K-1 World Grand Prix


K-1 World Grand Prix, also known as the K-1 World GP, is an elimination kickboxing tournament that has been held annually since 1993 by the K-1 organization. Each year, K-1 holds various 16-men, 8-match grand prix style tournaments throughout the world to determine which 16 fighters will compete in the K-1 World GP. This tournament has had nine different winners with Ernesto Hoost and Semmy Schilt each winning four times.

Match-Ups

Usually combatants of the quarter-finals of a 16-man 8-match tournament are paired by drawing. In the case of the Final in the Tokyo Dome it is widely different. The whole event is combined with a ceremony and a press conference. The process looks like a lottery show in the beginning with all the fighters pulling a ball from a glass bowl. The balls represent numbers 1 to 8, which determines the fighters' order in choosing a position from a giant tournament tree figure by standing in front a drawn bracket on the poster, which represents the fighter's corner-color and the line-number of the match. The next fighter does the same, but he can now choose between challenging the one on the stage or an "empty" section. This procedure goes on until one fighter remains who has no choice just to fill to one slot left next to the one lone fighter. This system gives a freedom of choice and tactics to the fighters with the help of a little luck.

K-1 World Grand Prix dates and venues

K-1 World Grand Prix champions to date

K-1 WGPWinnerNationalityRunner-UpNationality
1993Branko CikatićErnesto Hoost
1994Peter AertsMasaaki Satake
1995Peter AertsJerome Le Banner
1996Andy HugMike Bernardo
1997Ernesto HoostAndy Hug
1998Peter AertsAndy Hug
1999Ernesto HoostMirko Filipović
2000Ernesto HoostRay Sefo
2001Mark HuntFrancisco Filho
2002Ernesto HoostJerome Le Banner
2003Remy BonjaskyMusashi
2004Remy BonjaskyMusashi
2005Semmy SchiltGlaube Feitosa
2006Semmy SchiltPeter Aerts
2007Semmy SchiltPeter Aerts
2008Remy BonjaskyBadr Hari
2009Semmy SchiltBadr Hari
2010Alistair OvereemPeter Aerts
2012Mirko FilipovićIsmael Londt