We’re just under two weeks away from Sombat’s aka Buakaw Por Pramuk last K1 performance. It’s kind of hard to believe this is it. I really credit Buakaw for reinvigorating my love of MuayThai. I had been training sporadically and things were getting stale for me, I was i between gyms… I remember getting a copy of the 2004 finals, this was before youtube blew up and getting fights was a bit of a bitch. I remember watching in absolute awe as Buakaw just tore through the competition.
I had always watched MuayThai, while I was back home, and K1 GP whenever it was re-run on ESPN2… but this was unlike anything I had seen. I have to admit, I felt a sense of Thai pride watch Buakaw school Masato in the finals. It’s a bit ironic that it took a K1 MAX fight to get me interested in MuayThai again.
I will always be a Buakaw fan, but the hill that little brother’s got to climb is steep and tall. This year the Finals are going to be on the 26th in Yokohama. As you can see from the bracket it’s Buakaw and Andy. I’m going to be pulling all the way… I hope he comes with a plan because you know Souwer will.
I think Petrosyan will WALK through Yuya, I know Yuya’s got some skills but not enough to step up to Petrosyan… Petrosyan is just too hot right now. I don’t see Buakaw or Souwer getting by one another without sustaining some serious damage. I think 2009 is going to be Georgio’s year.
I’ll try to update the blog on the 27th, but I’m going to be flying to Bangkok that day, I’ll do my best.
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October 13, 2009 at 8:47 am
im rooting for petrosyan. he deserves this. i hope the buakaw i like shows up this tournament.
October 13, 2009 at 12:41 pm
anyone know which thai they’ll bring in to replace Buakaw?
October 13, 2009 at 2:17 pm
I was a big BPP fan..I still am…juz tt I’m rooting for Petrosyian this time… Yes, finest middle weight…but why Yuya…shd hv been kyshenko….
My bet: Final=Souwer vs Petrosyian with Souwer winning extra round…( I tink Souwer has no prob fighting unorthodox…)
October 13, 2009 at 2:54 pm
BPP all the way…
October 13, 2009 at 5:26 pm
I’d really like to see Buakaw beat Souwer. Either way, that fight is going to be a war, and I think that the winner of that fight will be at a disadvantage when they have to fight Petrosyan later that night, as Petrosyan will probably be fresh after walking right through Yuya.
Are you going to be posting links to the fights later in the week? It’d be great to have them all in once place.
October 13, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Nice writing Nop, yeah MAX 2004 is unforgettable.
Btw, how do you know it’s his last K1 fight?
I thought it was the last in case if he wins this GP.
I love MT, but with his introduction I love it even more.
I wish you all the best Mr. Sombat Banchamek.
October 13, 2009 at 7:11 pm
if k1 max wants another Thai fighter they should bring in Yodsanklai.
October 13, 2009 at 10:20 pm
if Buakaw wins, i will poop myself with joy
October 13, 2009 at 10:43 pm
well seeing as everyone said Yamamoto was going to get “walked through” last time too, maybe we should wait to see what happens, and i really don’t see why everyone is always so quick to dismiss him. you know, not that i’m biased toward Yamamoto or anything ;)
October 13, 2009 at 10:44 pm
regardless of what happens i want souwer to get knocked out. the kind where you fall on your face with your ass in the air.
October 14, 2009 at 9:52 am
“well seeing as everyone said Yamamoto was going to get “walked through” last time too”
He lost to Drago, who is not a top fighter.
Sorry, but I hope he gets KOed badly, so mr. tanikawa (maybe) stops exaggarating with Japanese fighters.
October 14, 2009 at 10:21 am
fuck a yamamoto
October 14, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Yuya should be enjoying the spotlight since he is Never going to see it again..
He shoulda lost to Drago, I’m still scared that if he doesn’t get knocked out he is gonna get the judges decision like last time..
Still, no way he is gonna be champ, two falsely awarded victories would destroy K-1′s credibility completely imo, people wouldn’t stand for it..
October 14, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Gusnark: well actually he won the Drago fight ;) but i know what you mean, many people felt that was a bunk decision. personally i thought the fight was maybe a draw, and i admit i don’t think Yamamoto won it decisively, but i also don’t agree with people’s claim that it was BS or a falsely awarded victory.
stinolatino: i’m not sure that a decision you don’t personally agree with should become “falsely awarded.” we all know that leaving a fight to the judges can lead to just about anything, but i don’t think it’s fair to bash Yamamoto for a judge’s decision you don’t think was fair. he fought the best fight he could, and has nothing to do with how judges decide things. and at the end of the day, if he sucks so bad as people on here like to claim, then Drago should have been able to finish him, which he couldn’t.
that being said, though (obviously) i’m rooting for Yamamoto, i’m realistic enough to know his chances of taking the tournament are slim to none, and i’m not delusional enough to think he can beat Buakaw.
but anything can happen, and Yuya lays it all out when he fights. i think that deserves respect, not derision.
give the guy a break.
October 14, 2009 at 8:57 pm
its different when you leave the decision to a biased corrupt japanese bunch of judges favoring a sorry ass japanese fighter[story sound familiar?]. which was the point. i hope you will enjoy when yamampto displays his impressive punch taking abilities and eventually gets brutally knocked out.
October 14, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Ohh Buakaw, sad to see him leave, but then again, we havent seen the Buakaw we all love since 2007 loss to Masato!!! Maybe we will get one final glimpse of it THIS MONTH. But I must say it will be a miracle if he beats BOTH Souwer and Petroysan in the same night. Still a miracle I am hoping for!! And as far as Replacing Buakaw with Yod is a brilliant solution, but I doubt it, why didnt they bring in Namsaknoi in 2004 intstead of Buakaw, he was KING of thailand back then, and Yod is king of Thailand right now, so I bet they are going to try a less known, and more importantly a less TrophyRich Fighter. like BPP was back in 04.
October 14, 2009 at 10:35 pm
BBP all the way,
i wont to him to use his ellbows.
i would be a bit like when Zidane went crazy in the world cup final.
H
October 15, 2009 at 6:25 pm
“And as far as Replacing Buakaw with Yod is a brilliant solution”
I don’t recall Tanikawa mentioning Yod.
“why didnt they bring in Namsaknoi in 2004 intstead of Buakaw”
Maybe, since Namsaknoi was one of the best fighters in Thailand, K1 was too afraid for their (Japanese) fighters, so they let in Buakaw, which was a major mistake lol.
October 15, 2009 at 6:47 pm
SE, you got the point.
?war_neungsiam.. I agree with you somewhat, (almost) every fighter is worthy of respect, and Yuya is.. But it’s all that bullshit from the K-1 organisation, they’re under so much pressure to find a somewhat decent Japanese fighter in both WGP and Max, and now they’re trying to hype a pretty mediocre fighter(in max standards) to be the next masato, when he is gonna get destroyed pretty much.
Drago won Imo and Petroysyan is ten times the fighter Drago is, and yet those fuckers from K-1 are bashing him check the site, they’re saying his style isn’t nice to watch and that he doesn’t belong in Max, check it yourself.
I’m hoping Petro wins this year or they will try to get him out mark my words, and it is this kind of disrespect to a LEGIT championship caliber fighter,the bullshit judges decisions and the hyping of a somewhat decent fighter at best that makes me want to see Yuya get smashed, what will definetely happen, 2nd-3rd round TKO.. mark my words.
October 15, 2009 at 7:36 pm
K1 is only interested in young fighters they can promote within the sports. Familiar faces are what sell tickets; there has to be heroes to go watch and Yod/Saknoi are to old or too good to allow them in.
BPP’s manager will never fight Yod because we’ve tried for 4 years now, it’s not going to happen.
October 15, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Gusnark
Youre just repeating what I said :-)
October 16, 2009 at 3:54 am
I’m with you Nate! I love K-1 max but I hate the politics!
October 16, 2009 at 9:11 am
“BPP’s manager will never fight Yod”
His manager vs Yod would be interesting to watch. ;)
Tanikawa could announce in the very near future whether another Thai is replacing Buakaw.
October 16, 2009 at 2:09 pm
The only Buakaw can win is if he keeps his range against souwer i.e. use his powerful teeps . If he goes in close I fear he may get owned :(
October 16, 2009 at 5:05 pm
“The only Buakaw can win is if he keeps his range against souwer i.e. use his powerful teeps . If he goes in close I fear he may get owned :(”
Don’t underestimate Buakaw, I agree that Souwer is a better puncher, but Buakaw KOed with punches several people including Souwer.
October 16, 2009 at 9:48 pm
BPP all the way win or lose!
October 16, 2009 at 10:55 pm
fair enough stinolatino, we’ve all seen ludicrous decisions that should have never happened, and Japan certainly tends to have more than most, especially when it comes to a Japanese fighter vs. a non-Japanese one. i don’t claim to be the ultimate judging authority, but in my opinion, Yamamoto’s fight with Drago was close, and even if it went a way a lot of people weren’t in favor of, i fail to see how it was totally criminal, as it wasn’t like some one-sided ass-whooping, and in my opinion, it was very back and forth. but all that’s in the past anyway…
all i’m saying (which you got, i know) is i don’t see why the derision and anger has to get thrown at Yamamoto. he’s not a judge.
i’m not saying he’s the best in the world, i’m just saying i really like watching him fight, and i always root for him when he does. if someone else doesn’t like him that’s fine, i just don’t see the point in hating on someone who goes in the ring and fights their hardest, win or lose. maybe i’m soft in my old age ;)
October 16, 2009 at 11:09 pm
this is what you are missing about yamamoto… he got the fight with drago from a PREVIOUS BULLSHIT DECISION when he fought the korean guy. two wrongs and a non-deserving fighter dont make a right.
October 17, 2009 at 1:16 am
i’m not missing that, i saw the Chi Bin Lim fight just like everyone else. actually i think Yamamoto did worse in that fight than he did against Drago, and i think that fight could easily have gone to Lim as well (he fought a good fight). so i actually think that decision was (or should be) way more controversial than the Drago one.
at the end of the day, unless someone gets knocked out or their ass handed to them every second, it ends up being pretty subjective. so if you don’t agree with the subjectivity of the judges, it just seems to be your ire should be directed at them, not Yamamoto. but hey, i’m not gonna tell you what to do.
either way, personally i’m stoked for the upcoming final. should be good.
October 17, 2009 at 3:21 am
Gusnark,
I think it is impossible to underestimate buakaw. He is a K-1 legend. But if form is anything to go by, his hands are not what they used to be. Having said that, you don’t fight to your opponents strength( as you will well know).
I’m just concerned cus I really want him to win!
October 19, 2009 at 5:19 am
For those in the US, HDNET will carry K1 Max as a Premiere below. The WOrld GP finals will be aired on Oct 20th. I have Verizon FiOs and they carry HDnet..check your channel listings
Premiere
Sat. Oct. 31 11:00 PM ET HDNet Fights Presents
FieLDS K-1 World MAX 2009 Final
The K1 World Max 2009 tournament concludes with Andy Souwer, Buakaw Por. Pramuk, Yuya Yamamoto and Giorgio Petrosyan competing for K-1′s prestigious crown. From Yokohama, Japan.
Sun. Nov. 1 3:00 AM ET HDNet Fights Presents
FieLDS K-1 World MAX 2009 Final
The K1 World Max 2009 tournament concludes with Andy Souwer, Buakaw Por. Pramuk, Yuya Yamamoto and Giorgio Petrosyan competing for K-1′s prestigious crown. From Yokohama, Japan.
October 21, 2009 at 12:00 am
As always, I cheer for Buakaw.
I wish the final 4 was more balanced; imagine Petrosyan had to fight Sato in the semis… but I still think that Buakaw can win it.
He can definitely take Souwer and as for Gevorg: he is perfectly adapted to K-1 scoring, quick, precise, durable ..but I wonder about his stamina. He seems very ‘tight’ when he fights. Let’s see what he looks like in the final if Yuya manages to hang with him for 3 rounds…
October 21, 2009 at 8:08 am
I’d like to see the BPP vs Petro rematch this year. BPP lucked out on his decision win, IMO. We’ll see how he handles using his right kick against the southpaw. I hope BPP wins because that might force him into a fight with Yod. I know it’s never going to happen but I can hope can’t I?
October 21, 2009 at 7:32 pm
The fight between Petro and BPP was a draw Nathan..
October 23, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Oh ya? I must have missed the decision.