(images courtesy of FEG at K-1.co.jp/en/)
Alistair Overeem successfully crossed over into the world of kickboxing Saturday night in Japan by capturing the K-1 World Grand Prix Final 2010 title.
During the first round of the eight-man, one-night tournament Overeem squared off with Tyrone Sprong defeating his fellow countrymen by 3-0 decision. He’d then go on to KO Gokhan Saki in the semi-final round using a left middle kick to end the fight in the first round at 2:33 to move into the finals.
In the K-1 WGP Final, Overeem would face fan favorite Peter Aerts, who shocked many by defeating defending champ Semmy Schilt via majority decision in their semi-final match. It didn’t take long for Overeem to earn the K-1 crown as he earned the KO victory at 1:07 of the first round, landing a knee to Aerts midsection, then following it up with several strikes to the head. Aerts crumpled to the mat and was barely able to make the ten count but the referee stepped in to call the fight.
It was great to see what a focused Overeem can accomplish, but for mixed martial arts fans the new K-1 champ may find himself looking at other goals instead of defending his Strikeforce title. Time will tell and fans will just have to wait to see what the heavy handed striker decides is in his future.
Below is the FieLDS K-1 World GP 2010 Final Tournament chart
