In the time leading up the F16 event held in Seoul, Korea, the forums were abuzz with discussion over which of the best 16 fighters in the world would advance to the "FieLDS 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix". There was a lot of talk about which of the likely winners would perform better/worse against certain opponents, and which might make interesting match-ups in the one-day tournament that will crown the Champion.
One I can't remember seeing anywhere, including on the day between the F16 and the public draw, was Superheavyweight Champion Semmy Schilt vs. Heavyweight Champion, Kyotaro.Looking at it on paper, it appears to be a no-brainer. The two belt holders battling for supremacy is the sort of bout we have come to expect from FEG. It is almost extraordinary that no one has brought it up as a prospect in the past. However, the fact that each of these combatants holds a weight-class belt is perhaps the only similarity you can make between them.
Lady Luck smiled down upon one of these two. At the draw the reigning and 4-time Champion was the sixth to select his numbered-ball. Kyotaro was the seventh. Schilt had drawn ball number 5, and chose to take position C in the line-up. Tyrone Spong and Alistair Overeem had number 6 and 7 respectively, and while each fainted a move to take up position D next to Schilt, perhaps thinking it unwise they each eventually moved to the other bracket. This left a shell-shocked looking Kyotaro holding ball 8, with no choice whatsoever. He walked towards the slot like the air around he alone was significantly heavier than water; resigning himself to having to fight the biggest man in the tournament, and the one most punters believe will shatter Ernest Hoosts' 4-belt record by the time he retires.
The Japanese representative is not only one of the smallest to advance this year, but he is also the least experienced fighter to have qualified. There is a height difference of almost 30cm between them. 30cm! That is very nearly a navel-to-nipple difference when facing one another! Additionally, Schilt's roughly 30 kilograms heavier and has had exactly double the number of K-1 rules fights. Not to mention he has a similar number of MMA fights in a career he started before Kyotaro's life had even hit double digits. In actual fact, on Kyotaro's 16th birthday Semmy, at that stage already a Pancrase, UFC and PRIDE veteran, stepped into the ring to face the renowned Fedor Emelianenko in what was his 34th MMA battle..
For all intents and purposes, this is the biggest mismatch of the opening round bouts. Schilt has size and experience on his side, and an ample dose of offensive skills and cardio to go with it. He destroyed Jerome LeBanner, Remy Bonjasky and Badr Hari in less than 6 minutes last year, tearing almost a full minute off of the fastest WGP victory record that Peter Aerts had set some 10 years prior. Since then he has added fellow Golden Glory fighter, Errol Zimmermann and Thom Harinck trained Chakuriki fighter, Hesdy Gerges to his list of wins.
While the odds aren't up yet, you it would be a safe bet to assume that this fight will have one of, if not the widest margin. I'd go as far as saying after the elation the Japanese fans felt when Kyotaro defeated Jerome LeBanner to qualify was less than the disappointment felt when they found out who he would be facing in the opening round. One day he was the only Japanese fighter to hold wins over both Peter Aerts and Jerome LeBanner: the next he was sentenced to something only a few paces before death. But, is it possible that Schilt will look past Kyotaro like a healthy portion of the supports of the sport is doing?
One thing Kyotaro has said motivates him more than anything in his life, and that is his will to become famous. Not just well known like he is now, but a household name. He has publically said that he isn't smart, wasn't blessed with looks, yet unfortunately was blessed with the most miss-proportionately sized ass on the K-1 circuit. He desperately wants to be on television regularly, and be earning enough money to take care of a mother that raised him singlehandedly. And, we've seen what he is capable of when really pushed to the limit.
Whenever Kyotaro performs well it is as an underdog. He is a big fight fighter. The bouts in his past that he should have won have resulted in disastrous decision losses. Those that he has been booked to lose in, he's gone and captured the hearts of the viewers by sticking to his gameplan, and winning. Often times in spectacular fashion. Might Mo, Musashi, Melvin Manhoef, Gohkan Saki, Peter Aerts and Jerome LeBanner is a list of scalps very few fighters in the world can say they have a piece of. And that list, peppered with a handful of other fighters, was racked up within three and a half years of his professional debut!
While Schilt has entered the ring twice as often as Kyotaro, the later has the same percentage of wins to his name. Surprisingly enough, he has a higher rate of finishes than Schilt though. And, he has never been stopped in a fight, which cannot be said for the Dutchman. The size difference is one that will be very tough to overcome though. Kyotaro has knocked out tall fighters like Tsuyoshi Nakasako, Peter Aerts and Kyoung Suk Kim, but even the tallest of them is still a good 6 inches shorter than Schilt. Coincidentally though, Kyotaro happens to be the exactly same height as the legend, Ray Sefo. Ray laid out the perfect gameplan for shorter fighters when facing Schilt in the first round of their title fight: it ended with the Dutchman's butt on the canvas for the first time in K-1 history.
While it is difficult to compare Ray Sefo to Kyotaro, something the Japanese fighter does extremely well is use angles. That was the key to Ray's early performance. While many people actually find it rather annoying, Kyotaro in point of fact covers more kilometers in the ring than any other fighter. This really could give a man of Semmy's size and style some problems when it comes to launching his attacks with a solid base. Semmy tends to be most dangerous in a straight line, and is even more so when his opponent moves directly backwards. Having to constantly reset for a fast moving target, only to have that target move again will take a lot of the potential damage out of his strikes, even if they do land.
Until the Jerome LeBanner fight at the F16, I would have said if there was something that Kyotaro was incapable of doing it was standing in the one spot. He is a natural mover. For some reason he decided to stand and trade with LeBanner, and surprisingly enough it paid off. If he decides to try that against Schilt, he will enjoy a comfortable rest for a few nights at a local hospital. If he can make it to the end of the bout while landing his tricky counters and keeping Schilt off balance though, he could very well put himself in position to pull off yet another very unlikely upset.
The number of fans thinking he has even the remotest of chances must be well under 5%. That number is close to the same as those that believed he would beat Mo, Manhoef, Saki, Aerts and LeBanner when those bouts were announced too however. He has shown time and time again that he has a cornered-animal-like instinct when over-matched though, and there is a chance that beast could rear its head once more. He has to know that a victory over Semmy Schilt would cause his level of fame to explode domestically. A win over the big man could put him in the position to take care of his mother with ease.
Moreover, the other two opponents in the same bracket are guys he already holds wins over. Should we even dare to remember how unlikely it was that he could have defeated two solid opponents to win the Heavyweight title last year? When do his victories over great opponents stop being "upsets"?
Make sure to keep checking back here, the official Twitter and the official Facebook pages for full coverage leading up to the FieLDS 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix. If you are in, or have plans to come to Tokyo, Japan then grab your tickets soon! Saturday 11 December 2010 is when this event will take place. The gates of the Ariake Colosseum will open at 3:00PM with the action kicking off at 4:00PM.
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