K-1 World Grand Prix Final 8: Gerges, Hari, Crocop and more - SPOILER

K-1 World Grand Prix Final 8 Participants Confirmed

Last Updated on
Tuesday, 29 January 2013 16:30

Tuesday, 29 January 2013 16:21
Written by Dave Walsh



A Mirko Cro Cop-centric press release was issued today, to no one's
surprise, discussing the K-1 World Grand Prix Final 8. There is a press
conference set for tomorrow in Croatia at 1:00PM CET to do some more
proper announcements and so forth, but the meat of what we'll hear was
announced today and that is the Final 8 names. There have been rumors
about who will and will not participate, as a few contracts had expired
in 2012. So things look in order for March 15th, we hope. As with
anything K-1, remember not to get your hopes too high just yet.

Things look to be in order as the names are as follows;

Mirko Cro Cop

Ben Eduards (AUS)

Jarrel Miller (USA)

Zabit Samedov (Azerbajdžan)

Hesdy Gerges (Egypt)

Ismael Londt (Surinam)

Makoto Uehara (Japan)

Catalin Morosanu (Romania)

K-1 Grand Prix preview: Answering all your questions about this Friday's event
By Fraser Coffeen
on Mar 14 2013, 2:00p

Badr Hari stands over Ruslan Karaev at the 2009 K-1 Grand Prix - Daniel Herbertson, Head Kick Legend

This Friday, K-1 returns with the Grand Prix,
featuring Badr Hari, Mirko Cro Cop, and more. But what exactly is going
on with this event? And wasn't Badr Hari in jail? Bloody Elbow has all
the answers in this preview.

The K-1 Grand Prix is back. This Friday, K-1 returns with their first Heavyweight Grand Prix in over two years. The event is the K-1 GP 2012. Or maybe 2013. It features Badr Hari. Who was, until very recently, in jail. It's part of their co-promotion with Superkombat. Except it's not.
Confused yet?

Such is life when you follow K-1 these days. The company has been a
twisted ball of mess for the past few years, and this GP is no
exception. From the company going bankrupt, to being sold to unknown
investors, to making a push in the US, to leaving the US, to holding a
GP in 2012, to canceling that GP, to rescheduling that GP... it's all
very confusing.

Here then is the full fight card, followed by the answers to five questions you might have heading into this event:




1. Isn't Badr Hari in jail? He was, but not any more. Last
July, Hari was incarcerated to await trial for multiple assault charges.
He was released from prison in January, though he is still awaiting
trial. As a result, it's entirely possible we'll see Hari back in jail
before the year is done. But for now, he's free, and when Ben Edwards
went down to injury, Hari stepped in as a surprise replacement. After
all that time in jail, and having lost a significant amount of weight,
it's impossible to know how Hari will do in this tournament. A 100% Hari
would be the massive favorite here, but how close can he be to 100%
with only six weeks to train? We'll get a better idea on Friday.

2. Does Mirko Cro Cop have a shot? As a matter of fact, he
does. The K-1, Pride, and UFC legend retired from MMA (somewhat) in
2011, and has been focused on kickboxing ever since. He's gone 3-0 in
that time and has actually looked pretty good. He's clearly not the Cro
Cop he once was, as he has replaced his aggression with a veteran's
calculating style, but he's done very well with this new style. Though
he is well known as a former K-1 fighter, he never did wear the K-1
crown. For him to win it at last at this late stage of his career, in
front of his devoted fans in Croatia, would be an incredible moment. And
he really does have a shot. His first round opponent is Jarrell Miller,
who is a solid opponent, but far less experienced. The rest of his
bracket is a bit weaker than the other side as well. Really, it all
depends on how the draw plays out, and how fresh Cro Cop is in the
finals compared to his opponent. It's a long shot for sure, but don't
completely rule a Cro Cop win out.

3. What is the deal with this show? A surprisingly difficult
question to answer. This, in theory, the 2012 K-1 Grand Prix. Yes, 2012.
This particular tournament started last year when K-1 came back from
the dead with 4 very entertaining shows. During the first of those
shows, Heavyweight superfights allowed fighters to advance to the Grand
Prix. Then, last October, they held a Final 16 in Tokyo with the winners
planning to move on to a December Final 8 in New York City. That never
happened, and we're finally making good on it here in 2013. In the
meantime, we've seen K-1 change owners, enter and break partnerships,
cancel shows... it's very hard to know who even is at the wheel of K-1
these days. So be grateful that we're getting this show, as it would not
surprise me in the least for this to be the final K-1 show for quite
some time.

4. Is this going to be any good? Ah, the big question. Answer:
yes, I think it will. Yes, K-1 is a mess, and no, this is not a line-up
worthy of the days of Aerts, Hoost, and Hug. But if there's one shining
positive in the weird world of current K-1 it's that the shows are
really good. All 4 of last year's K-1 shows were excellent, even if they
didn't always feature the world's very best. This one looks to be no
exception. These are all entertaining fighters and, at the end of the
day, I suspect they'll put on a very fun and entertaining show. Don't
let your feelings that it's not "Grand Prix worthy" get in the way of
enjoying it for what it is.

5. How can I watch? There will be a live stream airing Friday afternoon (yes, Friday afternoon). Get all the details here.

Before I go, I want to leave you with these two excellent FanPosts
featuring some very cool background on this event. Kudos to both
writers:






Join Bloody Elbow this Friday for live coverage of the K-1 Grand Prix.

K-1 Grand Prix results fight video: Mirko Cro Cop wins K-1 Grand Prix 2013



SSeventeen years after making his K-1 debut, Cro Cop has finally done it. Mirko Cro Cop has won the K-1 Grand Prix 2013. The UFC, Pride, and K-1 legend claimed the crown today in Zagreb, Croatia, defeating Ismael Londt in the finals. Along the way, Cro Cop also defeated Jarrell Miller and Pavel Zhuravlev, all via decision.

Check out the full fight video of the Cro Cop vs. Ismael Londt finals above.

Despite the great story of the aging legend finally winning the big one in his home country, Cro Cop's win does not come without controversy. His quarterfinal win over Miller was, in all honesty, a bad decision, as Miller should have taken the win. His other victories were more definitive, as he scored a knockdown in the finals to cement the win there.

The other big name on the show was Badr Hari, fighting for the first time since serving time in prison last year. Hari defeated Zabit Samedov in the quarterfinals via decision, though it was a weird fight, with Hari tagged on more than one occasion. He did score a pair of knockdowns though, and that was enough for the win, even if it was sloppy at times. Unfortunately, it was later revealed that Hari broke his foot in the fight, and he was unable to continue in the tournament. Dzevad Poturak took Hari's semi-final slot against Londt.

Overall, it was not the best show ever with a lot of strange fights and odd moments. But the finale of Cro Cop winning more than makes up for any issues along the way. Who knows what the future holds for K-1, or even if there is a future, but if they go out with Mirko Cro Cop as GP champion, that will be a fine ending in my book.