On Saturday, July 27, 2024, ‘K-1 WORLD GP 2024 in Sicily’ was held at Garibaldi Square in Sicily, Italy. The K-1 WORLD GP 2024 Openweight Western European Qualifier Tournament took place. It was the first K-1 sanctioned event in Italy since 2008 and the first K-1 World Regional Qualifier Tournament held there in 21 years, which drew considerable attention.

The winner of this tournament secured a spot in the ‘K-1 WORLD GP 2024 in Tokyo’ Openweight 8-man one-day tournament “Final Tournament” held on December 14, 2024, at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo.

It follows on the heels of the Openweight Eastern European Qualifier Tournament held in Bosnia on June 30, a tournament full of upsets, which saw Serbia’s Miloš Cvjetićanin secure his own spot in the December 14th Finals.

Quarterfinal Matches:

Quarterfinal 1:

Greece’s Pavlos Kochliaridis faced the UK’s Rhys Brudenell. In the first round, Kochliaridis favored left hooks followed by solid low kicks, which quickly tenderized the Englishman’s lead leg. Brudenell, on the other hand, countered with a series of middle kicks from both his lead and back legs and a flurry of hard-hitting hooks and uppercuts that Kochliaridis could not find an answer for. Brudenell showed rare agility for a heavyweight when he missed a roundhouse kick off his back leg, but followed with a heel kick to maintain distance, then pressed his attack with a flying knee, bodying Kochliaridis into the ropes. In the second round, Brudenell knocked Kochliaridis down with a right-left punch combination. When the Greek beat the count, Brudenell moved in for the finish, ending the fight with a devastating left hook.

Quarterfinal 2:

Hungary’s Marcell Horvath met Italy’s Samuele Pugliese. Horvath attempted to break down his rival by darting in with low kicks and then quickly escaping, but Pugliese’s pressure and pinpoint attacks trapped the Hungarian on his back foot, forcing a standing eight count in the first round. In the second round, Horvath kept his distance, respecting his opponent’s power, attempting to counter, but his attempts, including a spinning backfist, mostly missed the mark, while Pugliese’s sharp attacks continued to score points. Although Horvath rallied in the third round, it was too little too late, and Pugliese won by decision.

Quarterfinal 3:

Italy’s Agatino La Rosa fought Romania’s Florin Ivănoaie. In the first round, Ivănoaie pressured with jabs and low kicks, while all attempts by the local favorite, La Rosa, to counter failed to halt the Romanian’s inexorable advance. Ivănoaie stunned La Rosa with a right hook, and when the dazed La Rosa got up on rubber legs, Ivănoaie quickly finished the fight with an uppercut to right-left hook combination, winning by a spectacular KO.

Quarterfinal 4:

Konta Malang from France faced Ali Badawi from Switzerland. Badawi, training under former K-1 World MAX fighter Takayuki Kohiruimaki and favored by some to win, created a rhythm with his jabs, his left high kick, and crisp movements in the first round. Malang, however, frustrated Badawi’s attempts to gain momentum, using powerful roundhouse kicks to the head and whipping kicks to the midsection. In the second round, again Badawi struggled to find an opening with 1-2 combinations, making incursion’s into Malang’s range, only to be rebuffed time and time again. In the final moments of the second round, as Badawi again attempted to storm the fortress, Malang delivered two snapping left high kicks. When Badawi persisted with his assault, Malang leaned back against the ropes to connect yet again with his left leg, wrapping his shin around Badawi’s neck in a highlight-reel KO. With this decisive victory, Malang advanced to the semifinals.

Semifinal Matches:

Semifinal 1:

Rhys Brudenell faced technician Samuele Pugliese who had bested his young opponent in the quarterfinals. The difference in experience and strength was immediately apparent, and within seconds of the gong, Brudenell flattened Pugliese with a right hook. Pugliese got up on shaky legs, but was quickly dispatched by a crushing right hook, resulting in an impressive 31-second KO and advancing the mostly undamaged Brudenell to the finals.

Semifinal 2:

Florin Ivănoaie went up against Konta Malang. From start to finish the fight was hands versus legs, as Florin steadily advanced with boxing, while Malang, true to form, countered with his powerful kicks. In the second round, Malang continued to attack with middle and high kicks, constantly pivoting to escape, while Ivănoaie, whether from exhaustion or frustration, began to clinch. With both fighters flagging in the third round, there was no significant advantage going either way, and an extra round was unavoidable. After an exhausting battle, which would certainly go on to hurt his chances in the final, Ivănoaie edged out Malang to secure victory.

The Final Match:

The final pitted Rhys Brudenell, who had moved up through the brackets with consecutive KOs, against Florin Ivănoaie, who had advanced to the final after a close extra-round decision. Brudenell dominated from the start, finding his range with repeated low kicks. Ivănoaie’s boxing, which had carried him to the final, failed as his punches missed their mark. Brudenell, on the other hand, quickly dialed in his timing. His withering combinations of hooks and uppercuts gave him the lead. In the second round, Brudenell continued attacking with right-left punches, landing a left that caused a knockdown, resulting in another KO. In the end, Brudenell won the tournament with an impressive hat trick of KOs.

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