This one-night, 8-man tournament will crown the world’s best striker LIVE on HDNet – Saturday, December 5 at 3:00 a.m. ET with replay at 11:00 p.m. ET
DALLAS (December 1, 2009) HDNet will feature LIVE coverage of “HDNet Fights Presents: FieLDS K-1 World GP 2009 Final,” from the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on Saturday, December 5 at 3:00 a.m. ET.
The 17th annual edition of the prestigious tournament features one of the deepest fields in K-1 history including two former 3-time K-1 World Grand Prix Champions – defending Champion Remy Bonjasky and K-1 Super Heavyweight Champion Semmy Schilt,. The event also features Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem, and the man many consider the uncrowned king of K-1, 2008 tournament runner-up Badr Hari.
In 2008, Bonjasky and Hari stormed to the finals, each scoring TKO’s in the quarterfinals and knockouts in the semifinals. The title bout ended in controversy as Hari was disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct following a stomp on the downed Bonjansky, rendering him unable to continue.
Following the fight Hari claimed that Bonjasky was acting and that his corner told him stay down in order to collect an easy victory. The two men hope to settle the score in the finals on December 5, but first they have to get through six of the best strikers in the world who happen to be standing in their way.
“If you haven’t been watching K-1, tune into the K-1 World Finals and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed,” said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. “These are THE best strikers in the world – watch exclusively on HDNet as one man must win three fights in one night to take home the winner’s check for $400K!”
In quarter-final action, Hari (14-5, 12(T)KO) meets Ruslan Karaev (12-7, 6(T)KO), Overeem (2-2, 1(T)KO) faces Ewerton Teixeira (8-1, 2(T)KO), Schilt (29-3-1, 14(T)KO) tangles with Jerome Le Banner (47-18-1, 32(T)KO), and Bonjasky (37-10, 17(T)KO) begins his title defense versus Errol Zimmerman (7-2, 3(T)KO).
The winners of Hari/Karaev-Overeem/Teixeira and Schilt/Le Banner-Bonjasky/Zimmerman will meet in the semi-finals with the winners advancing to fight for the title.
In tournament reserve bouts, 3-time Grand Prix Champion Peter Aerts (62-23, 55(T)KO) squares off with Gokhan Saki (9-4, 5(T)KO) and Daniel Ghita (3-1, 3(T)KO) meets Sergey Kharitonov (6-7, 3(T)KO).