Press Conference WGP Yokohama

TOKYO, March 27, 2009 -- K-1 Event Producer Sadaharu Tanikawa opened the fightsport's 16th season today by announcing that Semmy Schilt will compete at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 in Yokohama. A three-time World GP Champ and reigning K-1 Super Heavyweight Champion, Schilt joins defending World GP Champion Remy Bonjasky and veterans Peter Aerts and Jerome LeBanner at this year's inaugural World GP event.

The 12-bout extravaganza, set for Saturday, March 28 at Yokohama Arena, comprises the K-1 Heavyweight one-day tournament, five Superfights and three undercard bouts. The men who will do battle tomorrow met the media today at the Keio Plaza Hotel in central Shinjuku.

Schilt, who will fight 28 year-old Egyptian Hesdy Gerges, said he was happy to be back in K-1. "I got the call the day before yesterday, I don't even know the guy I'm fighting, but it's going to be a great fight!" Gerges, who stands 200cm/6'7" and weighs 100 kg/220lbs, was still en route to Tokyo at press conference time.

In Saturday's Main Event, Remy Bonjasky will meet Alistair Overeem -- the Dutch MMA fighter who shocked K-1 fans with a dramatic KO victory over Badr Hari last New Year's Eve. Bonjasky has been cast in the role of avenger here, with the reputation of K-1 fighters on the line. So gravely is the test regarded that K-1 Event Producer Sadaharu Tanikawa declared a Bonjasky loss on Saturday could amount to "The end of K-1."

The fists and feet fly tomorrow -- today we had a rhetorical thrust and parry.

Bonjasky: "I hope it will be a fantastic event, good luck to everybody."

Overeem scored the first point: "I am 100% ready. Now, we know Remy and we respect him as a three-time champion, but even more, we respect his acting -- both in movies and in the ring. And so we arranged a little something..."

On cue, Overeem's girlfriend Anne took the stage to present a plastic "Oscar" statuette to a smiling Bonjasky.

Bonjasky stood up and responded in a beat: "I will put this with all my trophies, the big ones! And Alistair, maybe you should stop the drugs, because you're also getting big, bigger and bigger, even your clothes don't fit you any more!"

Overeem's comeback attempt, "I'm from Holland, everybody in Holland does drugs," didn't earn him the win today. Will this size and power get him the glory tomorrow? Or will it be Bonjasky's speed and technique? The world is watching.

The card's penultimate match features another Dutchman, K-1 superstar Peter Aerts, fighting Errol Zimmerman, from the Netherlands Antilles island of Curaçao.

                                    
Said Aerts: "I've been training hard in a new gym and my condition is good, I hope I do better than last time!"
Remarked Zimmerman: "I am very glad to be here glad to fight Peter, I don't want to say too much till tomorrow."

French slugger Jerome LeBanner, a K-1 veteran, will represent the old-school against explosive young kyokushin fighter Ewerton Teixeira of Brazil in another Superfight.
Teixeira: "I trained hard to get ready for this fight, and I will show my best in the ring."
LeBanner: "I hope everyone will enjoy tomorrow's fight, good luck!"

A veteran kyokushin fighter, K-1 star Glaube Feitosa, will meet Japanese wunderkind Junichi Sawayashiki, in another contest between experience and youth.
Sawayashiki: "I will do  my best tomorrow."
Feitosa: "I prepared myself well with kyokushin, it will be an excellent fight."

K-1 Heavyweight Title Tournament

The K-1 Heavyweight Title Tournament is a four-man elimination, fought in a 100kg/220lbs weight class, for the K-1 Heavyweight Belt. A pair of semifinals go up early on the Yokohama card, the two winners meet in the final later in the evening.

Dutch Dynamo Melvin Manhoef will take on Japanese fighter Keijiro Maeda in the first semifinal.

Manhoef was brimming with confidence: "This is a chance, I'm the smallest and lightest fighter, but I'm going to hurt him, better I hurt him than he hurts me! I came here only to make war and bring the title home!"

Replied Maeda: "Yes, I guess I'm afraid a little bit. But here I am, a guy with a funky hairstyle, and tomorrow I'm going to show everybody that I'm also a top fighter!"

The second semi of the K-1 Heavyweight Title Tournament sees Tyrone Spong of Suriname, making his K-1 debut, take on Gokhan Saki of Turkey.

Spong: "There is a new star in town, and the title is mine! I will bring the belt home, I want to wish the other fighters best luck, because it's going to be hard to beat me tomorrow!"

Saki was cool as always: "I'm in good shape, I trained hard all the time, and now I've come here to make one of my dreams come true!"

In undercard action, Mitsugu Noda will meet Yang Rae Yoo; Hiraku Hori fights Takumi Sato; and Takashi Tachikawa takes on Yutaka Sakuma. All bouts will be conducted under K-1 Official Rules -- 3Min. x 3R; Ext.2R (Ext. 1R in the tournament semifinals).

Also at the press conference, the 2009 K-1 World Grand Prix ring girls were introduced, and a leggy lot they are. Fuji television unveiled its new broadcast team, and announced technical improvements, such as next-generation high-speed cameras for ultra slow-motion, to its K-1 coverage.