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Akiyama to Protest Legality of Misaki Kick
Wow, this is actually big news. Akiyama could not only get the loss wiped clean, but actually pick up a win here.
http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=10770
Quote:
New Year's Eve always seems to spell turmoil for Yoshihiro Akiyama (Pictures).
After making his debut at K-1 Premium 2004 Dynamite, Akiyama was forced to withdraw from a bout with Royce Gracie (Pictures) for K-1's New Year's Eve offering in 2005 when he sustained a back injury in training. The 2006 edition of Dynamite was the site of his now-infamous greasing scandal against icon Kazushi Sakuraba (Pictures). Now controversy has arisen again on the heels of his loss to Kazuo Misaki (Pictures) at the Dec. 31 Yarennoka card.
Akiyama and his team have filed a protest with K-1 and HERO'S parent company Fight Entertainment Group, which co-sponsored the Yarennoka event with M-1 Global. Akiyama contends that the fight-ending kick delivered by Misaki was in fact illegal.
As he attempted to scramble to his feet after being knocked down by a Misaki left hook, Akiyama took a brutal lunging kick to the face. Following the bout, there was much heated debate among fans as to whether Akiyama's hands were still on the mat when he was struck.
According to the rules used for the Yarennoka card, if Akiyama's hands were still on the deck, Misaki's kick would've been illegal. Furthermore, if the strike were illegal, Akiyama's inability to continue would make him the victor by disqualification.
FEG President Sadaharu Tanigawa told the media that while he wasn't sure of the kick's illegality, he planned to review the fight tape and then make a ruling on the matter.
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EDIT: Pictures- The kick looks illegal to me!
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Last edited by kds13 : 01-11-2008 at 09:20 AM.
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