K-1 ANNOUNCES GRAND PRIX FORMAT FOR 2008

[complete]

K-1 ANNOUNCES GRAND PRIX FORMAT FOR 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008 - by Monty DiPietro (Courtesy of K-1 Media)

TOKYO – In a press conference at the Fuji Television Building in Tokyo's seaside district of Odaiba, K-1 organizing body FEG on Wednesday unveiled the format and provisional schedule for the K-1 World Grand Prix '08.

K-1's 16th season will feature major World GP Championship tournaments in four regions: Japan, Asia, the USA and Europe.

Things kick off in Budapest on Feb. 9 with the first stage of the K-1 Europe GP. That tournament will qualify fighters for the Europe GP Final set for April 26 in Amsterdam. The K-1 Asia GP will be held in June and the host city will be Taipei or Macao. The K-1 Japan GP returns this year with fighters from the land of the rising sun squaring off in Fukuoka in June. The last of the GP Champions will be crowned at the K-1 USA GP in Hawaii to be held in July or August.

The four above-determined Regional GP Champions will advance to the K-1 Final Elimination in Seoul on Sept. 29. There they will be joined by last year's World GP Final Eight along with four additional fighters selected for exceptional performances in K-1 World GP bouts over the year. In Seoul, the 16 fighters will square off in a one-match format tournament with the eight victors advancing to the K-1 World GP Final set for Dec. 6 in Yokohama.

K-1 Event Producer Sadaharu Tanikawa stressed both K-1's local focus and global vision in his remarks at the press conference, highlighting efforts to bring in fighters from new sports, for example rugby; and from new countries, for example Cuban boxers.

Commenting on the fact that a homegrown fighter has yet to win the World GP, Sadaharu said improved scouting, tryouts and youth programs will help develop Japanese fighters to the level where they can contend seriously for the championship.

The K-1 heavyweight and super heavyweight championship belts introduced last year will again be contested and the popular 70kg weight class K-1 World Max will continue in its present format.