The three women who'll attempt to capture the much-coveted K-1 belt in the upcoming atomweight Grand Prix have been officially announced, five days after the promotion revealed the tournament favorite – Kira Matsutani.
The aforementioned Matsutani will face Mafie Petchmongkoldee, a 15 – year old Muay Thai practitioner who’s only been defeated four times in 47 outings. While her young age might seem odd to some, Thai fighters start taking part in no holds barred contests from a very early age. Despite her edge in experience, Mafie will be making her kickboxing debut and will be forced to adjust her fighting style, meaning Matsutani should enter the fight as a heavy favorite.
The second semifinal bracket pits the undefeated Aki Suematsu against the national and world WBC Muay Thai champion Lucille Deadman. Although the promotion initially planned to have three foreigners in the tournament proper, it seems they were forced to readjust, throwing the inexperienced – but undefeated – Suematsu into the mix. With only six fights to her name, the Japanese fighter will face an opponent with three times the experience, as well as an edge in physicality and power.
In other news, up and coming prospect Thian De Vries will face fellow power puncher Carlos Budiao during the same event. While many have been calling for De Vries to finally sign with a major promotion and take the next step in his career, 'Tarzan' continues to slowly build his career as he takes on the 35 – year old Brazilian, who’ll be a significant underdog faced with the athletic 23 – year old Dutchman.
