Ouyang Feng made a stunning return to K-1 with a Fight of the Year contender.
Returning to K-1 after a year`s absence due to injury, Ouyang Feng faced Dutch-Indonesian standout Darryl Verdonk, who entered the bout on a strong 3-1 streak with notable wins. Their fight delivered a `Fight of the Year` spectacle. The opening round was explosive, with Ouyang dropping Verdonk twice, only to be dropped himself before the bell. A grinding battle followed, where Verdonk attempted to erode Ouyang`s early advantage. Despite winning one of the later rounds, Verdonk couldn`t overcome the two knockdowns. This hard-fought victory marked Ouyang Feng`s 14th consecutive win and his first defense of the K-1 70kg title since claiming it over 18 months ago. Post-fight, Ouyang indicated his willingness to fight Kacper Muszynski and potentially participate in the K-1 World MAX tournament later this year.
RÉMI PARRA DOMINATES
French sensation Rémi Parra, who gained prominence in Japan by defeating Leona Pettas in late 2023, entered the K-1 60kg championship tournament as a clear favorite for the title vacated by Pettas.
The tournament featured notable performances. On one side of the bracket, Krush champion Tomoya Yokoyama overcame Egor Bikrev via extra-round body shot KO. Huang Shuailu defeated Matthew Daalman, but an injury to Huang`s jaw meant Daalman, already subbing for an injured Leona Pettas, advanced to face Yokoyama. Yokoyama quickly dispatched Daalman with a first-round body shot KO. On the other side, Parra delivered a dominant performance, knocking out Yuta Matsuyama in the first round and following up with a second-round knockout of Chihiro Nakajima. In the final against Yokoyama, Parra`s pressure proved too much; Yokoyama found himself trapped in the corner and was ultimately knocked out. With three knockout victories against Japanese opponents in a single night, Rémi Parra spectacularly claimed the K-1 Super Featherweight title.
Parra`s victory solidifies his position among the top fighters in the evolving 61kg division, which has seen changes with Taiga Kawabe`s departure, Hirotaka Asahisa`s move up, and Takeru Segawa`s decline. Former champion Yuki Egawa, who did not participate, is noted as a potential future challenge for Parra.
THIAN DE VRIES WITH MASSIVE COMEBACK
Liu Ce was forced to withdraw from his scheduled bout against Thian De Vries just a week before the event due to a broken nose, leading to him being stripped of the Cruiserweight title. Former champion Mahmoud Sattari stepped in as a replacement.
The fight began dramatically when Sattari dropped De Vries with an overhand punch merely 30 seconds into the first round. However, the Dutchman responded almost instantly with his own left cross, securing a swift knockout victory. This win extended Thian De Vries`s undefeated record to 30-0, with 27 wins coming by knockout. Should De Vries not sign with GLORY Kickboxing soon, a title defense against the returning Liu Ce is anticipated.
KOJI IKEDA UPSETS AKIHIRO KANEKO
Akihiro Kaneko, considered a pound-for-pound ranked fighter and one of the most technically skilled kickboxers globally with a three-year undefeated streak, has shown a more passive style since his 2023 trilogy bout against Masashi Kumura. Despite this, it was a significant upset when Krush title challenger Koji Ikeda knocked him down just 15 seconds into their fight. Kaneko struggled to initiate his offense effectively and couldn`t gain momentum until the final round, by which point it was too late to recover.
Ikeda entered this fight having lost three of his last five bouts, including defeats by Riamu and Ryu Hanaoka, and a TKO loss to Lyra Nagasaka. Since Kaneko`s K-1 55kg title was not at stake in this non-title fight, a rematch could offer him an opportunity for redemption.
Murray Blackwood 
Gareth Pendleton