TOKYO, Japan — Not to be outdone by sister promotion DREAM, K-1 is finally set to return after a 6-month hiatus. Promotional president Sadaharu Tanikawa on Thursday announced the K-1 WORLD MAX 2011 63 kg Japan Tournament to be held at the Yoyogi Stadium 2nd in Tokyo on June 25, and similar to DREAM, it will be a “Fight For Japan” charity event.
Remarkably, the event is set to stream via the internet with no TV deal of any kind in place, locally or abroad. The full card and details of K-1’s first event of 2011 after the break.
In the eight-man one-night tournament, 2010 K-1 63 kg Japan GP champ Tetsuya Yamato will attempt to defend his title against former K-1 Koshien star HIROYA, 2011 Krush 63 kg Tournament runner-up Koya Urabe will take on former R.I.S.E ace Yuki, 2010 K-1 63 kg Japan GP runner-up Yuta Kubo faces karate pretty boy Kizaemon Saiga and K-1 Koshien 2009 champ Masaaki Noiri takes on 2011 Krush 63 kg Tournament champ Ryuji Kajiwara.
Also announced was a 70 kg super-fight featuring 2010 70 kg World GP runner-up Yoshihiro Sato versus 2002 K-1 70 kg World GP champ Albert Kraus. The K-1 veterans have met in the ring on two prior occasions with Kraus taking decisions in both cases.
K-1 WORLD MAX 2011 63 kg Japan Tournament – Fight For Japan
Saturday, June 25 2011 at Yoyogi Stadium 2nd, Tokyo, Japan
63 kg Grand Prix Quarterfinals:
Tetsuya Yamato vs. HIROYA
Koya Urabe vs. Yuki
Yuta Kubo vs. Kizaemon Saiga
Masaaki Noiri vs. Ryuji Kajiwara
70 kg Super Fight:
Yoshihiro Sato vs. Albert Kraus