On Saturday, August 24, 2024 (local time), the K-1 WORLD GP 2024 in BRASILIA will host the K-1 WORLD GP 2024 South American Openweight Qualification Tournament in Brasilia, Brazil.

The winner of this tournament will secure a spot in the Final Tournament, a one-day event featuring eight competitors, to be held on Saturday, December 14, at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo during the K-1 WORLD GP 2024 in Tokyo.

In June, Serbia’s Miloš Cvetićanin won the Eastern European Qualifier, followed by England’s Rhys Brudenell’s victory in the Western European Qualifier in July. Now, who will emerge victorious in the South American Qualifier?

This marks the first time in 18 years for a K-1-sanctioned event to be held in Brazil, the last time being in 2006. Supported by the Sports Bureau of the Federative Republic of Brazil, this event is set to be held on an unprecedented scale. The matchups for the four South American Openweight Qualification Tournament bouts are as follows:

[K-1 WORLD GP 2024 South American Openweight Qualification Tournament – First Round (1)/3 min. x 3R, Extra 1R]
Ariel Machado (Brazil/Hemmers Gym/Madison Team)
vs
Abner Ferreira (Brazil)

[K-1 WORLD GP 2024 South American Openweight Qualification Tournament – First Round (2)/3 min. x 3R, Extra 1R]
Guto Inocente (Brazil)
vs
Jefferson Salviano (Brazil)

[K-1 WORLD GP 2024 South American Openweight Qualification Tournament – First Round (3)/3 min. x 3R, Extra 1R]
Haime Morais (Brazil)
vs
Wesley Cottas (Brazil)

[K-1 WORLD GP 2024 South American Openweight Qualification Tournament – First Round (4)/3 min. x 3R, Extra 1R]
Anderson Braddock (Brazil)
vs
Jhonny Klever (Brazil)

Among the eight entrants, the spotlight is on Ariel Machado (Brazil/Hemmers Gym/Madison Team) and Guto Inocente (Brazil). Both are accomplished fighters who have held titles in Brazil’s WGP Kickboxing organization.

Machado made his K-1 debut last September, defeating Michal Turyński in the first round of the K-1 30th Anniversary Openweight Tournament, only to be knocked out by Liu Ce in the semifinals. Known for his powerful strikes and aggressive fighting style, Machado has been a regular participant in GLORY from 2016 to 2019, and even contending for the GLORY Light Heavyweight title against Artem Vakhitov.

In the first round of the South American Qualifier, Machado will go up against Abner Ferreira (Brazil), a knockout artist with 21 wins (16 by KO) and 6 losses in 27 fights. But with Machado’s own impressive record of 54 wins (37 by KO) and 14 losses in 68 bouts, this matchup is shaping up to be a knockout showdown!

Inocente, a two-division champion in WGP Kickboxing’s Super Heavyweight (+94.1kg) and Light Heavyweight (-94.1kg) categories, is also well-known as a versatile fighter, having competed in both kickboxing and MMA (as well as a brief stint in boxing). After debuting in MMA in 2005, Inocente secured a win in Strikeforce in May 2012. When Strikeforce was acquired by the UFC, he fought twice in the UFC starting in 2014. He later joined GLORY in 2016, earning four consecutive victories, including a decision win over Hesdy Gerges.

In 2018, he challenged Rico Verhoeven for the GLORY World Heavyweight title but was defeated. In 2022, Inocente moved to ONE Championship, where he knocked out Bruno Susano in the second round, reaffirming his prowess. He followed this up with a first-round KO victory over Rade Opačić (although Opačić would later avenge the loss in June 2023). Inocente’s kickboxing record stands at 52 fights, with 40 wins (19 KOs) and 12 losses.

Should Machado and Inocente advance through the first round, they are set to clash in the semifinals, a match that for many could be considered the true final of this tournament.

However, coming up from the opposite bracket, we have Anderson Braddock (Brazil), who boasts titles such as the 2007 Demolition Fight Brazil Cruiserweight Championship and the 2009 VIP Fight Night Tournament Championship. Braddock, who trained at the legendary Chakuriki Gym in the Netherlands, home to Peter Aerts, is a legend in his own right.

In March 2009, Braddock won the VIP Fight Night 2009 Tournament by defeating Hesdy Gerges in the final. He followed this with a second-round KO victory over Stefan Leko in GLORY that October. Although he suffered consecutive losses to Badr Hari and Remy Bonjasky in 2012, he bounced back in 2013 with wins over Bonjasky and Sergei Kharitonov. Braddock has continued to consistently compete and has been a regular in ONE Championship since 2019.

With a career record of 66 fights, 44 wins (29 KOs), 20 losses, 1 draw, and 1 no contest, Braddock’s experience rivals that of both Machado and Inocente.

The final South American round of the World Qualifying Tournament is shaping up to be a three-way showdown between Brazil’s legends, but with the possibility of a new star emerging, the outcome is anyone’s guess!