K-1 - Los Angeles Card Updates

[Keithlewis]

[NWOWolfpack]

[Keithlewis]

K-1 has finally released most of the lineup for their event on September 8 in Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. The event features their "U.S. Grand Prix Championships" at heavyweight and MAX (154lbs).

Eight American heavyweight fighters and eight MAX fighters are featured, as well as four super fights and three undercard fights consisting of fighters from the tryouts on July 21. Click "Read More" to read the full press release.

HEAVYWEIGHTS: MIGHTY MO, RICK ROUFUS, SETH PETRUZELLI, DEWEY COOPER, RANDY BLAKE, XAVIER VIGNEY AND TONY LOPEZ

MAX: MICHAEL MANANQUIL, KIT COPE, CHAZ MULKY, SCOTT LEFLER, BRYCE KRAUSE, BEN YELLE, JOEY PAGLIUSO, AND JUSTIN GRESKIEWICZ

FIGHTERS COMPETE FOR TOTAL OF $2 MILLION IN PRIZE MONEY AND K-1 CHAMPIONSHIP BELTS LIVE FROM THE LA SPORTS ARENA - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2012

Tickets on Sale this Friday, July 27 at 10:00 a.m. PT through Ticketmaster.com



K-1, the world's premier kickboxing organization, today revealed the second event in its K-1 Rising World Grand Prix series and announced to fights fans across the United States that K-1 is bringing its world class fighting experience back to the American stage. "K-1 Rising" will head west to the City of Angels and hold its U.S. Grand Prix Championships at the LA Sports Arena on Saturday, September 8, 2012.

America's best heavyweights including Mighty Mo (32-16), Rick Roufus, (63-9-1), Seth Petruzelli (22-16), Dewey Cooper (49-14-2), Randy Blake (22-0), Xavier Vigney (6-1), and Tony Lopez (31-9) and one more yet to be announced will compete on Saturday, September 8 for a chance to represent the United States in the K-1 Rising World Grand Prix Final 16 in Tokyo, Japan.

The U.S. Grand Prix fighters will be competing for a total of $2 Million prize and the coveted K-1 championship belt.

"We are excited to reveal this lineup of American heavyweight and MAX fighters and are thrilled to bring the U.S. Grand Prix Championships to the LA Sports Arena on September 8," said Doug Kaplan, CEO, K-1. "K-1 is back, and we can't wait to bring the explosive, fast-paced, fighting action of K-1 to Los Angeles."

Tickets for the K-1 Rising U.S. World Grand Prix Championships on Saturday, September 8 live from the LA Sports Arena will go on sale this Friday, July 27 at 10:00 a.m. PT.

Tickets are available for purchase through http://www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-866-448-7849. Tickets are also available at the LA Sports Arena Box Office located at 3939 S. Figueroa Street in Los Angeles or by calling (213) 748-6131.

K-1 knockout artist "Mighty Mo" Siliga (6'1"/280 lbs.) made his debut in the K-1 organization in 2004. He is a two-time K-1 champion, having won the 2007 K-1 World Grand Prix in Hawaii and the 2004 K-1 World Grand Prix in Las Vegas. Over the past eight years, he has beaten the best of the best including Remy Bonjasky, Gary Goodridge, Carter Williams, Choi Hong-man and Scott Lighty. In the most recent K-1 series, Mighty Mo fought all the way through to the World Grand Prix Final 8 (2010).

Rick "The Jet" Roufus (5'11"/215 lbs.) is one of the most famous kickboxers in history. He is a six-time world champion in the sport, and claimed the prestigious title of K-1 US Grand Prix Champion in 1998. The following year he went on to win the IKF Heavyweight World Championship. In 2002 and 2003, Roufus was a runner up in the K-1 World Grand Prix. Roufus is the former WBC Continental America's Champion and has a pro boxing record of 14-5-1. The name "The Jet" is synonymous with kickboxing in the United States, and fans of the sport need no introduction to the living legend that has fought and beaten just about every other top name in the sport.

Seth Petruzelli (6'0"/224 lbs) made himself known across American with his stunning 14-second knockout over street-fighting legend Kimbo Slice. Along with Slice, he headlined the first MMA event ever to air on broadcast television in the U.S. Petruzelli introduced himself to national fight fans on that night, and now he looks to make his name around the globe by winning the K-1 Grand Prix Championship. With a third degree black belt in Shito-Ryu, a form of Okinawan karate, Petruzelli is ready to hold his own against the most powerful fighters in the sport on September 8.

Dewey Cooper, better known to fans as the "Black Kobra" (6'0"/215 lbs.), is one of the most popular U.S. fighters ever to compete in K-1. After earning two world titles in the WKC and WKF in 2000, he was selected as a K-1 fighter in 2002. In his K-1 debut, he shocked the combat sports world when he beat four-time world champion Jean Claude Leyer. Two years later, he reached the finals of K-1 World Grand Prix in Las Vegas. He also became the first man ever to defeat "Mighty Mo." Cooper lives in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, where he trains at One Kick's Gym with his long-time kickboxing coach Nick Blomgrem. He also trains in boxing with Jeff Mayweather at the famed Top Rank gym, and holds a pro boxing record of 19-3-3 with 11 KOs. He owns 49 wins in kickboxing with 28 of those coming by KO.

The 25-year old Randy "Boom Boom" Blake (6'0"/205 lbs.), fighting out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has an undefeated professional kickboxing record of 22-0 with 17 KOs. He is the current XFL Light Heavyweight Kickboxing Champion and one of the top ranked stand-up prospects in America. He heads in to the U.S. Grand Prix Championships on September 8 as one of the young, rising stars competing against the very legends upon whom the sport was built.

Xavier Vigney (6'7"/223 lbs.) is the IKF U.S. Super Heavyweight Champion. He is another young, up-and-coming prospect who is ready to make his K-1 debut. With nearly the same height, weight, reach and fighting style of arguably the world's top kick boxer, Badr Hari, Vigney is fighting for the opportunity to prove he can stand with the very best in the world. Xavier lives in Pleasant Hill, California and trains with the respected Team Black, the original Muay Thai branch of the Cesar Gracie Fight Team.

Huntington Beach native Tony "Kryptonite" Lopez (6'5"/223 lbs.) is a three-time champion across multiple weight classes in mixed martial arts. He is the former King of the Cage Light Heavyweight , Heavyweight and Super Heavyweight Champion. He holds a black belt in Kyokushin Kaikan karate, which he has used to score a dozen knockouts over tough opponents including Kyle Kingsbury and Jason Lambert.

"On September 8, each of the American heavyweights will fight to qualify for the World Grand Prix Final 16 event taking place October 14 in Tokyo," said Kaplan. "The U.S. fighters will compete with the mindset that fighting at the famed Sumo National Stadium in Tokyo is next, and after that, the World Grand Prix Final 8 in New York City where they could be crowned the new K-1 Champion. That is the dream, that is the goal, it is just a question of who it will be, and who wants it the most."

K-1 announced seven of the MAX tournament competitors including: Muay Thai World Champion Michael Mananquil (35-2), four-time Muay Thai World Champion Kit Cope (23-1, 9 KOs Muay Thai), WBC International Champion Chaz Mulky (7-4), Scott Leffler (4-2, 3 KOs), MTAA National Champion Bryce Krause (24-3-1), Ben Yelle (6-3), Joey Pagliuso (13-3 Muay Thai) and Justin Greskiewicz (10-5).

Four K-1 Superfights are on the September 8 card, among those include a rematch two years in the making between Romie Adanza vs. Andy Howson, and making his K-1 debut, "Mr. Lightning" Lerdsila Chumpairtourvs takes on Gabriel Varga.

In addition, three undercard fights will kick off the night featuring six K-1 Hopefuls to be selected from the K-1 Open Tryouts held last week.

Doors for the K-1 Rising U.S. Grand Prix Championships on Saturday, Sept. 8 will open at 4:00 p.m. PT; first bout starts at 5:00 p.m. PT. Main card goes live at 6:00 p.m. PT.

More fighters and the official matchups for the K-1 U.S. Grand Prix Championships will be announced early next week.

[Keithlewis]

Here is the fight card for K-1 Los Angeles:


K-1 LEGENDS vs. RISING STARS:

Mighty Mo vs Rick Roufus
Seth Petruzelli vs Xavier Vigney
Dewey Cooper vs Randy Blake
Jarrell Miller vs Jack May


America’s Top Standup Middleweights:

Chaz Mulkey vs Kit Cope
Michael Mananquil vs Scotty Leffler
Bryce Krause vs Justin Greskiewicz
Ben Yelle vs Joey Pagliuso


Outstanding Super Fights:

Lerdsilla Chumpairtour vs Gabriel Varga
Andy Howson vs Romie Adanza
Justin Buchholz vs Zhipeng Zhou
Markhaile Wedderburn vs Jeremiah Metcalf


*The undercard will consist of 6 fighters selected from the K-1 Tryouts that were held in LA on July 19, 2012.

[Keithlewis]

K-1 SIGNS NINE HOPEFULS FROM TRYOUTS, ALL FIGHTERS TO MAKE K-1 DEBUT SEPT. 8


JAMES “THE BEAST” WILSON vs. DOUG SAUER
JERMAINE SOTO vs. DAMIEN EARLEY
MIKE LEMAIRE vs. DYLAN CLAY
LERDSILA CHUMPAIRTOUR vs. GABRIEL VARGA
AND SHOWTYNG WEDDERBURN



When K-1 make its long-awaited return to the United States on Saturday, Sept. 8 at the LA Sports Arena, fight fans will see fast-paced, aggressive matchups between K-1 legends and veterans. They will see fights between the sport's newest generation of young, talented kickboxers. And just announced today, they also will witness the debut of nine brand new faces who were just signed to the organization as a result of the K-1 Open Tryouts held last month.

Doug Kaplan, K-1 CEO, has revealed that K-1 has called back nine fighters who went through the official tryout process and has not only signed them to K-1, but that they will make their K-1 debut as part of the U.S. Grand Prix Championship event.

“There was an incredible display of passion and talent at the K-1 Open Tryouts, and as a result we have discovered nine new fighters and signed them to K-1,” said Kaplan. “Six of these fighters will compete in the undercard, and three more are slotted to the main card in the Superfights. In all, there are about 30 more guys to be called back for additional drills, including some sparring, and we will do that as soon as possible. There are athletes all over the world that we want, and we are figuring out the right opportunity to bring them in.”

Tickets for the K-1 Rising U.S. World Grand Prix Championship on Saturday, Sept. 8 are available for purchase through www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-866-448-7849. Tickets are also available at the LA Sports Arena Box Office located at 3939 S. Figueroa Street in Los Angeles or by calling (213) 748-6131.

The first two Hopefuls to officially fight as K-1 athletes is Los Angeles’ own James “The Beast” Wilson (3-0) 6’1”/255 lbs. vs. Doug Sauer (8-1), a native of Troy, Missouri who is 6’0” and 240 lbs.

The second pair of Hopefuls making their K-1 and their professional kickboxing debut on Sept. 8 is Jermaine Soto vs. Damien Earley. Soto, a native of Van Nuys, California is 5’11”/154 lbs. Earley, 6’1”/154 lbs., is fighting out of Scottsdale, Arizona and will kick off his K-1 career at just 21 years of age.

The last pair of K-1 Hopefuls to make the Sept. 8 K-1 undercard is Mike LeMaire (1-0) who is taking on Dylan Clay (2-0). LeMaire, 6’1”/185 lbs. is 24 years old and fighting out of San Diego, California. The 33 year old 6’0”/185 lb. Clay comes to K-1 out of Durango, Colorado.

Also making their first appearance ever in the world’s largest and oldest kickboxing promotion in history is 5’6” Lerdsila Chumpairtour, known better as Mr. Lighting (6-5-5-Draw) and 5’6”/140 lbs. Gabriel Varga (23-1), who compete against each other in a Superfight on the main card of the U.S. Grand Prix Championship on Sept. 8.

Lerdsila considers himself a traditional Muay Thai fighter and intends to represent Thailand in his debut fight with Varga. When Mr. Lighting tried out at Venice Beach, he put his massive showmanship on display and the crowd exploded. The panel of judges knew they were watching something special. He and his camp said they took a gamble bringing Lerdsila to the tryouts, but it has paid off. Now, on September 8, friends, fans and family of Chumpairtour will get to watch him compete on the biggest kickboxing stage in the world.

Lerdsila’s opponent, Varga, intends to become a world champion in the style of fighting he loves most, which is K-1. He stands out as much for his friendliness and respect as he does for his superior level of kickboxing skills, Varga considers himself a true martial artist and believes in the code of honor that goes hand in hand with the sport.

Also, 6’1”/185 lb. Showtying Wedderburn (11-1) will make his K-1 debut in a main card Superfight against (name/record/stats). While training in Bangkok, Thailand, Weddderburn heard about the K-1 tryouts and immediately launched a campaign of rocketing inbound emails to the K-1 fighter relations department. Then came the calls. Not yet satisfied, he then flew to the Venice Beach for the tryouts and finally succeeded in his effort to make himself known to the crowd and the judges. Less than a month later, he was called back and successfully signed to fight on the Sept. 8 U.S. Grand Prix Championship fight card in Los Angeles.

“I want to be sure that all the Hopefuls know how much K-1 appreciates each and every person who came together for our Open Tryouts,” said Kaplan. “We look forward to finding opportunities for many more in our series of events planned for next year. My message to everyone is to keep training safely, keep working hard, and please keep in touch through the K-1 Facebook and Twitter update us on the progress of your career.”

[ArmyofDarkness]