Sattari’s Opponent Confirmed as Claudio “The Grizzly” Istrate, Boasting 52 Wins and 32 KOs.

On Saturday, September 2nd, in Tokyo, K-1 producer Carlos Kikuta announced the fight cards for the “ReBOOT ~ K-1 ReBIRTH ~” event. The K-1 30th Anniversary Openweight Tournament will be held at Yokohama Arena on September 10th.

The spotlight is on Sattari’s opponent, Claudio Istrate, who is making his first trip to Japan and is known as “The Grizzly.” Claudio is a formidable contender, having twice defeated Stefan Latescu, who himself has scored a KO against Sattari. Claudio has a reputation for landing a series of eye-catching KOs.

Producer Kikuta also highlighted Michal Turynski from Poland as one of the fighters favored to win the tournament. Michal is the heavyweight champion in the Lithuanian fighting organization K.O.K. Kikuta describes him as a “well-balanced fighter skilled in both kicks and punches.”

Given the current standings in K-1, both Sattari and Sina Karimian are seen as favorites to advance. However, the fight cards suggest that there may be room for some major upsets.

K-1 30th Anniversary Openweight Tournament Match Cards

[1st Round of the K-1 30th Anniversary Openweight Tournament: 3 min. x 3R ・ 1 Ext. R]
Mahmoud Sattari (Iran/TEAM ŌTA)
vs
Claudio Istrate (Italy/Kombat Gym)

[1st Round of the K-1 30th Anniversary Openweight Tournament: 3 min. x 3R ・ 1 Ext. R]
Sina Karimian (Iran/SINA ARMY)
vs
Kerim Jemai (Germany/ZAM-ZAM Ulm)

[1st Round of the K-1 30th Anniversary Openweight Tournament: 3 min. x 3R ・ 1 Ext. R]
Michal Turynski (Poland/HW LOW-KICK)
vs
Ariel Machado (Brazil/Hemmers Gym/Madison Team)

[1st Round of the K-1 30th Anniversary Openweight Tournament: 3 min. x 3R ・ 1 Ext. R]
Valentin Bordianu (Romania/Catalin Morosanu Academy)
vs
Liu Ce (China/Tangshan WLF/CFP)