IT'S time, It's time, It's Showtime!
European Fighting Network celebrated its 10th birthday in style as it teamed up once again with Japanese
giants FEG to stage the spectacular punch and kick extravaganza that is the K-1 Europe Grand Prix at the Amsterdam ArenA.
Up and coming Dutch talent Errol Zimmerman was the night's biggest winner as he showed heart and bags of
potential - and got the benefit of the doubt from the judges - to win the eight-man heavyweight tournament in an event
that attracted a sell-out 20,000 crowd and featured a string of big knockouts.
Zimmerman, 22 and pictured above left, now advances to the K-1 Final Elimination in Korea after overcoming
Zabit Samedov in a close final which the man representing Azerbaijan seemed to edge with his workrate.
Samedov, the smallest fighter in the tournament, put his combinations together well and clocked Zimmerman
with an overhand right in what was the cleanest strike of the third and final round.
But it was Zimmerman whose hand was raised aloft after two of the three judges voted in his favour, the
Team Golden Glory-trained man slumping to the canvas in delight as red and yellow ticker tape was pumped into the ring.
Zimmerman had earlier won his quarter-final by technical knockout when Attila Karacs suffered a vertical
gash on his right shin in the first round which prevented him from continuing.
And he booked a spot in the tournament showpiece after stopping arch rival Bjorn Bregy in the third round
of a wild slugfest.
Bad blood had simmered in the build-up to this one, Zimmerman claiming Bregy had feigned illness when
pulling out of a scheduled fight against him in Den Bosch a month earlier, claiming fear of a defeat so close to the mega-bill
in the Dutch capital was the real reason behind it.
Zimmerman had also posted an insulting highlight reel on the internet and came into the ring accompanied
by a rapper slating the big Swiss fighter to hammer home the point.
But it was Bregy - who left South African Jan Nortje in a heap to win by first round KO in his quarter-final
- who quickly got on top, only to let emotion get the better of him and throw it all away.
Zimmerman was on the back foot for most of the first and second rounds - until Bregy dropped his hands and
urged him to 'Come On' twice.
The home prospect obliged, dropping him with a three-punch burst before climbing off the canvas himself
in the third round to floor Bregy again and stop him with a second of the fight remaining.
Samedov's path to the runner-up spot saw him avenge his defeat to Doug Viney in last year's
K-1 Las Vegas final by decking the New Zealander with a right hand on the way to a unanimous quarter-final decision.
He then hung tough to get the better of feisty Dutch youngster Brian Douwes on points after an extra round
in the semis.
Douwes, who stopped Englishman James McSweeney in the first round of his reserve fight, put himself on the
map with his performance and stepped into the tournament to replace Freddy Kemayo.
The Frenchman flattened aggresive Romanian Catalin Morosanu with a huge knee after just 35 seconds of their
first fight but was forced to withdraw after aggravating a stomach muscle injury suffered in training during the contest.
Remy Bonjasky and Melvin Manhoef are martial arts favourites around the world and waged three
rounds of hectic warfare in their superfight before Bonjasky prevailed by third round knockout.
Both fighters put all they had into every shot and the six inches shorter Manhoef landed some pounding
body punches, rocked Bonjasky to the head and had success when catching the twice K-1 champion's leading leg.
But Bonjasky tucked up behind a high guard and used his height to drop MMA star Manhoef a total of five
with a range of kicks and knees, breaking his tooth and leaving him with a swollen left elbow.
Holland's Tyrone Spong is widely regarded as one of the most exciting stand-up fighting talents in the world
and showed exactly why as he won his first K-1 superfight at a canter against game but outgunned Swiss fighter Azem Maksutaj.
Maksutaj has been around the K-1 block and shared a ring with the likes of Ray Sefo but was never in it
against Spong, who had him down and finished him off after 35 seconds of the second round.
A series of It's Showtime superfights - featuring some of the biggest names in K-1 Max and preceded by awesome
light shows and ring entrances - completed the stacked card and brought convincing wins for Zimmerman's Golden Glory team-mates
Gokhan Saki and Nieky Holzken.
Heavyweight Saki showed previously unseen hand skills as he pulverised 2007 K-1 Europe champion Paul Slowinski with
a straight right and left hook for two knockdowns and a quickfire first round stoppage.
Mes had seemed to win the psychological battle against Holzken as he stuck his forehead on him for publicity
photos in the pre-fight press conference, Holzken looking visibly rattled when they pulled away.
But it was Holzken who won the war by second round knockout in the ring, freezing Mes with a flashy spinning
back kick to the head as he dropped face first to the canvas.
The capacity crowd went crazy when double K-1 Max champion Buakaw Por Pramuk was announced and the Thai
star delivered a kickboxing clinic as he went through the gears to outpoint lanky but skilled Faldir Chahbari.
Italy's fast improving Gevorg Petrosyan got the better of Chris Ngimbi on points in a technical match-up
and Dutch whirlwind Gago Drago warmed up for his upcoming clash with Masato by outscoring new Holland K-1 Max champion Warren
Stevelmans in a fast-paced encounter which rounded off the night.
Holland's Sem Braan had earlier outhustled Brazilian Alexandre Cosmo in all three rounds to win the final
of the It's Showtime Reality series and a cheque for $100,000.
And Dutch kickboxing legend Perry Ubeda dominated fellow countryman Stephen Tapilatu before winning by fifth
round knockout in their full contact match.
In B-Class fights on the undercard, Christiano Delgado showed courage to get up from two first round knockdowns
in losing to Rico Verhoeven on points.
And Robin van Roosmalen came on strong in the second and third rounds to win by decision over Hammadi El
Madhaoui.
ARENA ASIDES
- Many fans were disappointed in the build-up as reigning K-1 Max champion Andy Souwer, Albert Kraus and Murat Direkci
were all forced off the card with hand injuries suffered at the K-1 Max Eliminations a fortnight previous. And the much-anticipated
MMA match between Gilbert Yvel and Alistair Overeem was scratched when Yvel suffered a calf muscle injury in training
with Mirko Cro Cop. Cro Cop was offered the chance to replace Yvel but said he would need more time to prepare for someone
of Overeem's calibre.
But the absences made little difference as the show was the best at the ArenA yet.
- Peter Aerts got a massive ovation as he issued a challenge over the house microphone to current K-1 champion Sem
Schilt, saying: "The Japanese have agreed we can fight at the Final Elimination, now it's up to you."
- European Fighting Network present another edition of the It's Showtime Trophy in Santander, Spain on August 23 before
returning to Holland with what looks like being an outstanding bill in Eindhoven on November 29.
Scheduled fights include:
Buakaw Por Pramuk vs Murat Direkci
Orono
Vor Petchpun vs Faldir Chahbari
Saenchai
Sor Kingstar vs Hassen El Hamzaoui
Tyrone
Spong vs Gokhan Saki
Gago
Drago vs Chaid Oulad El Hadj
Nieky
Holzken vs Sahin "Kaas" Yakut
