Team Allazov VS Team JAPAN and Chingiz Allazov’s Mitt-hitting Session Confirmed at K-1 WORLD GP on December 14
December 5, 2024
On Saturday, December 14, the K-1 WORLD GP 2024 in TOKYO FINAL will be held at the Tokyo National Yoyogi Studium 1st Gymnasium.
In this event, Chingiz Allazov, the 2ND K-1 WORLD GP Super Welterweight Champion, will bring two fighters as part of Team Allazov to compete in a Team JAPAN vs. Team Allazov 2-on-2 matchup. Allazov will also hold a mitt-hitting session on the day of the event.
In the 1st match, Danila Kvach (Belarus/Gridin Gym) will face Hikaru Terashima (Japan/TANG TANG FIGHT CLUB). In the 2nd match-up, Daniil Yermolenka (Belarus/Gridin Gym) will fight Chihiro Nakajima (POWER OF DREAM).
Note: Kostas “Minotaur” Aslanidis (Greece) was scheduled to fight Naoki Takahashi (Wakashishi Kaikan), but Aslanidis has been forced to withdraw from the event due to doctor’s orders stemming from pain in his neck and right shoulder. As a result, the match-up has been cancelled and the Team Allazov vs. Team JAPAN showdown is adjusted from 3 vs. 3 to 2 vs. 2.
Below are the comments from Chingiz Allazov, introduction to each fighter, and the Japanese representatives’ thoughts.
Chingiz Allazov:
“Hello guys, Chingiz here. Me and my team come to Japan…My team is ready to fight in Japan. And we [will] surprise you guys. See you in Japan!”
[K-1 Super Lightweight/3 Rounds 3 Minutes, 1 Round Extension]
Hikaru Terashima vs. Danila Kvach
Kvach competes in the Super Lightweight (-65kg) division. Skilled in both kickboxing and Muay Thai, he switches stances fluidly and delivers a wide range of attacks. His middle kicks and left body blows are particularly destructive. In March 2024, he competed in “GLORY OF HEROES.53 in Guangzhou,” defeating Juntian Zhang by decision. His record stands at 15 fights, 12 wins (6 KOs), and 3 losses. He is 23 years old and 179 cm tall.
Terashima began practicing Kyokushin Karate as a child and later learned traditional Karate in high school. He debuted in Krush in April 2019, and in November securing consecutive wins against opponents like Kwon Gi Seop. Despite suffering losses to Hideaki Yamazaki and Yuta Saito, he bounced back with wins over Atsuto Matsumoto and Hayato Suzuki in 2021. He lost to Daizo Sazaki in June 2022. His recent wins include a KO against FUMIYA in November 2023 and a 3rd-round KO against Ruku in September 2024.
Hikaru Terashima:
– Your motivation for the match?
“I’ve been given a great match, so I’ll fight in a way that won’t bring shame as a K-1 representative. (Regarding his opponent) He’s extremely handsome. His fight style is similar to Allazov. He switches stances and fights with both hands. He’s also very tall at 179 cm.”
– Regarding being selected for Team JAPAN
“I wasn’t informed that it would be a team match. But I’ve been fighting in K-1 since my debut, and I can’t afford to lose to a team from another country. I’ll stand back and fight.”
– What do you want to show in this fight?
“If I can defeat a foreign fighter, then I can prove my strength. To aim for the world, I want to get a KO win.”
– Can your style work against a foreign fighter?
“Yes. About a year and a half ago, I spent three months in the Netherlands, so I know about European fighters. What work, what do not work. I sparred at Mike’s Gym twice a week, so I’m confident.”
– Your impression of Allazov?
“I also switch stances in fights, so I’ve learned a lot from watching him. Just having Allazov in the opposing corner feels like it’ll drain my stamina (laughs). I’ll work on that.”
– A message to the fans?
“I’ll probably be the first member of TEAM JAPAN to fight. It will be me who will set the tone, so I aim to win by KO. I will show the strength of K-1, so please come see it on December 14 at the venue!”
Danila Kvach:
“Hello everyone, my name is Danila Kvach. Thank you K-1 for this opportunity. I’m really looking forward to fighting on the K-1 stage. It’s an honor to fight in K-1 and it will be an even better honor to bring home the victory. We are going to show that Team Allazov is the strongest, so be ready, it’s going to be a great showdown. Osu!”
[K-1 Super Featherweight/3 Rounds 3 Minutes, 1 Round Extension]
Chihiro Nakajima vs. Daniil Yermolenka
Yermolenka competes in the Super Featherweight (-60kg) division. Like his teammate Kvach, he switches stances and excels in left middle kicks and body blows. He has shown great skill in Belarusian kickboxing event “BFC” and is making his K-1 debut. As a member of Team Allazov, his technical level is high. His record: 13 fights, 9 wins (7 KOs), and 4 losses. He’s 24 years old and 173 cm tall.
Nakajima has trained in Karate since childhood. He has notable achievements such as winning the 34th All Japan Weight Category Karate Championship in 2017 and the Kyokushin U.S. Weight Category Karate Championship in 2018. He debuted professionally in May 2019 with Krush. In January 2022, Nakajima won the Krush Super Featherweight title by defeating Yutaka in the semi-final and Tomoya Yokoyama in the final of the 10th Krush Super Featherweight Championship Tournament. Although he lost the title to Naoki Takahashi in September 2023 via decision, he made a successful comeback in September 2024 with a decision victory over Yuta Murakoshi.
Nakajima:
– Your motivation for the match?
“The 3 of us have been selected as part of Team JAPAN, so we aim to defeat Team Allazov together.”
– Impression of the opponent?
“I’ve received his profile, and he’s listed as 176 cm tall, which makes him one of the taller opponents I’ve faced. I’m excited to think of a gameplan to fight him.”
– Thought on the opponent as a fighter?
“I believe he’s from the same gym as Terashima’s opponent, and his style is similar to Allazov. He uses kicks and switches stances frequently. It’s a style we don’t often see among Japanese fighters. It’s more of a Western style.”
– Thought on being selected as part of the team?
“I received the offer about a month ago, but I didn’t know it was for a team match. If I lose this, K-1 fans would definitely criticize me (laughs). I’ll train hard and win.”
– What kind of performance do you want to show?
“Of course, I’m looking for a KO. This is my first time facing a European-style opponent, so I want to experience that style during the fight and then decisively knock him out.”
– Rivalry with Takahashi, who’s on the same team?
“We’ve fought once before, but this time, since we’re on the same team, let’s fight together.”
– Have you fought Belarusian fighters during Kyokushin days?
“Not Belarusian, but I have fought Russian opponents. Since this is my first time facing one in kickboxing, I’ll be careful. No particular trauma, but their strikes hurt. Let’s see how it goes this time.”
– Impression of Allazov?
“Of course, I’ve watched footage of Allazov and even used it as a reference. I’m not fighting Allazov, so I’ll fight without worrying about it.”
– Message to fans?
“The other two team members have the character ‘輝’ (shine) in their names, which I don’t, but I’ll do my best to shine just as brightly.”
Daniil Yermolenka:
“Hi, Japanese fans! My name is Daniil Yermolenka. We [Team Allazov]’re excited to come. Watch out Team K-1! We’re going to bring it.”
Chingiz Allazov will also hold his 1st kickboxing seminar in Japan on December 15. Please refer to this link for more information.