Since starting up just a few months ago we’ve received a tremendous response, we thank everybody who has visited and supported us.
To help accomidate the increased traffic and demand we’ve moved to a bigger, more visible platform. So we are officially a part of the SBN Network, home of one of the biggest MMA blogs, BloodyElbow.
So K-1 LEGEND is now Head Kick Legend!
Update your bookmarks and your RSS feeds; http://www.headkicklegend.com/
The overwhelming outrage over Alistair Overeem not defending a rather meaningless title against meaningless opponents in the United States has to stop. Until we get Overeem vs. Fedor scheduled in Strikeforce, the outrage needs to end. As we’ve covered in the past linking to interviews with Alistair and interviewing his manager Bas Boon, Alistair was injured, but recovered by September and Strikeforce has not offered him a fight since, but he will fight for them in 2010.
Steve Cofield, the much maligned, insulted and berated Yahoo! Sports MMA blogger is at it again, this time calling for Alistair Overeem to be stripped of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship. Why? Because he fought against a far lesser opponent on a show for his gym, which he can attribute a lot of his recent success to. I’m not a Cofield hater, but his clear lack of knowledge of the fight scene outside of the United States is rather sad.
When is Strikeforce going to pull the plug on this Alistair Overeem sham? It did so quietly with its middleweight belt held by Cung Le. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker announced that Le would be back at some point but now the belt has been stripped. He needs to do the same with his heavyweight strap especially after watching Overeem face a nobody in Tony Sylvester in something called Ultimate Glory 11 in Holland last night.
UPDATE: BloodyElbow’s Mike Fagan has weighed in on this topic and pretty much nails it with “why should we care?”
Filed under Alistair Overeem, MMA
Giorgio Petrosyan is one of the early favorites for the K-1 World MAX Tournament this year, and if you are wondering why, he has a whole career worth of fights for you to watch. Check out this fight from 2008 against Raffik Bakkouri where he just decimates him. Petrosyan’s opponent, Yuya Yamamoto isn’t known for his crushing power, it looks like he has his hands full.
Filed under K-1, K-1 MAX, kickboxing
GLORY 11; A Decade of Fights
Golden Glory’s 10th anniversary show is in the books, and our friends at BloodyElbow stayed in on this lovely afternoon to give us the results to this event, which was strange to say the least. The big stories coming out of this are Gerges defeating K-1 World Grand Prix entrant Ruslan Karev by decision, Alistair Overeem crushing YAMMA vet (lol) Tony Sylvester with clinch knees into a standing guillotine choke, Semmy Schilt being Semmy Schilt over Alexey Ignashov, the guy that people used to talk a lot about but don’t anymore.
The Nieky Holzken/Faldir Chahbari bout was easily the best of the evening, with Holzken opening up a nasty cut before the third round was up and going into the extension round like a house on fire. It was a great back and forth contest that kickboxing fans should seek out. The even itself was strange, as it took place in what looked like a giant night club to an invite-only audience who were fed a meal while they watched and Bas Rutten provided the ringside announcing as well as provided some absolutely out there commentary. Bas Rutten doing one-man commentary included him talking about the music and how he hates that people want the “Old Bas” back, because he never left, he just doesn’t care about being professional anymore. Basically, he is nuts.
BE’s Quick Results
K-1: Semmy Schilt def. Alexey Ignashov via unanimous decision
MMA: Alistair Overeem def. Tony Sylvester via submission (guillotine) R1 1:23
K-1: Nieky Holzken def. Faldir Chahbari via unanimous decision
MMA: Siyar Bahadurzada def. Robert Jocz via majority decision
K-1: Hesdy Gerges def. Ruslan Karaev via unanimous decision
MMA: Dion Staring def. Rodney Glunder via submission (kimura) R1 2:42
K-1: Errol Zimmerman def. Wendell Roche via unanimous decision
MMA: Nikolai Onikienko def. Valentijn Overeem via TKO (doctor stoppage) R1 0:40
K-1: Anderson “Braddock” Silva def. Stefan Leko via TKO (punches) R2
MMA: Tommy Depret def. Vincent Latoel via submission (guillotine choke) R2 1:23
Filed under Alistair Overeem, K-1, MMA
Sure, it could just be Pat Barry hyping up his fight against Dutch kickboxer Antoni Hardonk and that they both trained with Ernesto Hoost in Holland, but Pat Barry wasn’t happy with his training with Hoost. Barry felt Hoost and Hardonk underestimated him and never saw him as a fighter on that elite level of competition.
After compiling 29 amateur bouts in 7 months and traveling the country signing his name on every kickboxing tournament list, Barry received the invite to train in Holland in the VAS Gym (the most legendary gym in kickboxing) under K-1 champion, Ernesto Hoost. After training with ‘Mr. Perfect’ and his next opponent, Antoni Hardonk for 5 years and compiling a world-class kickboxing record of 18-6-1, Barry eventually left Holland due to a rift with what he thought was his mentor. Feeling like he was a just a training partner for the other fighters that Barry feels, Hoost thought were better fighters, this fight means more than another ‘W’ for Barry it’s redemption.
“This fight means more to me than just going and getting a win because this is almost like a, oh you thought I couldn’t make it and now look at what I’m doing. You didn’t have the confidence in me and now look at what is happening.”
Since he is in UFC now and has a rather humble K-1 record, it is probably safe to assume that Barry wasn’t fit for the level of competition in K1 and has found a better fit in MMA. The same, of course, can be said for Hardonk. Mr. Perfect is never wrong, is he?
Our favorite Japanese and Korea fight blog, Nightmare of Battle did a bang-up job translating an interview with everybody’s favorite never-ending topic, Alistair Overeem. He sounds off on fighting Cro Cop again, where he wants to fight, what his focus is, and how he is content with Strikeforce. Go figure.
MMARocks: During the press conference you said you will not comment on Brett Rogers words, but I need to ask again. This doesn’t bother you? Him talking the smack on the internet about you and how you’re not defending your Strikeforce title?
I will not comment on this, I am very busy with K-1 right now, with all the fight I have there. When there will be time to meet in the ring he will see. For now, I will not comment. I am very busy these days, i have a fight in Glory, then in DREAM.12 and after that I’ll fight in the K-1 Finals so I am very busy with training and fighting and I don’t have time for this bullshit.
MMARocks: OK, if we talk about Fedor, you have some plans to fight him? Do your managers talk to him already?
Of course I want to fight with him very bad. He is the Pride legend, the number 1 fighter in the HW division, so I always wanted to fight him. Personally I like him very much, he is a gentleman and very talented fighter. It would be a great fight. Now when he signed with Strikeforce i think this fight will happen. Before when he fought for Affliction and I was Strikeforce champ it was not possible. But now when he is with Strikeforce i am sure we will fight in 2010.
MMARocks: One year ago, in last interview you said you want to fight in UFC. Now when Fedor sign with Strikeforce, this make impact on your plans with UFC?
Its like this. Who ever treat and pays you better will be your employer. Right now I am very happy with Strikeforce, I am the champion of Strikeforce. If I ever go to UFC i need to resign from Strikeforce championship belt and fighting in Japan.
MMARocks: About a match against Mirko in K-1:
I don’t have desire to fight Mirko anymore, I proved everything I wanted. I wish him best and I really have hope that he can finish his career with some wins.
Filed under Alistair Overeem, Fighters, K-1
K1 recently conducted an interview (text) with MAX sensation Giorgio Petrosyan, one of the early favorites for this year’s MAX tournament. After his last win over Albert Kraus Petrosyan looks to be unstoppable as he looks to fix one of the only blemishes on his record, a draw to Buakaw Pro. Pramuk from 2007.
Tim Sylvia’s manager Monte Cox has gone on record saying Tim’s next fight will most likely be at the DREAM/K1 NYE show. Who will he be fighting against? The names being thrown around are our favorite fighter, Alistair Overeem or against everybody’s favorite giant freak, Hong Man Choi. Two different fighters and two very different kinds of fights. One a legitimate challenge, the other a freakshow fight.
In fact, Cox said he has been involved in serious negotiations with both DREAM and Sengoku, and believes Sylvia will fight next on New Year’s Eve for either organization.
“I feel pretty confident that he is going to fight there,” Cox said on Thursday.
Cox added that Alistair Overeem and Hong Man Choi have been discussed as potential opponents for Sylvia, but nothing has been finalized just yet. A fight against either man would take place in a DREAM ring because they are both under contract with that organization.
Sylvia was rumored to be scheduled to make his DREAM debut on Oct. 25, but his recent injury delayed those plans. Regardless, a high-profile victory on Dec. 31 could be just what the doctor ordered for Sylvia, who prior to the win over Riley, lost four of his last fight bouts, including an embarrassing nine-second loss to Ray Mercer.
I’m not sure how this one slipped through the cracks, but with DREAM just wrapping up, all of the recent happenings with the World Grand Prix and so forth, but K-1 has posted what looks to be some more of the K-1 World MAX 2009 Final card. We’ve already given you the fights for the KOSHIEN tournament, but now it is time for what you actually want to see.
K-1 World MAX 2009 Final
Final: X vs. X
Semi: Andy Souwer vs. Buakaw Por. Pramuk
Semi: Yuya Yamamoto vs. Giorgio Petrosyan
Reserve: Yoshihiro Sato vs. Yoshihiro Kido
Superfight: Kazuhisa Watanabe vs. Jae Hee Cheon
Superfight: Yuichiro Nagashima vs. Xu Yan
Superfight: HINATA vs. Mike Zambidis
Taishin Kohiruimaki vs. DRAGO
Kozo Takeda vs. Albert Kraus
Filed under Fight Cards, K-1 MAX
Since we’ve heard one side of the story, it is only fair to share the side of M-1 Global’s Vadim Finkelstein. This morning he posted a full reply to all of Bas Boon’s recent allegations against M-1 Global members on the M-1 Global website. I am in the process of speaking to Vadim personally which I’ll hopefully have up within the next few days, but for now you can go to the M-1 Global site and see what Vadim has to say in response.
Boon: “I tried to help the first M-1 promotions/events in Russia, I helped with the Cage and matchmaking and lightning.”
But you forgot to mention that you didn’t do it free of charge. You got the broadcasting rights etc.
I did the first Cage Fight in Holland in Emmen in 1996.
That’s true. And after that tournament the cage was banned in the whole Europe…
I made a business deal regarding all M-1/Red Devil rights for bringing fighters and helping producing the shows.
Yes, I had that agreement with you in order provide my athletes with fights. And you got 10% of their fees when you found the fights for them.
I put Amar Suloev en Semenov in the UFC for a lot of money (at that time it was a lot of money).
You made this fight indeed, got 10% or it, but you forgot to tell about how you deducted money from their fees and told us that it was an American additional tax deduction. Then I found out from the Americans that there should be no taxes, the fees were paid netto. You put your hands into the guys’ pocket although you already got your 10%. It was the first issue and then I was planning to stop any business relations with you.
I introduced you to my long time business partner where you went with fighters to Brazil for fight events.Perhaps you forgot at whose expense they would participate. The deal was that I provide the fighters and in return gain the television rights to broadcast those events in Russia.
I brought Appy to Japan on the cost of Golden Glory (I paid for that trip to Japan, hotels flights, everything as we were business partners in promoting fight events).
M-1 Global didn’t exist at that time and Apy didn’t work for it.
HeadKickLegend.com the new domain for K-1 LEGEND 