K-1 is a combat sport that combines standup techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Kickboxing and traditional boxing among others. The recently formed division called K-1 MMA promotes fights based on mixed martial arts rules where techniques from grappling sports such a wrestling and Brazilian jiu jitsu are permited as well.

There is a 70.5kg (155lb) division in K-1 called K-1 MAX.

The sport was first formed in 1980 by Kazuyoshi Ishii in Japan. In 1982, a K-1 fight was televised for the first time.

Contents

1 Tactics 2 K-1 Kickboxing Rules 3 K-1 MMA Rules 4 History 5 Popularity 6 K-1 Grand Prix 6.1 K-1 World Grand Prix champions to date 6.2 K-1 MAX World GP champions to date 7 Other notable K-1 fighters 8 Traditional boxing stars at the K-1 tournament

Tactics

The principal object of K-1 is to win by either knockout or by decision. Fights are fought inside a ring, like in boxing, and they are fought for up to three rounds, of three minutes each. Victories are usually achieved by hurting the opponent with kicks to the legs or the head, or using traditional boxing punches, such as the jab, cross or uppercut.

Classic defensive boxing stance is rather ineffective against leg kicks, and fighters are more or less forced to constantly move and counterattack, which is certainly one of the reasons why K-1 fights are seen by many as more dynamic and exciting than boxing fights.

No major K-1 tragedies have been reported; nonetheless, the risk of sustaining a serious injury still exists.

K-1 Kickboxing Rules

Article 1 The match shall be held in a 7.2 m X 7.2 m boxing ring surrounded by 4-level ropes.

Article 2 Each fighter shall wear regulation gloves provided by the promoter, a protective cup and a mouthpiece. Use of leg pads, shin guards, and kneepads is prohibited. Contact lenses are also prohibited. Gloves sizes for each weight class are as follows:

Class Body Weight Glove Size

Flyweight Under 50.80kg 6 oz.

Bantamweight Under 53.50kg 6 oz.

Featherweight Under 57.15kg 6 oz.

Lightweight Under 61.23kg 8 oz.

Welterweight Under 66.68kg 8 oz.

Middleweight Under 72.57kg 8 oz.

Super Middleweight Under 76.20kg 10 oz.

Light Heavyweight Under 79.38kg 10 oz.

Cruiserweight Under 86.18kg 10 oz.

Heavyweight Over 86.18 kg 10 oz.

Article 3 Matches shall be held in the following manner.

One-match fights: Each match consists of three (3) minutes X five (5) rounds or three (3) minutes X three (3) rounds. When a fighter is down, and the three (3) minute time is up while referee is still counting, the following shall apply: (a) For all rounds except the final round, the timekeeper signals the end of the round. However, the referee continues to count, and if the counts exceed ten (10) counts, the downed fighter will be considered knocked out. (b) For all final rounds, the timekeeper shall signal the end of the round and the match is completed even if the "Down" count is not completed. (ie. Fighters may be saved by the bell only in the final round.) (c) The final round in this case is defined as the round prior to the decision in the event that the winner is to be determined by decision. Therefore, an extra round may be considered as the final round.

Article 4 Awarding of points shall be based on the following elements:

Whether an effective and accurate attack is recognized, and damage is inflicted on the opponent by authorized fighting techniques. Each match consists of three (3) minutes X five (5) rounds or three (3) minutes X three (3) rounds.

Points will be awarded in this priority: (1) Number of downs (2) Extent of damage inflicted on the opponent (3) Number of clean hits (4) Degree of aggressiveness (points in the offensive)

The dominant fighter shall be awarded a score of ten (10), and points shall be deducted from his opponent.

Article 5 CATEGORY OF OUTCOME

DECISION: Applicable when there is no knockout, technical knockout, or disqualification to decide the winner. Three (3) judges shall award points to each fighter, and the fighter with the higher point total at the end of final round from two (2) out of three (3) judges shall be declared the winner.

DRAW: (a) Applicable when the winner is not determined by a decision of the judges as in Article 5-1. (b) Applicable when both fighters go down at the same time and neither rises to his feet before or at the call of count nine (9).

KNOCKOUT (KO): (a) Applicable when a fighter does not stand up before the call of count ten (10). Or when a referee decides the fighter cannot stand up within the call of count ten (10). (b) Applicable when a fighter is judged to have lost his will to continue to fight, even though he has stood up within the call of count ten (10), and/or when a fighter is judged to be incapable of continuing the fight. (c) Applicable when a fighter goes down three (3) times in a round (or two (2) times in a tournament fight except in the final match).

TECHNICAL KNOCKOUT (TKO): (a) Applicable when the referee judges that it is impossible to continue the match due to an accidental injury (of neither fighter's fault) to a fighter. Such decisions shall be made in accordance with Article12. (b) Applicable when a corner man throws a towel into the ring during the course of a match. In the event that the referee does not notice the towel being thrown in, the official observer is authorized to announce the end of match. (c) Referee Stop: Applicable when the referee judges that one fighter is overwhelmingly superior to his opponent and the inferior fighter is in a physically perilous condition. (d) Doctor Stop: Applicable when the official physician judges that it is impossible to continue the match due to an injury or severe damage to a fighter. If a fighter is down and has sustained severe damage, the official physician has the option to stop the match, accordingly to the deliberation.

NO CONTEST (NULL and VOID match) (a) Applicable when both fighters are found to be guilty of a rule(s) violation, match fixing, or collusion. (b) Applicable when both fighters fail to fight in good faith (a spiritless fight) after repeated cautions and warnings by the referee, and when the referee declares disqualification of both fighters. (c) Applicable when both fighters are judged as not being able to continue the match due to an accidental injury of neither fighter's fault in a one-match fight, where the fight is not justified. Article 12 sub-article3‡@ shall be observed.

Article 6 EXTRA ROUNDS (tournament fights only)

Extra rounds shall be held in tournament fights to decide the winner in case the match is judged as a draw in accordance with Article5-2. When a winner is not decided after three (3) 3-minute rounds (five (5) rounds in some cases), one (1) extra 3-minute round shall be held. The result of this extra round shall be an independent judgement that does not take the first three (3) rounds (or first five (5) rounds in some cases) into account. When the result of the extra round [the fourth (4th) round, or sixth (6th) round] is a draw, a final extra 3-minute round shall be held. If the result of this final extra round is also a draw, the judgement shall be conducted based on the flow of the entire match as a whole from round one (1), and a winner shall be decided by considering even the slightest difference.

Article 7 AUTHORIZED FIGHTING TECHNIQUES

The following fighting techniques are authorized. Punches : Straight punches, hooks, uppers, and backspin blows. Kicks : Front kicks, low kicks, middle kicks, high kicks, side kicks, back kicks, inner thigh kicks, jumping kicks, and knee kicks.

The following restrictions apply to the use of the backspin blow. (a) The authorized area of contact for the backspin blow shall be the area of the glove where it bends at the wrist and beyond to the tip of the glove. (b) If an area other than the authorized area of contact hits and injures the opponent by accident, Article 12, sub-article 3 shall apply.

Article 8 FOUL TECHNIQUES A fighter who executes a foul technique shall be penalized with a caution, warning, or a point reduction. Two (2) cautions shall lead to one (1) warning for the first two (2) cautions; however, a warning shall be given for any cautions thereafter. Two (2) warnings shall lead to a point reduction, and three (3) point reductions in one (1) round shall be grounds for disqualification. This clause shall not apply in cases where the judges rule that the foul technique as unintentional.

Article 9 DISQUALIFICATION A fighter shall be disqualified when:

A fighter intentionally uses a foul technique. 
A fighter fails to follow the referee's instructions during a match. 
A fighter is late for a match or does not show up at all. 
A fighter exhibits ill-mannered behavior or a malicious attitude during a match. 
The referee determines that a fighter does not have the will to fight. 
When a fighter receives three (3) point reductions within one (1) round, counting two (2) warnings as one (1) point reduction. 
The official physician deems a fighter unfit to fight as a result of a medical check. 
A corner man has entered in the ring or touched one of the fighters during the match. 
A fighter is found to have broken other rules.

Article 10 In accordance with Article 5‡C(d), where a fighter is overwhelmingly superior to his opponent, the referee has the option to stop the fight and declare a victory for the superior fighter before the end of the match. (a) The following are defined as fouls:

Using the head to deliver a blow. 
Using the elbow. 
Attacking the opponent in the groin (attacks to the groin with knee kicks or hand techniques shall be considered as low-blows and will be ruled as fouls). 
Using techniques from wrestling or judo such as throwing or submission techniques. 
Thumbing, choking or biting on the opponent. 
Attacking the opponent while he is down or in the process of getting up. 
Attacking the opponent while the referee is intervening to separate the fighters. 
Grabbing the ropes for any reason including the launching of an attack or for defensive purposes. 
Using offensive or insulting language. 
Attacking the back of the head with a punch (the side of the head and the area around the ears are not considered as the back of the head and are valid target areas). 
Attempting to cause the opponent to fall out of the ring. 
Voluntarily exiting the ring during the course of a match. 

(b) A point reduction may be given immediately to a fighter if the judges find that a foul technique was inflicted with malicious intent. (c) A caution shall be given to a fighter who repeatedly charges inside the opponent's arms, with his head held low (ie. to avoid attack). This shall be considered as inducing a head-butt. In case that either of the fighters gets cut from a head-butt and is bleeding, the fighter who has caused the other to get cut shall receive a one (1) point reduction, even if the head-butt was not intentional. However, if the referee finds the head-butt to have been intentional, a reduction of two (2) points shall be given. If both fighters get cut and are bleeding, a one (1) point reduction shall be given to each fighter. (d) A point reduction of may be given to a fighter who repeatedly uses holds and clinches that are not accompanied by attacks, and are judged as being defensive/passive in nature (ie. to avoid attack). Grasping and holding the opponent immediately after launching an attack (ie. to avoid a counter-attack) may also result in a point reduction. (e) A caution or point reduction may be given to a fighter who is judged as being passive and who simply waits for the opportunity to launch a counter-attack. (f) Continuously holding the kicking leg of an opponent is judged as a foul. However, a single attack, while holding the leg is authorized. Continuous attack while holding a leg is a foul. If a fighter does not take any action while holding the kicking leg, the referee shall call a break. Holding the kicking leg and using a throwing technique is also a foul.

Article 11 If a fighter is injured, the judges and the official physician shall confer to decide whether the fight shall continue or not. The official physician shall not give any treatment to the injured area during the course of the match.

Article 12 If a fighter is injured and it is impossible to continue the match, the match shall be treated in the following manner:

If the cause of injury is a rule violation (by the opponent), the referee shall give the injured fighter a rest period to check his condition. If the fighter does not recover and the match cannot be resumed, the fighter who has violated the rules shall be the loser (disqualification of the violator). A fighter who is disqualified for a rule violation shall not be entitled to advance in a tournament even if the opponent is not in a condition to continue the match.

• • • Note: an injury caused by low-blow will considered as an accident, whether intentional or unintentional.***

If the cause of the injury is carelessness of the injured fighter himself and the match cannot be resumed, the fighter who has injured himself shall be declared the loser (disqualification of the injured). If the cause of the injury is accidental and at neither fighter's fault, it must first be determined whether or not the match is justified.

Justification Criteria: 5-round matches: The match is justified at the end of the second (2nd) round. 3-round matches: The match is justified at the end of the first (1st) round.

If the match is not justified, the following shall apply: (a) Tournament fights: The fighter who remains in a condition to continue fighting shall be declared the winner. (b) One-match fights: The match shall be considered as "No Contest" and void. If the match is justified, the following shall apply: The points shall be awarded for the completed rounds, and the fighter with more points shall be declared the winner. In case a fighter is injured after the third (3rd) round (second (2nd) round in tournament fight), the points shall be awarded until the actual time of the round when the fighter was injured. (a) Tournament fights: The fighter who remains in a condition to continue fighting shall be considered as the winner. (b) One-match fights: The match shall be considered as a Draw. In a tournament, if the fighter with higher points is not in a condition to continue in the tournament, the opponent will be entitled to proceed in the tournament.

Article 13 No fighter, coach, trainer and/or manager is allowed to raise an objection to calls or decisions made by the referee or the judges. However, official written protests to the Rule Committee are accepted within two (2) weeks of the date of the match.

Article 14 REFEREE COUNTDOWN The definition of a DOWN is when any area of fighter's body besides the bottom of the foot has touched the ground due to a damaging attack(s). Even in some cases where there has been no damage it may be considered as a "DOWN" when a fighter falls to the ground and cannot stand up immediately. Even without falling to the ground, a (standing) DOWN may be announced when it is obvious that a fighter has sustained damage, and the referee has determined that the fighter would be in a dangerous situation if the attack were to continue. The "DOWN" count will be preceded by a "DOWN" call and gesture by the referee. Following the "DOWN" call, the MC shall announce the count down in accordance with the count of each second from the official timekeeper's stopwatch. The referee shall be the sole person with authority to call a "DOWN." The fighter who has downed his opponent shall wait at a neutral corner during the "DOWN" count by the referee until further instructions are given. If the fighter does not follow the referee's instruction to wait at a neutral corner, the referee may stop his count, and continue the countdown only after the fighter has moved to a neutral corner.

Article 15 CORNERMEN CONDUCT

A fighter is allowed to have the total of three (3) corner men, including one (1) chief corner man and two (2) corner men, standing by at ringside. All three (3) corner men must remain within the designated corner area during the rounds. Only the chief corner man may give instructions to the fighter during the rounds. Corner men may not place their hands on the ropes, ring apron, or on any part of the ring area during the rounds. Only one (1) corner man is allowed to enter into the ring during intervals. No corner man is allowed to enter into the ring or touch the fighters during the rounds. Article 9-8 shall be observed. Corner men may not place any item (such as towels etc...) in the area around the corner post of the ring. When the referee calls "SECONDS OUT", corner men must leave the ring immediately. Judges shall give a caution to any corner man who does not abide by the instructions listed above. A yellow card shall be given for a second caution and every caution thereafter. A red card shall automatically be given for a third yellow card, and the corner man who was given the instruction shall be required to leave the venue.

Article 16 DRESS CODE All fighters must be properly dressed in clean and tidy clothes when they enter the ring for the occasions such as opening ceremony. The three (3) corner men are obligated to wear a unified team wear with the fighter. Combination of clothes such as "jeans and T-shirts" shall not be allowed. T-shirts, however, may be worn if they are "team" T-shirts. Fighters are free to select their fighting costume, provided that Article 2, 17 and 19 are observed.

Article 17 USE OF TAPE AND BANDAGES Fighters may not wear any material other than tape and bandages on their knuckles and on other part of the hands. Fighters must use the tape and bandages supplied by the promoter, and may not use tape and bandages that they themselves bring to the match for the taping of the hands. Tape and bandages must be applied to the fighter AFTER the promoter supplies them and not before this point. Any tape or bandages worn to the venue by a fighter shall not be approved. Tape and bandages that the promoter provides are for use on the hands only, and no tape for other areas for reasons such as an injury shall be provided. Fighters must supply such taping materials individually for themselves. Tape used on such areas must also be checked and signed by the judges.

Article 18 RESTRICTION ON TAPE USE Fighters may use a minimal amount of tape on their knuckles in order to protect the hands. Fighters may not insert any object inside the tape or bandage. The definition of "minimal" is the extent that the judges will approve a tape job during the bandage checking procedures.

Article 19 The use of protectors made of rubber, plastic, or other material is not allowed for any reason including the protection of an injury. White tape and elastic tape may be used for taping of injured areas; however such dressings must be checked by the official physician and judges and must be signed by the judges. All tape and/or bandages without an official signature to prove that they were checked must be removed. No tape may be applied to a fighter once the match is started.

Article 20 GLOVE CHECK All fighters must submit to a glove check before they are put on. After the glove check an official seal or signature will be placed on the tape which seals the gloves. Once checked, the gloves may not be taken off until the end of the match. If there is any evidence that the gloves have been removed or tampered with (ie. if the official seal is broken) the fighter must undergo another glove check.

Article 21 MOUTHPIECE If the mouthpiece comes out of a fighter's mouth during a match, the referee shall, in principle, retrieve it and hand it to the corner men after the end of the round.

Article 22 In order to establish the prestige and unilateral fairness of K-1, all fighters are obligated to submit to a doping upon the promoter's request. Testing positive for doping will result in penalties to include the confiscation of title and prize money.

Article 23 MEDICAL CHECK All fighters must submit to a medical check by the official physician before competing. In a tournament, a fighter who has won a match is obligated to go through subsequent medical checks in order to proceed to his next match.

Article 24 REGARDING THE TREATMENT OF INJURED FIGHTERS Official physicians shall not apply any treatment to fighters during matches. Article 11 shall be observed. No one including a corner man is permitted to apply treatment to an injured area during the match. This includes the application of tape to an injury during intervals between the rounds. Article 19 shall be observed.

Article 25 WHEN A FIGHTER FALLS OUT OF THE RING When a fighter falls out of the ring, the time count shall be stopped, and a doctor shall check the fighter. During this time, the judges shall confer to discover the cause(s) of the fall. (a) When judged as a DOWN by an authorized technique: If the fighter is able to continue the match: It shall be counted as "1 DOWN", and the match shall continue from the time stopped. If the fighter is not able to continue the match: The match shall be ruled a Technical Knock Out (TKO) by doctor stoppage. (b) When the fighter is judged as not having been downed: If the fighter is able to continue the match: The match shall be continued from the time stopped. If the fighter is not able to continue the match: The cause of the injury shall be considered accidental and of neither fighter's fault, and Article 12 sub-article 3 shall be observed.

Article 26 USE OF OIL AND VASELINE Minimal use of Vaseline to the facial area is allowed. No other substance shall be applied. The term minimal in this case means the amount that the Rule Committee permits. A fighter with an excessive amount of oil/Vaseline to the face and/or body shall not be allowed to compete. In such cases, the excessive oil/Vaseline shall be removed.

Article 27 Any issues or circumstances not specifically provided for in these Official Rules shall be resolved by a consensus among the referee and the judges.

K-1 MMA Rules

Article 1 The fighters shall wear open finger gloves provided by the promoter.

Article 2 Fighters may wear Gi, kneepads, elbow-pads, shin guards, tape and ankle supporter. However, such supporters must be approved at the rules meeting and must be approved by official rules committee on the event day to ensure that such supporters are the ones previously approved . A mouthpiece and a foul cup usage is mandatory for all fighters. A fighter may wear tape and bandages with the following criteria; one round of bandages and two rounds of tape shall be worn on their knuckles. There are no restrictions for using tape/bandage on other areas of the hands.

Article 3 No substance such as oil, Vaseline, massaging cream, hair products or anything of this sort shall be applied. A fighter with these substances shall be disqualified immediately.

Article 4 Kicking the opponent with wrestling shoes shall be allowed. Provided that the shoes are approved safe at the rules meeting by the rules committee. The judges will check to ensure they are the same as previously approved on the event day. Additionally, the shoes must be covered with tape.

Article 5 The ring shall be 7m by 7m-square shape, approved by the promoter.

Article 6 A fight is five (5) minutes x three (3) round format, with no extra round. The interval between each round shall be two (2) minutes.

Article 7 The winner shall be determined by one of the following: IPPON When give up, submission and/or forfeiture is expressed either verbally or by tapping more than three times on the mat or the opponent's body.

TKO (Technical Knockout) Referee Stop When a fighter is remarkably superior to the other and the referee judges the inferior is in danger if the fight continues.

Doctor Stop When a fighter is injured by the opponent's legal attack and if a ringside doctor determines that the injured fighter is incapable of continuing the fight, the injured fighter loses the fight. However, if the injury is caused by the illegal action of the opponent, the opponent loses the fight. For the ringside doctor's examination, a sub-referee takes the fighter's primary corner man to the neutral corner to inform him/her with the doctor's diagnosis and instruction. When the doctor determines the doctor stop is appropriate and required, the sub-referee explains diagnosis and fighter's condition to the primary corner man.

Renunciation The fighter's corner men may stop the fight by "throwing in the towel". In case the referee fails to see it, the judges may stop the fight.

Judgment The three (3) judges shall determine the winner based on the following elements:

An effective and an accurate attack that leads to KO or the opponent's giving up. Extent of damage inflicted on the opponent. Techniques & Domination in the ground position. Take down & Defensive technique. Degree of aggressiveness. Weight difference (when the difference is more than 10kg between the fighters). Determination shall be in the above priority. The judges declare the superior fighter rather than awarding points. The winner must be determined after the third round is over; a "must system" is applied and there will be no draw decisions.

Disqualification The referee shall pronounce a caution (showing him a yellow card) when a fighter executes a foul technique and/or fails to follow the referee's instruction during a fight. Three (3) cautions during a fight shall be grounds for disqualification. However, the referee may immediately disqualify a fighter (showing him a red card) if the referee finds that a foul technique was inflicted intentionally or with malicious intent.

No contest When illegal action disqualifies both fighters, or the judges and/or K-1 decide to cease the fight because of an accident, or an accident which happened in the first (1) round causes either or both fighter(s) to be unable to continue to the next round, the fight shall be called No Contest. However, in case the accident occurs during or after the second round, a decision on the winner shall be made according to the fighters' performance during the first round and the time preceding the fight's cessation.

Article 8 The following actions are defined as illegal attacks . A fighter who executes a foul technique shall be penalized a caution (yellow card). A third caution (red card) during the fight shall disqualify the fighter. The fighter must return 10% of his fighting fee to K-1 per caution. Moreover, a fighter must return the full amount of his fight fee to K-1 when disqualified.

Biting. Attacking the membrane (eye, nose or mouth). Head butting. Attacking the groin. Pulling hair, ear or nose. Direct attacks to the throat with fingers/hands, such as attacking or grabbing the throat. Striking the back of the head, the spine, and/or the medulla of his opponent. (The back of the head is the centerline of the head; the side of the head and the area around the ears are not considered as the back of the head). Elbow attack s to the head or the face of the opponent. Attacking fingers (grabbing three or less fingers is not allowed) Intentionally grabbing anything the opponent is wearing (not including Gi) (i.e. gloves, fighting costume, supporters, etc) Grabbing the ropes and/or hanging the limbs of the body, hand(s), arm(s), leg(s) or feet, over the rope. Escaping from the ring during the course of a fight. Throwing the opponent outside the ring. Attacks not intended to damage the opponent, or that induce a deadlock/stalemate. Exhibition of ill-mannered behavior or a malicious attitude as a professional fighter.

Article 9 Kicks to the body, legs, face, head are allowed when the opponent is in a 4-point position. However, when the weight difference is more than 10kg, the mentioned attacks are legal only when the lighter fighter has approved them.

Article 10 In the event that a fighter is damaged severely by the opponent's illegal action, the referee and the doctor shall decide if the fight can resume after the damaged fighter recovers to fight. However, if the referee and doctor judge the fighter is not capable of continuing the fight, the opponent who committed the illegal action shall be disqualified according to Article 7 * TKO - Doctor Stop.

Article 11 In case the fight is stopped due to a fighter falling out of the ring or a fighter about to fall out of the ring, foul techniques, or for a doctor check, the fight shall be resumed in the center of the ring with both fighters standing.

Article 12 The referee may call a break under the following conditions: When both fighters are in a standing position and the fight is deadlocked without any effective action. When one fighter lies on the ground with his face up and the other takes a standing position and there is no action going on and the fight is deadlocked.

Article 13 The fighters and the corner men shall abide by any judgment or instructions made by the referee. If fighters and/or corner men have any objection to the judgment of the referee, the objection must be made in writing addressed to the promoter within two (2) weeks after the event. Should this Article be violated, 10% of the fight fee must be returned to promoter as a penalty.

Article 14 Fighters may have up to three (3) corner men who are not allowed to leave their own corner during the fight. Corner men are not allowed to have any physical contact with the fighters or the referees under any circumstances during the fight. If any of the corner men violates this Article, the fighter must return 10% of the fight fee to the promoter as a penalty.

Article 15 It is mandatory for all fighters to receive a doctor check before the fight at the venue.

History

History of K-1 can be called history of Seido-kaikan which is a school of karate that started K-1.

Kazuyoshi Ishii found his own karate organization "New Japan Karatedo Federation Seido-kan" (新日本空手道連盟正道館) in 1980 after he resigned "Kyokushin-kaikan Ashihara dojo"(極真会館芦原道場)which he had belonged.

Mr. Ishii began to send his students to other organizations competitions to show their ability since 1986.

Mr. Ishii held "K-1 GRAND PRIX 93" on 30 April, 1993. It was a dream meeting because of its concept which was to decide the strongest martial artist in a night. Branko Cikatić won the tournament after he knocked out Changpuek Kiatsongrit , Masaaki Satake and Ernesto Hoost.

There was "K-2 GRAND PRIX 93" which was a tournament of Light heavyweight class. Ernesto Hoost knocked out Changpuek Kiatsongrit in a final match was a winner.

Popularity

The sport is popular principally in Brazil, Japan, and the United States, where it is banned in most states. Most K-1 contests in the United States take place in Las Vegas. The sports events are frequently shown on Pay Per View television or ESPN 2 in the United States.

K-1 Grand Prix

Throughout the year K-1 holds various 8 man grand prix style tournaments to determine the 16 fighters who will compete in the K-1 World GP. K-1 events most commonly take place in Japan, but they have hosted shows in Holland, France, Korea, Australia, Sweden, Russia, Croatia, Italy, Scandinavia, Brazil and USA.

K-1 World Grand Prix champions to date

• 1993 - Branko Cikatić
• 1994 - Peter Aerts
• 1995 - Peter Aerts
• 1996 - Andy Hug
• 1997 - Ernesto Hoost
• 1998 - Peter Aerts
• 1999 - Ernesto Hoost
• 2000 - Ernesto Hoost
• 2001 - Mark Hunt
• 2002 - Ernesto Hoost
• 2003 - Remy Bonjasky
• 2004 - Remy Bonjasky

K-1 MAX World GP champions to date

• 2002 - Albert Kraus
• 2003 - Masato
• 2004 - Buakaw Por.Pramuk

Other notable K-1 fighters

• Mike Bernardo
• Mirko Filipović
• Sam Greco
• Alexey Ignashov
• Jerome LeBanner
• Stefan Leko
• Musashi
• Rick Roufus
• Bob Sapp
• Ray Sefo

Traditional boxing stars at the K-1 tournament

Late in 2003, Bob Sapp challenged Mike Tyson, the former world Heavyweight boxing champion, to a K-1 fight. While Tyson did not accept the offer immediately, he was signed as a K-1 fighter in 2004. Others who have made the transition from traditional boxers to K-1 fighters include:

• Frans Botha (former IBF world Heavyweight champion)
• Shannon Briggs (former Heavyweight, who beat George Foreman and then lost to Lennox Lewis when given a shot at the WBC world Heavyweight championship).
• Ray Mercer