◇ Match Summary: In the first round, Istrate knocked down Karimian with a left hook. While Karimian managed to get back up after an eight-count, Istrate immediately resumed his offense, prompting Karimian to clinch.

While attempting to break free, Istrate’s glove unintentionally struck the back of Karimian’s head, causing him to collapse.

The fight was then paused as the ring doctor assessed Karimian’s condition. After determining that Karimian was unable to continue, Chief Referee Umeki announced that further examination of Istrate’s actions would be necessary before issuing a final decision.

◇ Review Findings: Upon review, it was found that Karimian’s fall came after Istrate’s glove hit the back of his head. However, the strike was deemed unintentional, as it occurred during Istrate’s attempt to shake off Karimian’s clinch.

Therefore, it was not considered to be a deliberate attack.

This situation is comparable to cases where a fighter cannot continue after an accidental low blow. Because the match was halted midway through the first round, in accordance with Article 7, Section 5 of the “K-1 Official Rules” under [Decisions], the match has been ruled a no-contest.
Link to K-1 rules

◇ Tournament Outcome: Upon reviewing the exchanges up to the stoppage, it was concluded that Istrate was in the dominant position, and therefore he is awarded a spot in the K-1 WORLD GP 2024 Openweight Tournament, scheduled for December 14th (Saturday) at the Yoyogi National Stadium, First Gymnasium.