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K-1 UK Battle of Britain – 8 Man Heavyweight Tournament 2004
by Muay Thai Guy, Moderator @www.IronLife.com
A change from the regular venue of the Aston Villa Leisure Centre in Birmingham to the Wolverhampton Civic Centre, K-1 was about to raise some more roofs over on English pastures. This time it was the heavyweight boys who would be slugging it out for the title K-1 UK Champion 2004 and a chance at fighting abroad in an international K-1 qualifier.
This years tournament saw defending champion, Gary “Smiler” Turner mix it with previous UK K-1 combatants such as Nick Sheppard, Duncan Airle James, Rob Lloyd, MMA fighter Jamie Zikic, Nick Sheppard and Gordon Minors, as well as new comers, Chris Batcheldor and Steve Jones.
Despite being a smaller venue than previous events, the atmosphere seemed to be more vociferous which added to the excitement of the card which also boasted supporting bouts including Commonwealth Muay Thai title fight between home town challenger, Reece Crooke (Brother of Peter Crooke) and champion Andi Howson of Bad Company in Leeds. Also on the card was a special K-1 rules fight featuring Karateka, Paul Newby and Wing Chun expert Kasim Khan in a special Karate vs. Kung Fu Fight.
First Round Eliminations 3x3 K-1 Rules
Gordon Minors vs. Nick Sheppard
Nick Sheppard seemed like he’s put on a lot of weight since his last outing and it showed as the man dubbed the UK’s version of Mark Hunt, Chin of steel and all, seemed to look gassed after his first combo. Never before have I seen a fighter breath so heavily. Minors was the fitter fighter and picking off Sheppard with kicks and punch combinations. Minors did well to land a head kick but Sheppard shook it off and reminded everyone that he can get hit by a steel tank and not seem to budge!
Sheppard’s only really effective weapon in this fight was his scathing leg kicks which seemed to damage Minors early on. The final round was faster and Sheppard fighting in bursts, dropping minors with a leg kick however, the judges awarded the fight to Gordon Minors who had blatantly scored more points in the fight than Sheppard.
Duncan A. James vs. Chris Batcheldor
What was supposed to be a super fight ended up being put on the 8 man event as one a fighter had pulled out and a replacement was not found in time. Scottish Fighting Legend and seasoned veteran Duncan James showed his experience against a limber Batcheldor. Throughout the fight, both fighters were showing a lot of respect for each other. James kept working beautiful boxing combinations with Batcheldor answering with strong kicks to the body and the head of James. It looked like it was going all James’s way however the judges saw differently and awarded the fight to Batcheldor who advanced to the semi finals.
Gary Turner vs. Steve Jones
Reigning champion Gary Turner had very little problem in disposing of Steve Jones Who was on the receiving end of some punishment at the hands of Smiler. Turner trapping Jones in almost every corner, delivering flurry's of fast and furious hands. By the second round, a very aggressive Turner had dropped Steve Jones twice, Jones receiving a standing 8 count on both occasions. As he got back to his feet for a second time, Turner smelt blood and charged forward however, Steve Jones’s corner decided enough was enough and threw the towel in.
Rob Lloyd vs. James Zikic
MMA Athlete James Zikic proved he was there to do business as a rather lackluster Rob Lloyd just seemed to remain dormant for most of the fight. Zikic kept charging forward with powerful hands and tying Lloyd up in the clinch which although he didn’t seem to be too effective in, did manage to drain Lloyd of precious energy in the ring. By the second round Zikic had damaged the nose of Lloyd with punches and he was starting to bleed profusely, the highlight was that he bled all over a ring card girl!
The third round went Zikic’s way however, The referee decided to step in and stop the contest as Lloyd was on the receiving end of a lot of punishment. A frustrated Lloyd, furious with the referee’s decision, decided to storm out of the ring only to regain composure and apologize to the referee.
5x2 Muay Thai rules fight
Mark Lee vs. James Wincott
If looks could kill, Mark Lee would have had already won his fight as he walked into the ring. A cocky grin on his face and the demeanor of something evil made him stand out just as he walked into the ring. His opponent looking equally as aggressive, made his entrance in a more somber fashion. Both fighters were strong, Mark Lee however, was far more aggressive and gave Wincott hell with his left leg round kick. John Wincott was clearly the better boxer as he was picking Lee off with clean shots however by the final round, Lee and dropped Wincott twice, Lee receiving a standing 8 count on both occasions which was enough to give Lee the unanimous decision.
K-1 Semi Finals
Nick Sheppard vs. Chris Batcheldor
Due to injuries sustained in the first round, Nick Sheppard got a second chance as a replacement to Gordon Minors who was not fit to carry on. Sheppard would now have a second attempt at glory against a sharp and agile Chris Batcheldor. Batcheldor using his range to full advantage keeps Sheppard at bay with kicks and Teeps whilst Sheppard picks the right moments to work on the inside, unleashing devastating punches and leg kicks. Batcheldor was certainly the better fighter on the outside as he was picking off Sheppard during the second round and it seemed as though Sheppard just didn’t have the stamina to match Batcheldor’s however just before the bell ended the second round, Sheppard landed a solid hook to the jaw of Batcheldor, dropping him to the floor and knocking him out cold. Batcheldor regained consciousness, got up on his feet and was given a standing ovation but it was Nick Sheppard who would be victorious and advance to the K-1 finals.
Gary Turner vs. James Zikic
This fight will be talked about for a while to come as controversy loomed its ugly head.
The fight started out in Turner’s favor. He was working good clean combinations followed by leg kicks and leg kicks followed by one two combinations to the head. It was proving to be working for him as he won the first round with no trouble but by the second round, Gary Turner stumbled as he was shaken by a huge cross from Zikic, who had now regained all confidence. What would follow can only be described as an all out war as both fighters slugged their hearts out. The judges decision was to give the fight a draw and a fourth round would have to be fought to decide the victor. Turner was throwing all he could and landing but it was Zikic who looked more aggressive and doing more damage by landing clean shots but again, the judges were indecisive as to who had won and another round would have to be fought. Again it was Zikic that seemed to deliver the goods. Turner fought valiantly and landed some clean shots but Zikic was the aggressor. The judges were now in favor of Turner though the crowd, even Turner fans, were mystified as to how Zikic was robbed of the win.
Andy Jardine, James Zikic’s coach has now apparently lodged an official complaint and would like the scorecard of the fight to be sent to Japan! Could it be that the judges and organizers would be left with a sour taste in their mouths if an MMA athlete was to beat the K-1 UK Champ? Or is it because Gary Turner is really the only fighter who would be able to be totally competent on the world K-1 level? A lot can be said but the fact of the matter is, Gary Turner won and would advance to the finals against Nick Sheppard.
K-1 Special Fight 3z3 minute rounds
Karate vs. Kung Fu
Paul Newby (Karate) vs. Kasim Khan (Kung Fu)
Both fighters started the fight in fast and furious fashion and did not hesitate to go all out into the action. Newby throwing some impressive and solid punches which dropped Khan a few times but Khan never gave up and kept coming forward. Khan was definitely the stronger fighter in the clinch with a fast flurry of knees. It was quite evident that Khan was from a Wing Chun heritage as his speed showed however by the third round, his speed was not enough to save him from the punching power of Newby who won the fight due to TKO.
ISKA Commonwealth Muay Thai Title Fight 5x3 Minute Rounds, Full Muay Thai Rules
Reece Crooke vs. Andi Howson
Arguably the fight of the night and for me, one of best fights I have seen on home soil for a long time since Reece’s elder brother, Peter, Fought Russian Sergei Karpin in a K-1 Max fight. The crowd were 110% behind their home town hero, Challenger Reece Crooke who was looking nothing short of impressive. Both fighters started off slow and composed. The first round was typically used for feeling each other. Howson was working very clean combinations and both fighters were taking a fair few head shots. After an exchange of leg kicks in the 3rd round, Howson sustained a cut above his left eye from a beautifully placed elbow from Crooke. Crooke looked technically superior as he was catching Howson’s legs when he went to kick and then taking out his supporting leg. Howson fought back but Crooke was now on another level. The whole venue was alive and shouting support for Crooke and nothing Crooke did seemed wrong. Crooke finished the final round with enough to get a unanimous descision from the referees but more importantly, the title belt around his waist.
K-1 Final
Nick Sheppard vs. Gary Turner
After the excitement and action of the previous fight, it was time to watch the Grande Finale however it was short lived as Gary Turner came out with all he had and catching Sheppard in the corner and like cat traps a mouse in the corner, Turner was not going to show any mercy to Sheppard fell to the floor after a heavy leg kick caused his lead leg to give way. A wincing look on Sheppard’s face must have given Turner a signal that God was smiling in his favor. As the referee started the fight again Turner looked for the right moment to land another leg kick and a soon as it did, Sheppard was sent down to the canvas again. Sheppard struggled to his feet only to be dropped a third time by a leg kick and was unable to get up. Gary Turner was victorious again and crowned the K-1 champion for the second year in a row.
At this stage I would like to wish Gary Turner all the best for this year and hopefully he will be just as successful on the International K-1 circuit as he is at home!
Behind The Scenes
During the event I was able to catch up with some big names in the UK Fight circuit.
Mark Russel, The British legend who in his time has faced such fighters as Andy Hug and Ernesto Hoost reassured me that he would be fighting at the NEC on the Pain and Glory event against Croatian K-1 finalist Sinisa Andrjasvic. Russell has faced Andrjasvic on two occasions in the past. Winning one and losing one so this third fight will be the decider.
I also got the opportunity to talk to UK K-1 Max Winner Mark Beale who decided to get a good view of the fight and sit on our table. When asked if he would be fighting on K-1 Max events abroad, Mark confidently replied that he had fights in the pipeline. Mark Beale defeated Neil woods back in November 2003 to earn the esteemed title.
The next big event in the UK will be the Pain and Glory event held at the NEC in Birmingham and is aiming to be the biggest show this side of the Atlantic.
It will featuer K-1 fights, Muay Thai, Kickboxing and MMA featuring names such as Gary Turner, Peter Crooke, NEil Woods, Damian Trainor, Lee Hasdell and Mark Wier.
The event will be held on April 24th.
* Article by Muay Thai Guy, Moderator @www.IronLife.com.
* Back to Issue #7 Frontpage
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