Saturday, September 28th, in Tokyo, the official weigh-in and pre-fight press conference for the upcoming ‘K-1 WORLD MAX 2024’ event took place.

In the third segment of the conference, six fighters appeared on stage: Yuki Yoza (team VASILEUS/current K-1 WORLD GP Lightweight Champion) and Petchdam Petchyindee (Thailand/Petchyindee/former ONE Kickboxing Flyweight (-61kg) Champion), who will face off in a Super Fight at -63kg; the K-1 WORLD GP Featherweight title contenders, champion Taito Gunji (K-1 Gym Headquarters Team Pegasus) and challenger Takumi Terada (team VASILEUS); and the K-1 WORLD GP Cruiserweight title match competitors, champion Liu Ce (China/Tangshan Buntai Riding Fight Club/CFP) and challenger Mahmoud Sattari (Iran/TEAM ŌTA).

The fighters shared their thoughts:

Super Fight / -63kg Contract / 3 Min. x 3 R + 1 Ext. R

Yuki Yoza:
“I’m thrilled to finally be fighting tomorrow. My opponent has a long reach, which makes it an exciting challenge. Takeru has passed the baton to me with a spectacular win, so I intend to pass it on with an impressive KO to Takumiーall of us at VASILEUS are aiming to secure victory together. I believe I need to embody strength as a champion. Among all the great matchups, I want to stand out the most. Before this fight with Petchdam was set, my last gym had a Muay Thai focus, so I’ve used his bouts as a reference. I never thought I’d get the chance to face him on the K-1 stage, so I’m excited. I noticed he’s skilled at scoring points. I once trained at the Petchyindee gym, but Petchdam wasn’t there at the time. It feels like this fight was meant to be. I don’t have any specific key to victory, except my plan is to knock him out.”

Petchdam Petchyindee:
“This is my first time in Japan, and I’m very excited. Seeing my opponent in person and knowing I’ll face him tomorrow makes me very happy. I arrived early on the 22nd to quickly adjust to the environment and climate. (About the K-1 rules) I’ve been preparing to adapt and believe I can handle any rules. Winning here is a great opportunity for me to grow. If I get the chance, I’d like to aim for the champion’s seat in the future.”

1 WORLD GP Featherweight Title Match / 3 Min. x 3 R + 1 Ext. R

Taito Gunji:
“I’m finally back in the ring after six months, and I want to win decisively to prove I’m the strongest in the featherweight division. (On Takeru’s comeback KO victory) I watched part of the fight, and it was a match that moved everyone, just like Takeru. VASILEUS has great momentum right now, and I don’t want to lose to that. (As a K-1 champion) Since becoming champion, I haven’t had a KO win, so I want to achieve that tomorrow. There are tournaments and other events, but I want to generate the most excitement.”

Takumi Terada:
“I don’t have any specific thoughts about my opponent. I’ve done what I needed to do and am ready to fight. (On Takeru’s comeback KO victory) I was told it’s okay to get knocked down as long as you get back up and knock your opponent down again, and Takeru embodied that. Tomorrow, I’m prepared to get knocked down and come back even stronger. (Regarding the title) Out of the five VASILEUS members, four have titles—I’m the only one who doesn’t. Title matches are won by those who truly want it. I’m determined to win.”

K-1 WORLD GP Cruiserweight Title Match / 3 Min. x 3 R + 1 Ext. R

Liu Ce:

“I used to think Sattari was a gentleman, but he seems to be lacking the proper respect. If he thinks he’s going to knock me out, I’m going to have to show him the power of China, and beat him to it. So far, I’ve won every match in K-1. He keeps saying he will KO me, but it’s all just talk. I’ve been training ceaselessly under the watchful eyes of Master Wei Rui every day, and the results should be obvious. A champion must have virtue. Performance in the ring is important, but a champion must also have virtue. If not, they should relinquish the title. A champion must have character, and that’s what I’ll show in this fight.”

Mahmoud Sattari:

“For this fight, I’ve trained with the best team and had the best preparation. Facing him, I felt I’m 200% sure I’ll win. I’ll show you all my victory. I was just excited and wanted to show a great fight. Tomorrow, I will unleash this energy and prove who the real champion is. As for the title, right now, I’m not focused on the belt; I just want to fight. In the ring, I’ll fight like a true champion.”