What’s done is done; the past is behind us and the future is unwritten. Embrace it.
K-1 imploded under its former management, as financial issues and the stagnant combat sports scene in Japan combined to bring the once great kickboxing promotion to its knees, with a host of unpaid and aggrieved European fighters kicking their heels and no events scheduled. Now they’re back with a vengeance, with former Grand Prix finalists Badr Hari and Mirko Filipovic re-signing to K-1 after both publicly retiring from the sport (Mirko from fighting altogether).
As much as the thought of a 2012 World Grand Prix makes me salivate almost as much as a Naseem Hamed comeback would, equally epic is the prospect of the World MAX 2012! And Madrid is the first leg!
Here is the card:
Mike Zambidis vs. Chahid Oulad El Hadj
Andy Souwer vs. Abraham Roqueñi
Artur Kyshenko vs. Su Hwan Lee
Xu Yan vs. Yasuhiro Kido
Gago Drago vs. Andy Ristie
Yuji Nashiro vs. Reece McAllister
Harut Grigorian vs. Murthel Groenhart
Chain Superpro Samui vs. Chris Ngimbi
FANTASTIC.
As a Japanophilic fight fan, I have constantly been let down by that country’s fightsport scene, but in this case, one can only hope that this last year or so was a blip and nothing more. Optimism is at times misplaced with regards to Japanese combat sports, but K-1 looks to be back with a bang, and on the other side of the world first of all in Spain no less, home to the world’s second language and a shed-load of beaches, sunshine and beautiful women.
It is time to welcome back K-1. Let the past remain there, and Don’t Look Back in Anger, I heard you say… at least not today.
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Twitter @FightSportAsia, and @DanielFletcher_
