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**SmackyBear** · 02-16-2011, 01:54 PM

Quote:

The Japanese MMA scene has been held together, MacGyver style, with duct tape, spit, hope and a prayer. Those prayers have seemingly remained unanswered, as it appears more and more likely that FEG, the parent company of K-1 and Dream, is effectively dead as a major player on the world scene. Another fighter has joined the ranks of those claiming FEG owes them significant money. And this time it's a big player, literally and metaphorically.

Frankly, it was one thing when former UFC and Pride star Gary Goodridge and Dream featherweight champion Bibiano Fernandes weren't being paid for their performances. Fans were suitably outraged, but only the fans who read stories about fringe figures in the fight game. Last week on MMA Live, lost in the flurry of Fedor Mania, Alistair Overeem made a startling confession. He hasn't been paid for his work either:

"I won K-1...and they've not paid me yet," Overeem told Jon Anik with a smile. "By the contract they have 48 hours to pay me. It's a little bit of a question mark."

Overeem wasn't the only fighter to go public last weekend. Bloody Elbow reader Brian Hemminger talked with Strikeforce lightweight JZ Cavalcante, who claims he's still owed money as well:

I still haven’t been paid, man. The fight was in July and now we’re in February and now I don’t even care about it, you know? My manager keeps calling them and the guys from FEG who are supposed to say something they don’t answer the phones, they don’t reply. It’s really disappointing.

... I wish they had more respect like they could come to me and say "look, we don’t have the money now but we gonna pay this time or that time" because that is the problem. When they don’t answer, they don’t reply, they don’t say anything. That’s really disrespectful. Maybe getting the news out will help.

If K-1 is looking for a life raft, they shouldn't expect one from kickboxing promoter Simon Rutz. After running down a list of kickboxers who haven't been paid, he tells liverkick.com's Dave Walsh that he doesn't plan on buying his venerable competition:

LK: If they don’t get that money, and they don’t survive, what will it mean for kickboxing and for It’s Showtime?

SR: If they don’t survive it is very bad for the sport and for many fighters. For It’s Showtime, it would mean that we are the number 1 kickboxing organization in the world and everybody will look to us. We are getting busy like never before. We have already seen a movement from K-1 to It’s Showtime. Almost every day I talk with people around the world who want to organize an It’s Showtime event in their country.

LK: Would you ever consider buying out K-1?

SR: Why should I do that? I have my own brand and company who is healthy and is going very well. Also, what am I buying then? Only a lot of problems! The [K-1] name is very strong, but I already have a good name. I will keep my money in my pocket!

We said last month that it looked like the MMA scene in Japan was on life support. Refusing to pay your biggest foreign star is like pulling the cord. Has K-1 just Kevorkian'ed the industry by not paying Overeem as promised? Sadly, it's looking like K-1, a promotion that has been one of the biggest combat sport extravaganzas in Japan since 1993, will be shuttering its doors for good.

Wow. Fighters are way more chill about this than I would be. The K-1 HW GP prize is like $400k, I thought. He actually fought for them on Dynamite, weeks after they had already missed their deadline to pay him. That's above and beyond being a man of your word for Alistair.

Buakaw_GSP · 02-16-2011, 02:51 PM

K-1 is one of my favourite promotions and it has a deeper history than PRIDE and DREAM. Itll be a shame if it folded. In honesty, if I had to choose one someone buys out and keeps it afloat, I hope it would be K-1. At least if someone wanted to watch something big that isint MMA, then Kickboxing is the way.

joshua7789 · 02-16-2011, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buakaw_GSP

K-1 is one of my favourite promotions and it has a deeper history than PRIDE and DREAM. Itll be a shame if it folded. In honesty, if I had to choose one someone buys out and keeps it afloat, I hope it would be K-1. At least if someone wanted to watch something big that isint MMA, then Kickboxing is the way.

Ill miss K-1 as much as the next guy when its gone (seems kind of inevitable at this point), but Its Showtime! puts on some great events and they actually pay there fighters. They will only get bigger once K-1 is gone.

**slapshot** · 02-16-2011, 03:14 PM

Kickboxing is just like boxing, inferior and yawn. Hope the UFC picks up remmy so we can see him get beat up one side of the cage and down the other, over hyped and under talented sums up k1 rather well.

joshua7789 · 02-16-2011, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slapshot

Kickboxing is just like boxing, inferior and yawn. Hope the UFC picks up remmy so we can see him get beat up one side of the cage and down the other, over hyped and under talented IMO.

Are talking about Overeem or Remmy Bonjasky? Remmy is only a kickboxer and is pretty much retired.

**slapshot** · 02-16-2011, 03:27 PM

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Originally Posted by joshua7789

Are talking about Overeem or Remmy Bonjasky? Remmy is only a kickboxer and is pretty much retired.

Remmy retired? huh, well that shows you how much I pay attention to kickboxing. I dont follow k1 anymore but I thought he was still active, guess his last fight was in 09 w/e I generally dont have a lot of respect for K1 fighters as far as talent and skill goes.

joshua7789 · 02-16-2011, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slapshot

Remmy retired? huh, well that shows you how much I pay attention to kickboxing. I dont follow k1 anymore but I thought he was still active, guess his last fight was in 09 w/e I generally dont have a lot of respect for K1 fighters as far as talent and skill goes.

He had some pretty serious issues with one of his eyes and it doesnt really look like he will be fighting again.

**Ape City** · 02-16-2011, 11:35 PM

Sad, sad day if K-1 folds. Always loved their tournaments and always loved the extremely exciting nature of their bouts.

Really hope this isn't the last we see of the top k-1 guys. I'd love to see Aerts or JLB pick up a few more wins before they retire. I'd also love to see Hari knocked out a few more times.

Rastaman · 02-17-2011, 12:47 AM

I couldn't care less about DREAM but if K-1 went under I would be absolutely devastated.

the only possible upside to all of this might be an exodus of top level K-1 kickboxers heading into MMA...then again, maybe that wont happen. It's a sad dark day when K-1 goes under.

**Ape City** · 02-17-2011, 11:44 AM

Unfortunatly I think a lot of the k-1 stars we love are too old to make the mma transition. I really can't see JLB, Aerts, or Semmy making the change. Badr Hari probably has something retarded to say about MMA.

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