Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

The final stage of the K-1 World Max Final Four kickboxing competitions was held in Baku on February 23.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the final stage, official representative of the K-1 in the Middle East, European champion Elnur Mammadov said the K-1 fans will watch combats between kickboxing stars, adding that Azerbaijani athletes have been training for a long time to participate in this event.

For his part, Mike Kim, president of K-1 Global Limited said the event is organized at the highest level. He wished success for all the athletes.

Azerbaijan has held a number of such prestigious competitions and holding such an event is a great success, he noted.

Rating fights were held before the main battles of the four famous athletes.

Azerbaijan's Ruslan Kobzev (83 kilograms) and Alim Nabiyev (71 kilograms), Dutch Dennis Matthew (83 kilograms), British Chad Sugden (71 kilograms), Azerbaijan's Ziya Bayramov (70 kilograms), and Tural Bayramov (72.5 kilograms) became the winners of the rating fights.

As a result of the main fights of the first semifinal stage, Hyung Lee of the Korean Republic defeated Thai Buakaw Banchamek, while in the second semifinal bout, German athlete Enriko Kehl defeated Canadian Shane Campbell.

The event was broadcasted in more than 150 countries.

K-1, founded in 1993, is one of the most exciting and prestigious sports and entertainment brands in the world. The K-1 brand is synonymous with the sport of professional kickboxing, known across the world for producing some of the most exciting events and memorable tournaments featuring some of the best athletes in the world.

K-1 has presented professional live martial arts events in over 38 countries across the world and is one of the most recognizable names in the world of professional martial arts.