K-1 MAX A GREAT SHOW... Buakaw`s KO Loss!

K-1 MAX FINAL 8 last night at the Budokan in Tokyo was a phenomenal show! Thank you to all who tuned in for the live PPV.

A lot of people are emailing me about Buakaw`s KO loss asking what the hell happened?

The way I see it, if you watch the fight, watch the KO round, with 1 minute and 23 seconds remaining in the round Yoshihiro Sato lands a FLUSH KNEE to the liver of Buakaw. A liver shot is devastating, the impact usually has a delayed reaction but it causes your whole body to go into shock and close down.

I believe this is what happened to Buakaw.

The knee to his liver lands perfectly and after this Buakaw seems to go into slow motion as his body just closes down. Thus he drops his hands and leaves his jaw totally exposed for Sato to KO him.

Have a look at it, see the knee I am talking about and watch how it effectively ends Buakaw before the right hand finishes him off.

Proof in point as to the devastation of a perfect liver shot.

K-1 GP in FUKUOKA TIPS & PREDICTIONS for the TITLE MATCHES

I will be in Fukuoka, Japan this weekend to call the shots on the K-1 GP show in Fukuoka at the Marine Messe.
This venue holds some dear memories for me as it was at the Marine Messe that I commentated my first ever K-1 show back in 2001 on that memorable night when Ray Sefo fought Mark Hunt in a fight still voted by fans today as the best K-1 GP fight of all time.
This weekend's card is stacked by way of TWO title fights being on the line, making for some very hard predictions.

World Super Heavyweight Title
Jerome LeBanner vs Semmy Schilt

It's almost impossible to tip against Semmy Schilt. Arguably the most dominant fighter in K-1 history, the 6'11" monster continues to lay waste to all in front of him with apparent ease and shatter K-1 records.
A win for Semmy this weekend will see the champion break the longest winning streak record in K-1 history, set by Peter Aerts between 1993 and 1996 when Aerts went on an amazing 13 fight winning streak. Semmy is currently on the same winning streak, having come off a crushing KO of former K-1 champion Mark Hunt last time out in Yokohama when he caught Hunt with a spinning back kick to the liver.
I caught up with Semmy's manager, Bas Boon, of Golden Glory Gym two weeks ago at DREAM. Bas said to me "Look out for a new and improved Semmy in Fukuoka. He has lost weight and he has a whole new bag of tricks."
A new and improved Semmy? How do you improve on someone who is near perfect? And why would you try to fix something that isn't broken? To think that Semmy could be "new" and "improved" is just a scary, scary thought.
Schilt is the most dominant fighter on the planet right now bar none. Yes, that's right. You can keep your Floyd Mayweather Juniors and your Anderson Silvas and your George St Pierres, for mine you can't go past Semmy as ring sports' most dominant figure. Time and time again he has obliterated top opposition, including Peter Aerts, LeBanner, Feitosa, Sefo, Hunt... and the list goes on.
What makes Semmy so effective is more than just his monstrous height. Fans who quickly dismiss Semmy as a mere "freak" and only effective because of his size are ignorant. Yes Semmy's size is a MAJOR factor but there are bigger or just as big men in K-1 who have had nowhere near the impact Semmy has had. The difference is that Semmy KNOWS how to use his size. Being that big is useless if you don't know how to FIGHT TALL -- and Sem knows how to fight tall. He knows how to sit behind a beautiful jab, how to use his long front kick and how to work his knees.
Even more impressive, perhaps, is Semmy's cardio. He works like a middleweight, seemingly never tiring, always throwing techniques and never letting up. And just when you think he's all about the jab / front kick / knee, he pulls out spinning back kicks as we saw against Hunt and against Feitosa in the GP 08. His workrate is sublime.
Word is that LeBanner has been training like a demon for this world title fight, but will that be enough? Yes LeBanner put up a great effort in the GP semi final before blowing out his knee and you've got to think that a fresh Jerome with nine minutes of animal in him can cause some damage to Semmy if he can get on the inside. Ray Sefo was the one who found the chink in Semmy's armour last year: work your angles, get on the inside and go for the jaw. It's easier said than done but that's how you have to fight Semmy. The Dutchman only fights in straight lines and doesn't like being on the back foot. Jerome has to step off, quarter turn, come in from angles and not head-on and work the body then head of Semmy.
On paper this is a great match and once again I believe a fresh Jerome can hurt Semmy, but I don't think Jerome will have enough to go three rounds and get the nod against Semmy's constant workrate. I see Semmy's jab frustrating Jerome; I see Semmy using his straight right to effectively tag the southpaw Frenchman; I see Jerome being at his wit's end once Semmy winds up the front kick.
Ring Sport's most dominant champion will prove once again why he is, quite simply, the best in the world.

SEMMY SCHILT VIA UPD.


WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
BADR HARI vs GLAUBE FEITOSA

On paper this fight has all the makings of a true classic. Speed, power, aggression and technique, these two awesome athletes have it all.
I'm really torn on this one as I am a huge fan of both fighters. Let's look at Hari first.
You either love Hari or you hate him. Personally I love him. Sure he's a smack talker and sure he's got attitude, but I find his ego refreshing and I love to listen to the guy talk shit because more often than not he backs it up in the ring in devastating fashion.
I've followed Hari's K-1 career since the start. In fact I have been lucky enough to have commentated EVERY SINGLE Badr Hari fight in K-1 live, starting from the time in 2005 when he put one of the single greatest knockouts ever on Stefan Leko at the Tokyo Dome.
I have always said that Hari is one of the most naturally gifted fighters I have ever seen -- and trust me, I've seen them all. There is seemingly nothing this tall beanpole can't do and he does it all with amazing power. His hands are fast and powerful, his kicks are something else and he is deceptively tall. Just ask Ray Sefo who told me after his loss to Hari in Yokohama in April that he was surprised at just how tall Hari is when squared off against him in the ring.
Other than his sublime technique, Hari is an incredibly hungry fighter. He's tenacious and he likes to hurt opponents. He doesn't just want to beat you, he wants to tear your soul from your body.
However coming into this fight I don't know what to expect of Hari. You've all heard the stories about Hari's allegedly spending time in jail in Holland and his legal problems. I won't comment on those but I will ask the question as to how these personal issues have affected Hari's training and may affect his concentration both in camp and in the ring?
On the other side of the coin you have Feitosa. You talk about aesthetically beautiful fighters to watch and you talk about the master of the Brazilian Kick, Glaube Feitosa. Over the past three years Feitosa has become a favourite of just about every K-1 fan who appreciates the aesthetic beauty of his technique combined with vicious knockout power. That power used to be solely focused in his legs, but of late, thanks to the tireless training of Faii Falamoe and Jayson Vemoa at Team Ichigeki, Feitosa's boxing skills are now up there with some of the best in K-1 and his defence is rock solid.
However, I know that Feitosa HASN'T been training at Team Ichigeki in Tokyo for this one but instead has been training with Francisco Filho in Brazil. To me that spells danger. Taking nothing away from Chico, but I don't see how he can prep Glaube as effectively as Team Ichigeki, where Feitosa would be sparring the likes of Alexandre Pitchkounov, Takumi Sato and Ray Sefo every day.
If Feitosa was training in Tokyo, I'd have him winning this contest by decision. But he's not so I am torn with my prediction.
I see Hari -- possibly with limited training due to his personal issues -- starting out like a house on fire from the opening bell and blazing with EVERYTHING he has in the first round. If Feitosa can weather than storm, I see Hari running out of steam in the latter part of the fight and Feitosa bringing it home by oustcoring the volatile Hari.
So many variables. Such a great match up!

How to Book K-1 MAX LIVE on Australian and New Zealand TV, July 7

Hi Guys

Here's how to book K-1 MAX on MAIN EVENT:

AUSTAR

1. Go to www.austar.com.au and click on “Manage My Account”.
2. Login using your AUSTAR account number, surname, postcode and phone number, than click on the “Login” button.
3. Once Logged-in, click on the “Pay Per View” button, where a new screen will display. Tick the box of the event you would like to order and then click “Continue”.
4. You will then be taken to a confirmation screen (where you can choose your payment method).
5. You will receive a receipt.

Order by phone:
6. Switch on your set top unit before you call to book.
7. Call 132 492 to purchase the event.
8. Have your eight digit account number ready. You'll find it on your monthly statement or the address panel of your AUSTAR Magazine.


OPTUS

1. Optus Digital Subscribers press the Box Office button on your remote.
2. Main Event programmes can only be ordered 3 Days out from the event using your remote and set top box.
3. Optus Digital subscribers unable to order through your Digital remote, call 1300 300 666 and follow the prompts to order.
4. Analogue subscribers call 1300 300 666 and have your account details ready.


FOXTEL

1. To order press the Box Office button on your remote or call 1300 783 833 and follow the prompts to order.
2. Main Event programmes can only be ordered 3 days out from the event using your remote and set top box.
3. Main Event programmes can be viewed on channel 518.


SKY in New Zealand

Contact your SKY provider or check www.skytv.co.nz a week out from the event. Also available to pubs and clubs, so ask your local to book K-1 MAX LIVE if you dont have residential SKY access.

Another Cool As K-1 MAX Fight

Here's a link to a very underrated, cool as K-1 Max fight between ALBERT KRAUS and YOSHIHIRO SATO at the Budokan last October.

Check out Kraus's stunning third round -- just nuts.

If you like fights like these don't forget you can watch K-1 MAX FINAL 8 live on MAIN EVENT pay per view on Monday July 7. Contact your Foxtel, Austar, Optus provided for details.

Enjoy the ringside commentary by myself, Ray Sefo and Mike Bernardo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXQQBE_bKFE

K-1 GP Fukuoka -- K-1 TITLES ON THE LINE

K-1's Fukuoka GP card is looking awesome with the K-1 heavyweight and the K-1 super heavyweight straps on the line.

Badr Hari defends the heavyweight title against Kyokushin ace Glaube Feitosa.

Semmy Schilt defends his super heavyweight title against Jerome LeBanner.

I'll be there in Fukuoka calling the action... stay tuned for my predictions of both fights COMING SOON.

DREAM.4 PREDICTIONS Part II

REMAINING DREAM.4 PREDICTIONS

Here are the rest of the predictions by DREAM official commentator, "The Voice" Michael Schiavello.

GEGARD MOUSASI vs DONG SIK YOON

This is another "wow" match up on Dream's totally stacked card. Two submission specialists both with excellent ground game and very solid stand up skills. For me this is one of the harder fights to pick.
Let me say this first. I love Dong Sik Yoon. If I thought it would work, I would name my first born son Dong Sik Schiavello ... hell, a nice Korean/Italian mix. This guy is a total pimp, super smooth. It's little wonder he has become one of Asia's most popular MMA fighters in recent times.
After a slow start to his MMA career in which the Dong couldn't catch a break, he turned his luck around at Dynamite 2007 in the USA when he armbarred Melvin Maenhoff, a move that would later be dubbed the Dong Bar as he used it three fights in a row, winning via Dong Bar against Zelg Galesic and Fabio Silva.
In his first DREAM fight the Dongster took Shungo Oyama the distance. The match wasn't a barn-burner but it was highly entertaining and really showed how the Dongster's all-round game has improved in leaps and bounds. The former Judo superstar is now a fully fledged MMA monster - great defence, solid and active guard, good takedowns, solid stand up game and the much-feared Dong Bar all put him in good stead. As I have said since the start, The Dong is my darkhorse for the Middleweight GP.
Taking on Mousasi will be no easy task. Afterall, Mousasi is the man who eliminated one of the pre-tourney favourites Denis "I'll walk into a triangle" Kang from the running. Mousasi's triangle finish of Kang last time out was simply sublime and signalled to the watching world that yes, Mousasi is a major threat.
So how do I see this one panning out? Again, this fight is harder to pick than a broken nose. Mousasi is on an eight fight winning streak. He's red hot. His stand up is good, he can knock you out on your feet, he can sub you on the ground and he's cool under pressure. But so too is The Dong. I think this fight ends on the ground and will depend on who makes the first mistake and leaves himself exposed. Yoon will go for his Dong Bar and I think he may just get it, if not he will outwork Mousasi for the two rounds and win via high cardio and workrate.
In fact, that's the prediction I'll go by.

DONG SIK YOON by DEC


KAZUSHI SAKURABA vs MELVIN MAENHOFF

Have you ever wondered what would happen if God fought The Devil? Well you will find out who wins in the form of this incredible match up.
Now I know that most people think this will be a win for Maenhoff by way of murder. Many of you are writing off Sakuraba as too old, having taken too much punishment, and think he'll be busted up like a two dollar pinata come next weekend. I for one don't think this will be the case. Yes Melvin will inflict more bruises on Sakuraba than a trailer-park bride, but let's not forget the calibre of Sakuraba. His genius. His resiliency. His ability to produce miracles in the ring against opponents who, on paper, should maul him.
In the stand-up game this should be all one-way traffic to Maenhoff, even though I believe Sak has heavily underrated stand-up game, in particular his terrific leg kicks. But Melvin is a K-1 striker. He hits hard, he hits often and he hits heavy. On its feet, Melvin is too strong and will attack Sak with relentless head and body blows.
Sakuraba HAS TO take Melvin down or clinch him in the stand up, negate Melvin's knees (Melvin is a former Muay Thai champion dont forget) and look for one of his old-style stand-up submissions.
But the ground is where Sakuraba wants this as that is where Melvin is susceptible to the subs. Take out Melvin's stand up game, put the Dutchman on his back and Sakuraba will go to Submission-ville looking for armbars, kimura's, knee bars, the works. If Sak's sub game is on, Melvin is in trouble big time.
The key to this match up will be whether Sak can take Melvin down and just how much punishment he will receive in trying to do so. Can Sak get his famed single leg on Melvin? Can he afford to clinch with Melvin and work a trip takedown or a sacrifice?
Most fans are predicting Maenhoff by destruction on this one, but I'm a believer that God will beat The Devil in this one. I still believe Sakuraba can produce miracles. So turn my water into wine Sakuraba, my money is on you.

SAKURABA by SUBMISSION.

DREAM.4 -- Hits and Predictions

DREAM official commentator "The Voice" Michael Schiavello gives his predictions for DREAM.4 at the Yokohama Arena on June 15.

Dream.4 on paper looks to be another ridiculously action-packed offering for all MMA fans. The first three Dream cards were crazy. Admittedly Dream.1 was a little slow out of the gate, as can be expected, but Dream.2 and Dream.3 were among the best MMA shows of the year, with fights like Alvarez vs Dida, Alvarez vs Hansen and Aoki vs JZ among the best fights of the year. What we're seeing in Dream so far is a very high level of fighting in which fighters are transitioning well between the three levels of MMA and providing us with some aesthetically beautiful contests as well as some hair-raising moments.

Dream.4 sees the second round of the Middleweight Grand Prix and the last remaining match of the Light Weight Grand Prix second round. Some of the match-ups in this round are truly surprising. Here's my thoughts on who the winners will be:

SHINYA AOKI vs KATSUHIKO NAGATA

I'm actually a fan of both of these guys, even though Aoki took my pimpin' favourite JZ Calvan out of the tournament in no uncertain terms. In beating JZ, Aoki seemed to earn everyone's respect. His negation of JZ's attacks, his use of the rubber guard, his jumping takedowns to pull guard and his constant pressure and workrate was very impressive. People will continue to underestimate Aoki but let's not forget that he has now won 10 fights in a row and you have to go back to August 2006 to find the last blemish on Aoki's record. In this day and age of such high level competition, especially at this stacked weight class, that's pretty freakin' impressive.
Next weekend Aoki finds himself against former Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler Katsuhiko Nagata. I like Nagata. He's not flash, he's not one of DREAM's pin-up boys, but he's a solid workhorse with good takedown ability, solid GnP and can wear punishment. How will he deal with Aoki's seemingly elasticised body and constant submission attempts? The answer lies in Nagata's ability to put Aoki on his back, avoid the rubber guard and work the ground and pound ad nauseum. This is the only way I can see Nagata possibly beating Aoki -- ground and pound all night baby.
While I think Nagata won't be the easy lunch a lot of people anticipate, I do see Aoki winning this one via submission. It wouldn't surprise me if Nagata leaves an arm out there a moment too long while working some ground and pound and Aoki throws those rubber legs up and puts on a triangle my high school geometry teacher would be proud of!

AOKI by SUBMISSION

ZELG GALESIC vs TAIEI KIN

You can't believe how much I'm looking forward to this contest. In fact this could easily be top candidate for fight of the night as you have two brilliant strikers with rapidly improving ground game and a never-give-up attitude.
First let's look at Taiei Kin. This guy is a stud. I've been watching him since 1993 when he competed in the first ever K-1 promoted tournament. He was a Seido Karate Champion, World Muay Thai champion long-standing, one of Japan's most successful ever kickboxers and made a successful transition very late in his career (he's 36) to MMA.
Taiei Kin is a true martial artist and a true athlete. He's challenged himself constantly at the highest level in various combat sports for the better part of 15 years and he's still a potent force who flies the flag of Karate proudly in the MMA arena.
I was ringside commentating his fight at Dynamite two years ago when he knocked out Ishizawa with a kick to the head -- if you havent seen it then youtube it because it was one of the greatest MMA knockouts I have ever seen (yep, better than Yvel vs Goodridge).
In his last fight Kin defeated the crafty veteran Minowaman - a decent scalp to claim in this tournament. While it was expected that Kin would out-strike Minowaman -- I believe I said in the commentary "it would be suicide for anyone in this tournament to try to outstrike Taiei Kin" -- what really impressed me was Kin's takedown defence. As hard as Minowaman tried to take down the veteran, Kin sprawled sprawled sprawled and when back against the ropes stuffed Minowaman's takedown attempts constantly. He also had a very active guard from which he constantly punched and looked for submission attempts.
Across the ring you have Galesic, a Croatian Muay Thai specialist who has a win on his record already over Taiei Kin due to a doctor's stoppage in Korea last October. Galesic impressed all and sundry at DREAM.2 when he put Sultanakhmadov (you know how hard that name is to pronounce on air!) in an arm bar for the win in the first round. After losing to Dong Sik Yoon in Hero's from the same technique (yes sherdog fans, I refer to it in commentary as the DONG-BAR), Galesic said he went away and learned the submission and used it successfully against Sultanakhmadov.
What intrigues me about this fight is that you have two Muay Thai guys who have solid improving ground game. Will this be a stand-up fight or will it go to ground? And if it is a stand-up fight who has the upper hand? Experience and power goes to Taiei Kin; Galesic is younger and quicker.
It's a hard fight to call and I believe that Galesic will only be able to take so many of Taiei Kin's leg kicks before it really starts to take a toll. Galesic has to take Taiei Kin down and take those vicious leg kicks and potential decapitating head kicks out of the equation. Taiei Kin meanwhile will look to keep it on its feet. His distancing and his anticipation is incredible -- the mark of a true world class striker. I have said all along that Kin is the best natural striker in this Middleweight Grand Prix and watch him prove it again next weekend.

TAIEI KIN by TKO

JACARE vs JASON MILLER

Did anyone else wet their pants with excitement when they saw this match up? Come on... you know a little bit of pee came out. Hell, I was drenched!
Jacare versus Miller is going to be a crazy fight. I see it as one of Dream's best submission stylists in the Alligator against a guy who is waaaaaay off the reservation and has the mad ground and pound in Miller.
On their feet Miller wins the striking battle, no questions asked. Will he want to keep this fight on its feet and try to out strike Jacare or will he want to put his Jits to the mettle and go to the ground?
As for Jacare, you know the Alligator is going to want to take Miller down and look to submit him in any number of ways. Jacare has more subs than the US Navy and if Miller gives the Brazilian an opening, Jacare will tie him up and take him out.
That said, this will be a major test and gut check for Jacare as Miller is probably the hardest guy (and most resilient) Jacare has faced in his MMA career. In his first DREAM fight against Ian Murphy, Jacare wasn't tested. Murphy, the 22 y.o. wrestler, was really a gift for the Brazilian.
Miller wins in on the feet, Miller wins it in aggression, Miller wins it in ground and pound... BUT... I foresee Jacare taking a LOT of punishment on the ground and being busted up as he attempts and eventually GETS the submission against the long-limbed Miller.
I don't want to see either of these guys eliminated yet. Both are entertainers and highly skilled athletes. I love Miller's whole "few fries short of a Happy Meal" schtick and Jacare's Alligator Dance is the best move since the Macarena. But one of them has to be eliminated...

JACARE by SUB



PART TWO COMING SOON...

THE CONTENDER ASIA Interviews ringside

For those of you who are THE CONTENDER ASIA fans here are some youtube links to interviews we did ringside during the show for internet that weren't included on the television broadcast of the finale.

Enjoy!!

Michael Schiavello & Mark Castagnini interview Soren Monkontong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyp6BhnQT9o


Michael Schiavello & Mark Castagnini interview Dzabhar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGENbioIUeY&feature=related


Michael Schiavello & Mark Castagnini interview Zig Zak Kahn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89x_Llf8ftA&feature=related


Thanks also to LAWRENCE RIPSHER the Contender photographer for some great snaps!!

I have to say hosting and commentating THE CONTENDER ASIA FINALE was an absolute thrill. Working with the team from MARK BURNETT PRODUCTIONS I felt like I was part of a Hollywood movie and it was a buzz knowing how many hundreds of millions of people worldwide would be watching the broadcast.

If you haven't already viewed THE CONTENDER ASIA please make sure you do when it hits your country!

K-1 MAX Preview Interview

K-1 MAX LIVE ON MAIN EVENT

Infinite MMA Speaks to Michael Schiavello

On Monday July 7, Australian fans will be treated to the first ever LIVE broadcast of K-1 MAX on Main Event PPV (Foxtel, Austar, Optus). In the following interview, infinitemma talks to K-1's global commentator "The Voice" Michael Schiavello about the stacked fight card in this mega event.

Q: Michael thanks for your time. K-1 Max live for the first time on MAIN EVENT on July 7. You must be thrilled?

SCHIAVELLO: Thanks Hamish. We've been pushing for K-1 Max on MAIN EVENT for a long time and finally, as I say, "it's a happening!" K-1 Max is the highest level of fighting on the planet of any fight organisation in the world. The powers that be at K-1/FEG are pulling out all the stops for this one and putting on a truly stacked fight card. The line-up is on a level never seen before.

Q: Let's take a look at some of the marquee match-ups... first of all the big news: Mike Zambidis vs Albert Kraus in a super fight for reserve fighter status for the K-1 Max finals...

SCHIAVELLO: Yeah, this is just a crazy crazy match up. The two fought many moons ago when Zambidis knocked out Kraus in his K-1 Max debut. Both men come in off tough losses -- Zambidis was knocked out by Andy Souwer in an extension round and Kraus lost via decision in an extension to Buakaw. Those were both amazing fights and a lot of people thought Zambidis had beaten Souwer in regular time and that Kraus beat Buakaw in the extension round. Both guys have a lot to prove to themselves, the fans and FEG come July 7. Word is Zambidis is training like a demon. He wants to put a hurting on Kraus and knock out the former K-1 Max world champion in a big way. It will be a battle between Zambo's unholy hand power and Kraus' sheer workrate and speed. I'm tipping a decision win for Zambidis in what will be an absolute cracker.

Q: You don't think Zambidis can get the KO?

SCHIAVELLO: Kraus is a craft customer and can take the shots. The thing is that Kraus is a workhorse and very quick. For Zambidis to get in and set himself and land one big tub-thumper will be hard. He did it once before but Kraus will doubtfully expose himself to such a shot again. Then again it takes Zambidis only a minute opening to put the Big Kabosh through with an overhand right. You never know.

Q: Two of your favourites will clash when Masato meets Drago in a K-1 Max Final 8 quarter final fight...

SCHIAVELLO: Masato is sublime. The guy is all style, speed, power and charisma. I can't get enough of him. Against the former Armenian refugee Drago he's going to have his hands full. Drago is a nutcase. Seriously, it's like they let the lunatic out of the asylum for this one.. His ring entrance alone is worth the price of this PPV. Drago goes full on from the opening bell. It's no wonder he was voted the fan's choice in the 2007 K-1 Max Grand Prix. The way I see it he has to pounce on Masato early and not allow Masato to get into his rhythm. Once Masato gets into his rhythm and gets his hands going, the Japanese is the best boxer in all of K-1.. This is another fight that will be just nuts to watch.

Q: K-1 also announced that Remigijius Morkevicius will be making his much anticipated comeback on this night...

SCHIAVELLO: That's some quality parenting right there, naming your son Remigijius! That's nine months of quality thought! Yeah Remi is a Lithuanian who was a big deal in K-1 Max two years ago when he was knocking the stuffing out of everyone. He went into retirement due to a pretty bad back injury but that seems to have healed now and he makes his return on July 7 to face MMA fighter Andre Dida of Brazil. I'm scared for Dida. Sure he's a big swinger in the MMA realm but against a knockout artist like Remi, I predict we'll see Remi smash his face in inside of two rounds. MMA striking and stand-up Max striking are two different skillsets. If Dida swings for the ropes like he did in his DREAM fight against Eddie Alvarez, Remi will just come up the centre and tag him on the kisser.

Q: Andy Souwer takes on Warren Stevelmans of South Africa. Is this a cakewalk for Andy?

SCHIAVELLO: Look, Andy Souwer is pound for pound probably the best fighter on the planet right now. He's a magician in the ring and has deceptive power. The thing with Andy is that he is pretty much a flawless fighter who has the ability to pick apart any opponent and seemingly beat them with ease. His knockout of Zambidis with a headkick was just beautiful. He's the reigning and two-time K-1 Max world champion and I think he'll take care of business against Stevelmans without too many problems. That said Stevelmans is one tough cat and he can take punishment and dish it back. If he beats Souwer it will be one of Max's greatest all time upsets. That's a huge incentive to win. Can he do it? I don't think so. He will give a good account for himself but he won't outsmart Souwer and Souwer has the genius Andre Manaart in his corner, so Andre and Andy would have formulated a perfect gameplan as always.

Q: What about Buakaw vs Sato III. Will we see another war?

SCHIAVELLO: This has developed into one of Max's great rivalries. The first time they fought Buakaw broke Sato's face. Sato came back the second time in February and took Buakaw an extra round and lost the decision. You have to figure by now that Sato knows Buakaw inside out and will be concocting a gameplan like a mad scientist to finally get the win over Buakaw. But Buakaw is Buakaw man. I mean, he's awesome. His kicks are out of this world. I was commentating the last MAX event with Nick Pettas and even Nick was like, "Man, Buakaw kicks like a heavyweight. I wouldn't want to stand and take his kicks". The guy is an animal. I think this fight will be action packed and Buakaw will come through with the goods again.

Q: Who is your pick to become K-1 Max champion this year?

SCHIAVELLO: I have said it all year that Masato is my pick. He's just so hungry, man. I don't think there is anyone in Max that wants to win the title more than Masato. He has all the weapons to do it, the new format suits him perfect, he has the hunger and he has the fans behind him. Masato is the man.

Q: Which fight are you particularly looking forward to on July 7?

SCHIAVELLO: Zambidis versus Kraus because it could just get nasty and crazy, and Masato vs Drago.

Q: The event will be broadcast live from the Budokan Arena in Tokyo. What's that venue like?

SCHIAVELLO: The Budokan is wicked. It holds about 16,000 in Max format and the fans are very close to the action which makes for a great live atmosphere and looks really good on television. The Budokan is so historic, it's always special being there. It was built for the 1964 Olympic Games Judo; it is where the Beatles made their Japanese debut and it is where Muhammed Ali fought Antonio Inoki. It's a fitting arena for the best fight event on the planet.

Q: Who will you be calling the event with?

SCHIAVELLO: Not sure yet. Hopefully with Ray Sefo as we did last year's K-1 Max together and had a blast. I'll keep you posted..

Q: Thanks for your time Michael and good luck with the July 7 broadcast.

SCHIAVELLO: Thanks Hamish for your support. The show will be about a 5-hour duration with a massive 12 fights. It's totally stacked. Hope everyone will tune in!

THE BIG KABOSH SONG!

Thanks to singer, songwriter and producer BRETT in Queensland who follows all our Fox Sports broadcasts and penned, sung, produced a song about me! I was very flattered and very impressed how he managed to infuse so many of my one liners into the lyrices.

You can listen to it here and watched a picture montage...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y-arZpt1X8

ENJOY!!!

K-1 MAX Gets STACKED!

The K-1 MAX FINAL 8 card to be held at the Budokan Arena in Tokyo on July 7 -- and broadcast LIVE on MAIN EVENT pay-per-view in Australia -- became truly the most stacked fight card of the year today with the addition of a bucket load of new fights.

Most interestingly, former K-1 Max champion Albert Kraus of Holland will square off against Greece's Mike "Zambo" Zambidis. Last time these two met many moons ago, Zambo knocked Kraus out so hard that Kraus almost starved to death rolling. Both men are coming in off losses -- Kraus was pissed after his controversial loss to Buakaw last time and Zambo was doing great against Andy Souwer till Souwer KO'd him with a head kick in the extension round.

Two angry fighters looking for redemption -- Zambo vs Kraus will be CRAZY come July 7!

Also, Andre Dida has gone to Max after having his ass handed to him by Eddie Alvarez at DREAM.1 MMA. Dida will get no favours when he faces Lithuania's Remigius Morkevicius on July 7. The return of the Mork! Wow! Both these guys pack power... Dida is like a Brazilian windmill, swinging wildly for the ropes. It will be a crazy contest.

Also, Alviar Lima takes on Marc Vogel and there's a swag of 60kg fights and youth fights.

The broadcast will go on sale on MAIN EVENT soon... so make sure you all pencil it in your diaries to witness LIVE the FIGHT CARD OF THE YEAR!!

Monday July 7 at 7pm A super 5-hour show! ONLY ON MAIN EVENT (Foxtel, Optus, Austar)

"THE VOICE" MICHAEL SCHIAVELLO'S TOP 10 COMMENTARY LINES OF 2007 1. "Feitosa is a nice Brazilian... I like a nice Brazilian... I used to tell my ex-girlfriend that all the time." 2. "There are two things I know for sure: Britney Spears will never win Mother of The Year and Albert Kraus didn't win that fight!" 3. "He went swimming last week and Japanese whaling boats began firing harpoons at him." 4. "He's been on his back more than my ex-girlfriend." 5. "He wears more hair product than Bon Jovi." 6. "I'm so excited I've got goosebumps on my arm... or some other sort of strange growth." 7. "There are no windows in Mighty Mo's house. If he wants to let a breeze in he just punches a hole in the wall." 8. "He's a stud... there are no such things as lesbians in the world, just women who haven't met Paul Slowinski yet." 9. "He's so tall giraffes are attracted to him." 10. "He's so short he could milk a cow standing up. You know he went to Tokyo Disneyland last week and they wouldn't let him on any of the rides." AND MORE... * "In the words of Martika -- I felt the Earth move!" -- commentary of K-1 Scandivania Battleground 24 * "He's proving harder to catch than Osama Bin Laden!" -- commentary of DREAM.1 in Japan * "Those punches have less weight behind them than Kate Moss." -- commentary of DREAM.1 in Japan * "He's been mounted more times than a taxidermist." -- commentary of DREAM.1 in Japan * "He needs to throw caution to the wind... I mean here's caution... here's the wind... (makes wind sound)... there goes caution." -- commentary of K-1 Scandinavia Battleground 24 * "This would be a big win for Italian kickboxing... if he wins tonight there's a lot of people singing Lascate mi cantare." -- commentary of K-1 Scandinavia Battleground 24 CLASSIC COMMENTARY QUOTES FROM DREAM.3 MMA in JAPAN 1. "He`s been mounted more times than Jenna Jameison!" 2. "Animal from the Muppets just called... tell Eddie Alvarez he wants his eyebrows back" 3. "He`s been on his back more than my ex-girlfriend." 4. "He`s letting fly like Mussolini from the balcony." 5. "This guy is nuts... I mean he`s waaaay off the reservation!"

The Evolution of the Fight Game... We've Done a 360!

DID WE GO SO FAR THAT WE ENDED UP WHERE WE BEGAN?

The Evolution of the Fight Game

It wasn’t that long ago in the scope of mankind’s history that our greatest minds believed the Earth was flat; nothing heavier than air would ever fly; and the Earth was the centre of the universe around which all planets and stars revolved. To suggest the Earth was round; that mankind would one day manufacture machines that could fly; and that the Earth and all planets actually revolved around the Sun, would have been scoffed at (at the very least) and even had you burned at the stake during certain centuries past.

It also wasn’t that long ago that accepted professional fighting consisted solely of the Marquess of Queensberry rules of boxing and any thought of being allowed to do anything other than punch an opponent was scoffed at.

Even in the 1970s during the birth of modern Western kickboxing, the idea of ever kicking below the waist, wearing short trunks or throwing less kicks than the required kick counter was almost unimaginable. Tell Chuck Norris or Joe Lewis to throw a leg kick? Forget about it!

When leg kicks were finally introduced to professional kickboxing’s rule-set in the 1980s they were considered ‘savage’ and ‘undesirable.’ But you can’t halt progression. Long trunks and above-waist eight-kick counters fell by the wayside as the era of short trunks and leg-kicking took over. The likes of Bill Wallace and Chuck Norris had to keep up or fade away.

In the late 1980s/early 1990s Dutch kickboxers began to travel to Thailand and brought back with them knee strikes, elbows and grappling, thus beginning the spread of Muay Thai across the world. By the mid-1990s the sport of kickboxing experienced the next chapter in its evolution as international rules kickboxing (the stuff that made Stan Longinidis famous) began to die and the inclusion of Muay Thai’s arsenal came to the fore. Once again those who thought leg kicking was the final evolutionary development of the fight game were faced with the choice of either embracing the use of knees or fading away.

In 2008 we’re seeing the next great evolutionary leap in the professional fight game. Excitingly or frighteningly – depending on your perspective – it is the biggest evolutional step fight sports have made since the invention of the boxing glove. It is the advent of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

Most people date the staging of the original Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 1993 as the official birth of professional MMA. However over the last few years this next and greatest leap in the professional fight game’s evolution has literally taken the world by storm. Just when we were thinking Muay Thai was by far and away the most complete fight sport with it’s use of the body’s eight weapons, we now have MMA – a sport of such enormous arsenal that it makes boxing look like a comparison between a Van Gogh and my nephew’s kindergarten fingerpaintings.

So where does this leave us kickboxing and Muay Thai fans? Do we turn our noses up at MMA just as boxers once (and many still do) turned their noses at those who kicked? Or do we embrace MMA for even though it may not be our cup of tea, it has given a whole new injection of life into the fight game.

You know what the funny thing is about the “new” sport of MMA? This “revolutionary” spectacle where opponents can punch, kick, knee, elbow, stomp, submit, choke and wrestle one another? This latest “trend” that celebrities and the silver screen have so embraced? This pay-per-view “phenomenon” that will, say most pundits, be the death of boxing? The funny thing is that as much as we call MMA a “new” sport and the “sport of the new millennium”, it’s the very same sport that our ancestors competed in more than 2000 years ago! Clay pots have been discovered in Greece with pictures of men engaging in a sport that looks a whole lot like a scene straight from the UFC. And just look at these words from the Mahabharata, one of the major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. It describes a scene between two wrestlers, though it could very well be a journalist in modern-times writing gratuitously flowery coverage of an MMA event: "Grasping each other in various ways by means of their arms, and kicking each other with such violence as to affect the innermost nerves, they struck at each other's breasts with clenched fists. With bare arms as their only weapons roaring like clouds they grasped and struck each other like two mad elephants encountering each other with their trunks".

For the record, scholars believe the Mahabharta to predate around 520BC. So the question has to be asked: if in 2008 we’re so feverishly embracing the “new” sport of MMA that in reality is the oldest sport known to mankind, have we really evolved at all?

Has Muay Thai Killed Kickboxing's Flair?

HAS MUAY THAI KILLED KICKBOXING'S FLAIR?

Is the fight game becoming more enticing and exciting and attractive or is it waning in its appeal? Does it lack characters capable of whipping you into a frenzy with their in-ring appearances and out-of-ring hype?

Today’s kickboxing fans can be thankful of the likes of Wayne Parr who, in 2008, is the embodiment of the media-friendly, easily-accessed and highly-marketable kickboxer that Stan Longinidis was back in the early 1990s. But how many other such stars with these ‘star qualities’ can you list in kickboxing at the moment? Yet if I ask you to cast your mind back, you can no doubt list a dozen or so media-savvy, easily-accessed, mega-marketable and fan-friendly fighters who sparked a range of emotions in fans every time they fought.

Some of those fighters included: Gurkan Ozkan – our sport’s bad boy, slightly crazy, with enormous heart and a stubborn head; Ian Jacobs – a flashy pin-up boy, eye candy for the ladies, but remained a man’s man, strong as an ox; Steve Vick – the real life Karate Kid, a dynamic performer, put his heart before his health in every fight; Tibor Vermes – humble, polite, respectful and flawless in the ring; Scott Bannan – paved the way for the new generation of Queensland fighters to take the spotlight, eloquent and energetic, a real showman; Paul Briggs – a ferocious fighter who epitomised young brutality and knockout style, well-spoken, good-looking; the list goes on and on.

Do our Muay Thai fighters of today match the pizzazz and the flair of the kickboxers of yesteryear? Outside of Dane Beecham and his pimping ways; Bruce MacFie’s fluorescent hair colours; Corbett’s grim-reaper ring entrance; and Wayne Parr’s gun-slinging struts, does Muay Thai’s current generation possess marketability and style beyond die-hard fans of the sport?

Australia is now predominantly a Muay Thai country. Kickboxing is effectively dead. You’d be hard pressed to see a fight without knees any more. While this is the result of fight sports’ progression (just as MMA is now becoming a hit) it begs the question as to whether Muay Thai has effectively killed the flair once associated with kickboxing? In taking so many aspects of Muay Thai directly from Thailand -- where showmanship, pizzazz, flair, pomp, pageantry, smack-talk and hype is not high on the agenda -- have we killed off a large part of what made kickboxing in Australia so damned exciting in the 1990s? Have we gone too far? Have we tried to become Thais and forgotten that as Western audiences we need a dose of Super Bowl-style sensationalism and hype to keep things truly interesting?

Muay Thai is still a relatively new sport in Australia and Average Joe need only see a Muay Thai fight to realise just how exciting the sport is. But getting Average Joe to put his beer and smokes money into a ticket to a Muay Thai show, or flick from the rugby or AFL to watch Muay Thai on television takes more than just an awesome fight.

While the fight itself will always be of the highest importance, we shouldn’t forget that sports today is as much about entertainment as it is about the competition itself. The humility of the Muay Thai fighter is admirable but the low-key attitude of most fighters who “do it like they do in Thailand” doesn’t translate as excitement for mainstream audiences. We’re not Thai; we don’t bet on fights as the Thai’s do and our fighters don’t fight as a means of transcending poverty. Our fighters compete for the passion, for the excitement, for the challenge and for the potential purses to sustain themselves as professional athletes. But so long as there are television cameras rolling and audiences paying a premium to watch we shouldn’t forget the importance of character-building, excitement and exhilaration.

Addicted to Kickboxing...

YOU KNOW YOU’RE ADDICTED TO KICKBOXING AND MUAY THAI WHEN…

30. You hate people who say they’re a “kickboxer” after doing a Tae Bo class

29. You’re five-feet tall but no longer suffer from “little man’s syndrome” thanks to Michael Zambidis

28. You subscribe to Foxtel just for the kickboxing broadcasts

27. Your house suddenly goes up in flames and you scramble to save what’s most precious to you – your kickboxing DVD collection

26. You were the guy who would always hire the one copy of Stan Longinidis vs Charlie Archie video at Video Ezy

25. Your scout facebook.com and Myspace.com searching for kickboxers who you can add as “friends”

24. When watching AFL and seeing a player go down from a corked thigh you roll your eyes and say, “Step into the ring son!”

23. You think Bridget Woods and not Angelina Jolie is the hottest woman in the world

22. You only have sex with your partner Dane Beecham style, whereby during the throes of passion you look at her and say, “Whose your Daddy Cool!”

21. You name your first-born son “Wayne” and your second-born son “Nathan”

20. You begin putting random Thai words in your daily speech

19. You refuse to eat at any restaurant except for Thai

18. You wear a gold Buddha around your neck even though you’re not Buddhist

17. You don’t shake hands any more but instead greet family, friends and business associates Thai-style by putting both hands together in front of your face

16. You argue that Stan Longinidis and not Sir Donald Bradman deserves to be recognised as Australia’s greatest sportsman

15. You take salsa classes but are expelled when you instinctively start grappling as your salsa partner puts her arms around your waist

14. You walk around in kickboxing promotional t-shirts that are more than five years old

13. You get Thai writing tattooed on your arm or back even though you don’t read or speak Thai

12. Everything you do is timed in three-minute brackets

11. Your girlfriend asks for a massage and you rub her down with Tiger balm

10. You think ‘Ong Bak’ and not ‘The Departed’ deserved the Oscar for Best Movie

9. You and your mates sit around reciting Michael Schiavello’s one-liners

8. While walking down the street you naturally size people up and think “I could drop him with a leg kick.”

7. You ask your mates to call you “Kru”

6. You go out clubbing and begin doing moves from the Ram Muay on the dancefloor

5. You believe Nugget should run as an Independent Member of Parliament for the Queensland government

4. You would actually vote for Nugget as an Independent Member of Parliament for the Queensland government

3. While waiting in the doctor’s surgery you demand they stock back issues of International Kickboxer for you to read

2. You write your university thesis on the bio-mechanics of the Thai roundhouse kick

1. You’re a member of at least five different kickboxing internet forums and you spend most of your day thinking of something intelligent to say.

Sample Me On YouTube

Hit the link to youtube to see a sampling of "The Voice" Michael Schiavello...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aqdf8ssCzM

Interview with Kakutougi.info

Check out this interview I did in Tokyo recently with Stuart Tonkin from kakutougi.info entitled "You're The Voice!"

http://kakutougi.info/content/view/375/2/

The Olympic Games -- Beijing

HEADING TO BEIJING

I'm thrilled to be commentating my first ever Olympic Games come this August in Beijing.

I'll be calling all the boxing for TVNZ and their affiliates and I can't wait. I worked with the team at TVNZ during the Commonwealth Games in 2006 where I commentated 226 fights in eight days!

I also got to work with their great crew for several years doing all the former K-1 broadcasts on Tv2 in New Zealand.

TVNZ is sending over their biggest Olympic Games crew ever. I can't wait!

The Contender Asia Comes to Fox 8

THE CONTENDER ASIA COMES TO FOX 8

The world's most watched reality television series -- THE CONTENDER ASIA -- starts on Fox 8 in June.

I was elated to have hosted and commentated the two-hour CONTENDER ASIA FINALE in Singapore on April 12. I won't spoil it here by telling you who wins, but will say that the entire series is addictive and the final fight is extraordinary. Indeed I felt like I was part of a movie set that night, sitting ringside, a screaming Singapore Indoor Arena, and working with the team from OmniMedia and Mark Burnett Productions from the USA.

This is Muay Thai's chance to hit the spotlight in Australia, with Fox 8 giving in PRIME TIME airing.

The show has already been a smash hit across 22 Asian countries via AXN and Channel 5. I believe it will be shown on ESPN in the USA and ITV4 in the UK.

www.contenderasia.com

A Viewer's Guide to K-1 MAX on MAIN EVENT

A VIEWER'S GUIDE TO ...

K-1 MAX ON MAIN EVENT

Who's Who in the K-1 MAX FINAL 8

MASATO

Japan’s favourite fighting son and the apple of every Japanese woman’s eye remains the hands-down most popular fighter in the Land of the Rising Sun. A man with rock star status, his face is plastered over billboards, magazine covers, newspapers and television advertisements.

Winner of the K-1 Max belt in 2003, and runner up in 2002 and 2007, you’d be forgiven for thinking Masato is a lot older than his 29 years such is his experience. Taking on Max’s best for more than six years hasn’t slowed down the fastest hands in the business, and if recent form is any indication Masato is faster, more aggressive and hungrier than ever before.

In his last fight Masato laid waste to former IBF Intercontinental Champion Virgil Kalakoda of South Africa, knocking the Springbok out in stunning fashion with hands in the third round. In doing so Masato once again proved himself as the nemesis of the boxer, adding Kalakoda to his list of victims that includes former world champions

A Muay Thai stylist with a rounded game based on speed, accuracy and overwhelming workrate, Masato’s other major strength is his mental resolve and sheer hunger. There is probably no other fighter who wants to win the Max title in 2008 more than Masato – and there’s certainly no fighter FEG would like to see crowned more than the Japanese pin-up.

WATCH MASATO FOR…

His awesome speed and brilliant boxing combinations. It’s also fun to see the cutaway shots of crying ladies in the crowd every time Masato is in the ring.

HIS WEAKNESS COULD BE…

His ego. ll Masato’s ego get the better of him and make him trade with Drago toe-to-toe to prove a point? This would be a dangerous gameplan against a fighter of Drago’s raw power.

DRAGO

An Armenian refugee who escaped his war-torn country as a child, Gago Drago brings his never-say-die attitude to centre ring every time he fights.

Voted as the Fan Favourite to fill the eighth of final spot in last year’s K-1 Max final tournament, it’s no surprise that fans worldwide have embraced Drago. He is, to say the least, excitement personified, both with his crazy ring-entrance antics and his breath-taking fight style.

Drago is an animal in the ring boasting a high workrate and every shot thrown with enormous power and the intent to knock an opponent’s block off. His last Max fight against USA’s Gori was arguably his best performance to date in Max as Drago pounded the American with vicious boxing combinations and a previously unseen array of turning back kicks, axe kicks, leg kicks and spinning hook kicks.

Drago’s mercenary attitude and his willingness to constantly engage provides headaches for any opponent: when you fight Drago you know you’re not going to come away unscarred. A fight with Drago is a pure war of attrition.

A Muay Thai stylist who has become an all-rounder and puts massive power behind his combinations, Drago could be a real threat to stop the Masato bandwagon come July 7 in Tokyo.

WATCH DRAGO FOR…

His awesome ring entrance in which he looks like a madman flailing his arms about crazily.

HIS WEAKNESS COULD BE…

His total offensive ring nature leaves gaps that precision artists like Souwer, Buakaw and Masato can pick apart.

YOSHIHIRO SATO

A former world kickboxing and world Muay Thai champion, when Sato arrived in K-1 Max he was instantly humbled by the enormous talent pool on hand. That humbling experience took a lot of time for Sato to get used to, as he freely admits that as a world champion prior to Max he thought he was a world-beater, only to be brought back down to Earth in losing three of his first 10 Max fights.

There was a time when Sato didn’t feel the warmth of Max’s embrace, nor the embrace of Japanese fans. Those days are gone, he now says, and he fights solely for the purpose of becoming the Max champion, even though he is yet to crack through the Max’s top four.

The fighter from Nagoya, who recently opened his own chiropractic clinic (we’re sure it’s for the free massages) will once again have to get past his nemesis Buakaw on July 7 if he wants to break Max’s top four. Last time the two met in February at the Budokan in a super fight, Sato took the Thai star an extra round before losing via decision.

WATCH SATO FOR…

His phenomenal workrate. The guy just doesn’t stop. Like Semmy Schilt in the heavyweights, Sato works and works and works and gets the points on the board.

HIS WEAKNESS COULD BE…

Slow starts and not believing in himself. Sato has already lost twice to Buakaw and may resign himself to the fact that he will never beat the Thai machine.

BUAKAW

What can you say about Thai star Buakaw that hasn’t been said before? Only that in 2008 the Muay Thai Machine has once again found the bone-crunching form that has made him one of the most feared fighters on the planet for the past few years.

Buakaw is a machine. If you stripped away the skin on his face you wouldn’t find blood vessels and sinew, but wires and microchips. Arguably the best fighter pound-for-pound on the planet, there is seemingly nothing that this Muay Thai powerhouse can’t do.

A two-time Max world champion, Buakaw pulled off the greatest victory in K-1 history when he last won the title in 2006. He was bundled out in the quarter finals of last year’s championship tourney by a rampaging Masato, but in 2008 Buakaw is once again looking his deadly self.

In his last fight against Albert Kraus in the Final 16, Buakaw looked sensational, consistently cracking away to Kraus’s forearms with the world’s hardest lead and rear leg roundkicks. Nothing Kraus threw at Buakaw seemed to faze the Thai, who just smiled every time Kraus landed a combination and then fired back with hands of his own and kicks.

“I only know that he’s human because once I saw him limping backstage,” says Nicholas Pettas. “Other than that I’d assume that Buakaw is a machine. The guy is just incredible. Watching him is one of the greatest pleasures you can have. His kicks are just so hard – even harder than the heavyweights.”

WATCH BUAKAW FOR…

His roundhouse kicks to the ribs, liver, forearms and legs. If the producers of SAW V are looking for new forms of torture, they could just lock a victim in a room with Buakaw kicking their legs.

HIS WEAKNESS COULD BE…

His ego. Big star, big ego. Buakaw’s only undoing could be if he chooses to let his defence down for a split second. Other than that, it’s hard to pick a weakness in The Machine.

ANDY SOUWER

The current and two-time K-1 Max world champion is, without a doubt, pound-for-pound the best fighter on the planet.

The question is: how can Souwer be stopped? The Dutch ace, trained by the genius Andre Manaart out of Meijiro Gym in Amsterdam, is a flawless fighter. He hardly gets hit, his workrate is high, his boxing is sublime, his kicks are precise and lethal and his knees effective. His footwork is deceptive, his speed is blistering and his composure is eerily relaxed.

Souwer comes into July 7’s final 8 on an amazing 10 fight winning streak, including a non-Max win over The Contender star Yodsanklai, and Max wins over Mike Zambidis (who he knocked out with a head kick), Masato, Kraus, Sato and Kalakoda.

We’d like to sit here an closely analyse Souwer’s game and break down the fine points of his weaknesses but in all honesty, there are none!

“He’s pretty much perfect,” says Nicholas Pettas. “He doesn’t have any weaknesses from what I can see. He has only ever been beaten twice in 18 fights, he hasn’t been touched in a long time and he is, well, flawless.”

WATCH SOUWER FOR…

Everything. If you want the definition of a flawless fighter with excellence of execution, Souwer is it.

HIS WEAKNESS COULD BE…

Nothing. His ego is in check. His defence is water tight. His mental and emotional state is always calm and in control.

WARREN STEVELMANS

New kid on the block Stevelmans has taken the K-1 Max by storm. The South African is trained out of Amsterdam under the tutelage of the great Muay Thai veteran Ivan Hippolyte at Vos Gym.

Undefeated in his four fight Max career, Stevelmans qualified for the Top 16 by way of winning the K-1 Max European championship. He then went on to defeat Italy’s Saro Presti in the Final 16 to qualify for the final eight.

Although out-pointed by Drago in his last fight (non Max on Its Showtime in Amsterdam), Stevelmans will be ready to war with Souwer come July 7.

The chances of Stevelmans defeating the flawless Souwer are long, but stranger things have happened in the K-1 world and Stevelmans should not be underestimated. A powerful boxer and formidable kicker, Stevelmans boasts a high workrate and lots of guts and determination.

With Ivan Hippolyte formulating the gameplan in the corner, Stevelmans will be looking to pull off Max’s biggest upset if he can solve the riddle of the Souwer perfection.

WATCH STEVELMANS FOR…

His fast hands and his constant workrate and determination.

HIS WEAKNESS COULD BE…

His inexperience in the top flight of K-1 Max.

ARTUR KYSHENKO

The new pin-up Westerner of K-1 Max, 22 year old Kyshenko of the Ukraine is touted by most pundits to be a future K-1 Max world champion.

The tall, formidable Muay Thai stylist is reminise of a young Alexey Ignashov and the days when Alexey tore through K-1’s upper echelon heavyweights with ease utilising technique and crunching power.

Since his loss to Masato in the semi finals of last year’s K-1 Max championship tourney, Kyshenko has won two fights including his devastating first round destruction of Shingo Garyu in February and his recent tough points win over Shingo Garyu in February and his recent tough points win over Jordan Tai in April.

Kyshenko has the size and the weapons to be the real darkhorse in this final 8 line-up. Fans are attracted to him not only for his boyish looks but his Ignashov / Aerts lanky style of knock-out looping punches and vicious headkicks that is sure to earn him the K-1 Max strap some time in the future – maybe even this year.

WATCH KYSHENKO FOR…

His unassuming attitude and ability to sniff a knockout and execute it in devastating fashion.

HIS WEAKNESS COULD BE…

Kyshenko likes to stand and trade and while he has one of K-1 Max’s toughest chins, good boxers like Jordan Tai and Masato have exposed it.

YASUHIRO KIDO

Japan’s new sensation has set the K-1 Max world on fire since winning the K-1 Max Japan tourney in February in stunning style.

The Muay Thai stylist is on an amazing winning streak of seven fights including his last outing where he knocked out Korean K-1 Max champion Chi Bin Lim in only 30 seconds with a jumping knee to the jaw!

Kido may not have the movie star looks of Masato nor the experience of Sato but the kid has immense hunger, beautiful use of his leg kicks, hands and knees, and a certain charm that fans are flocking to in their droves.

Kido’s undefeated streak since 2005 includes names such as Kozo Mitsuyama, Andy Ologun and Hayato, but now he steps into the Top 8 for the first time ever and must trade with Kyshenko’s power and iron resolve.

Will the jump to Top 8 be too much for Japan’s new Muay Thai darling? Only time will tell but we think that Kido may yet again shock the world and keep his amazing winning streak alive.

WATCH KIDO FOR…

His sheer passion and his beautiful use of the jumping knee. Jaw-shattering stuff! He also knows how to stick to a gameplan.

HIS WEAKNESS COULD BE…

His inexperience at the top level.