since the sport's inception in 1993, winning it all three times. Recent victories over Sefo and Remy Bonjasky prove that Aerts still has plenty of fight left in him.

Nortje, meanwhile, is a former South African Super Heavyweight kickboxing champion. At 6'11"/211cm - 148kg/311lbs, "The Giant" is always a threat.

Said Nortje: "I'm fighting a legend tomorrow, and I've been waiting 12 years for this. It's my lucky day and I'll come in with everything I've got!"

Looking dapper in a chocolate-brown suit, Aerts was characteristically playful with the media: "Well, I'm happy for Jan because it's going to be his lucky day! He's heavier than me, so I'll try to hit him hard."The Japan GP is one of four major regional tournaments in this year's K-1 World Grand Prix Series. This is a classic K-1 eight-man elimination tournament -- four quarterfinal bouts advancing a quartet of winners to the semis, the winners there advancing to the final. Thus, the man who would be champion must win three bouts tomorrow.

In the first of the quarterfinals, it will be a couple of Japanese -- veteran seidokaikan fighter Musashi and 22 year old kickboxer Keijiro Maeda, who is undefeated in four K-1 bouts.

Said Musashi: "It's the Japan Grand Prix and I just want to do my best to win. I won't say anything big now, I'll make my statement in the ring tomorrow."

Said Maeda: "Musashi is strong, but he is not unbeatable. If I can win tomorrow I will mature as a fighter."The second quarterfinal features two Japanese combatants with karate backgrounds -- Mitsugu Noda and Takumi Sato. Both men promised to do their very best to advance in the tournament.

First up in the second bracket are kyokushin fighter Ewerton Teixeira of Brazil and Tsutomu Takahagi of Japan.Teixeira said he had "trained hard and will fight hard"; while Takahagi said he was "honored to be meeting a kyokushin fighter."

Despite some promising flashes earlier in his career, Japanese fighter Nakasako has hit hard times, notching only two victories in his last nine bouts. "I will do my best," said Nakasako regarding his quarterfinal dance tomorrow with Bernard Ackah, a Cote d'Ivoire-born Japanese resident and multidisciplinary fighter. Ackah, shut out in his last two bouts against tough opponents, promised, "Tomorrow will be something extraordinary, so watch!"

The man crowned Japan GP Champion tomorrow will advance to the K-1 World GP 2008 Final Elimination in Seoul on September 29.

In the Tournament Reserve Fight it will be Japanese fighters Taisei Ko and Keigo Takamori; while Takashi Tachikawa and Shinkyu Kawano, also of Japan, will meet in undercard bout.

All bouts will be fought under Official K-1 Rules, three rounds of three minutes each. The title matches, Superfight and tournament final will have two possible tiebreaker rounds, the other bouts, one.

Fonte: MMAWeekly

[Rodman 0]

Expectativa do caralho!!!!!!!!!!

[Ominöser 0]

Curto muito o Lebanner e torço pra ele, apesar de o Schilt estar em um fase espetacular e ser favorito.

[tico_bahiano 0]

Num perco esse evento por nada

[Muay Striker 0]

vai passar no canal amigo??????

[pluspaul 0]

lutaça

[mumm-ha 0]

Q horas de Brasólia??????

[Convidado sickus]

Esse pé de feijão é encardido de cair... o chute rodado que ele deu no Hunt deixou o bixo caido por uns 5 minutos...

Mas o LeBanner é sinistro também, na torcida por ele.

[Convidado Mena I]

Esse francês nunca foi campeão, mas aposto que não irá vender barato a derrota, isto se ele perder...

[Bob Blue 0]

Que horas, pessoal?

[Lennon 0]

ontem tava 1 hora agora mudou pra 3

[Bob Blue 0]

bah.. não dá p/ eu assistir! Foda!

[Lennon 0]

http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/top842.htm

O Everton teixeira tem tudo pra ganhar esse Gp o problema eh o MUsashi que acho que ganha dele na final.

Editado June 29, 2008 por Lennon

[Celow 0]

Evento mto fera

[black_dragon 0]

Que horas, pessoal?

falta 1:27 pra começa!

ah e vai passa no canal amigo sim!