Japanese promotion K-1 has decided to get input from fight fans on who should fill six of the remaining 16 spots for its upcoming World Grand Prix tournament on Oct. 2 in South Korea.

Choices include kickboxing stalwarts Peter Aerts and Melvin Manhoef, as well as PRIDE veteran Sergei Kharitonov and former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.

Ten fighters have already been confirmed for the tournament:

7 thoughts on “K-1 fan vote for World Grand Prix participants”
  1. Speaking of Ghita, why isn’t he being considered? Or Gohkan Saki and Remy? Or Hedsy Gerges?

    The Andrei Arlovski before the Fedor KO would’ve been perfect for this tournamen. He was fast, exciting, and pwerful. After the way he looked against Bigfoot I wouldn’t see him being a threat at all in this tourney.

  2. Gohkan Saki is rumored as one of the wild cards. My sources say he might meet Kyotaro in the final 16. Remy is out with an eye injury. Hedsy has a fight coming up in It’s Showtime, so he might not be able to make it.

  3. Richard I kinda agree with that, but we’ve seen fighters overcome terrible chins in the past. Wladimir Klitschko, Lennox Lewis, both come to mind. You would figure with his speed he could maybe do enough training to cut those holes in his game? Maybe that Brett Rogers KO forever changed him …

    I appreciate the info man. Do you know how Remy injured his eye?

  4. I guess it wasn’t an injury per se. He had surgery to repair what he called a “blind spot.” Back in May, he made it seem like he might be done fighting since it is, I think, the fourth time he has had the same surgery.

  5. Arlovski has had chin issues since the beginning.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfEv8jA3USw

    Also, the biggest weakness of MMA fighters moving into kickboxing or boxing is their utter lack of defense. Due to a variety of factors, including pace, small gloves and takedowns, MMA is all about offense. Even MMA fighters who have had success in K-1, like Overeem or Kawajiri, get hit a ton.

    Before the Rogers fight, Arlovski was working almost exclusively with Freddie Roach, and he still backed straight up when Rogers came running at him.

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