''K-1 Andy Memorial 2001 Japan GP Final'' was a

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...

event promoted by the

K-1 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the worl ...

organization, named in honour of K-1 legend

Andy Hug Andreas "Andy" Hug (7 September 1964 – 24 August 2000) was a Swiss karateka and kickboxer who competed in the heavyweight division. Considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers of all time, Hug was renowned for his ability to ex ...

who had died the previous year. It was an elimination tournament involving eight fighters based in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, with all bouts being fought under K-1 Rules (100 kg/156-220 lbs) and the winner qualifying for the

K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a Japanese kickboxing promotion. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993, at Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Since its inception, K-1 events were organized by the Fi ...

. Six of these fighters had qualified via the earlier K-1 Survival 2001 event while holder Musashi had qualified as last years winner and long time

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

resident

Nicholas Pettas Nicholas Pettas (born January 23, 1973) is a Greek- Danish karateka, former heavyweight kickboxer and actor, who fought out of Team Spirit Tokyo, Japan. Pettas mainly competed in the promotion K-1 between 1998 and 2007, and was the winner of th ...

was a foreign invitee. As well as tournament bouts there were a number of local and international bouts, including special 'Andy Memorial Matches', with matches fought under either K-1 or

MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

Rules. In total there were twenty two fighters at the event, representing nine countries. The tournament champion was Nicholas Pettas who defeated Musashi in the final by extra round

unanimous decision A unanimous decision (UD) is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and other sports involving striking and submission in which all three judges agree on which fighte ...

. As a result of the tournament Nicholas Pettas would qualify for the K-1 World Grand Prix 2001. The event was held at the

Saitama Super Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Chūō-ku, Saitama, Chūō-ku, Saitama (city), Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It opened preliminarily on May 5, 2000, and then was officially opened on September 1 of the same year. Its maximum capa ...

, in

Saitama, Japan is the capital and largest city of Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance. , the city had an estimated population of 1,324,854 ...

on Sunday, August 19, 2001.

K-1 Andy Memorial 2001 Japan GP Final Tournament

Results

Source: Opening Match: K-1 Rules / 3Min. 3R Ext.2R : Masahide Aoyagi vs

Hiraku Hori Hiraku Hori (; born April 3, 1982) is a retired Japanese heavyweight kickboxer. A professional from 2001 until 2010, he competed almost exclusively in K-1. Career Hori made his professional debut at K-1 Survival 2001, winning via third-round kn ...

:Hori defeated Aoyagi by 3rd Round Unanimous Decision 3-0 Andy Memorial Match 1: K-1 Rules / 3Min. 3R Ext.2R :

Nobuaki Kakuda is a retired karateka and kickboxer and former K-1 Head referee. Early life After attending university, Kakuda opened a karate dojo in Kobe but was forced to shut it down after two years. He subsequently worked as a dishwasher, ramen chef, and ...

vs Mauricio Da Silva :Kakuda defeated Da Silva by 3rd Round Unanimous Decision 3-0 Quarter Finals: K-1 Rules / 3Min. 3R Ext.1R : Musashi vs Toru Oishi :Musashi defeated Oishi by 3rd Round Unanimous Decision 3-0 : Great Kusatsu vs

Tsuyoshi Nakasako Tsuyoshi Nakasako (; born January 29, 1974) is a Japanese retired heavyweight kickboxer who competed in K-1. During his ten-year career from 1998 until 2008, he fought a variety of K-1 champions including Ernesto Hoost, Peter Aerts, Remy Bonjasky ...

:Nakasako defeated Kusatsu by 3rd Round Unanimous Decision 3-0 : Yusuke Fujimoto vs

:Pettas defeated Fujimoto by TKO (Right Low Kick) at 2:57 of the 1st Round :

Nobu Hayashi Nobu Hayashi (; born April 27, 1978) is a professional Japanese heavyweight karateka and kickboxer. He is a two-time K-1 Japan tournament runner-up and holds notable wins over Ben Edwards, Sander Thonhauser and Faisal Zakaria. Hayashi fights ou ...

vs Tatsufumi Tomihira :Hayashi defeated Tomihira by KO (Right Hook) at 2:55 of the 3rd Round Andy Memorial Match 2: K-1 Rules / 3Min. 3R Ext.2R :

Hiroki Kurosawa is a common masculine Japanese given name. It can be written in many ways. In the following lists, the kanji in parentheses are the individual's way of writing the name Hiroki. Written forms Hiroki can be written using different kanji characte ...

Taira Noyuki The was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period of Japanese history – the others being the Minamoto, the Fujiwara, and the Tachibana. The clan is divided into four major groups, named af ...

:Noyuki defeated Kurosawa by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 3:00 of the 3rd Round Semi Finals: K-1 Rules / 3Min. 3R Ext.1R : Musashi vs

:Musashi defeated Nakasako by 3rd Round Unanimous Decision 3-0 :

:Pettas defeated Hayashi by TKO (Right Low Kick) at 1:26 of the 1st Round Super Fight: K-1 Rules / 3Min. 3R Ext.2R :

Jérôme Le Banner Jérôme Philippe Le Banner (; born December 26, 1972) is a French kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and professional wrestler. Le Banner fought for most of his career in K-1 and became known for his aggressive fighting style and knockout power. ...

vs Marc de Wit :Le Banner defeated de Wit by KO (Right Punch) at 1:45 of the 2nd Round Final: K-1 Rules / 3Min. 3R Ext.2R : Musashi vs

:Pettas defeated Musashi by Extra Round Unanimous Decision 3-0 K-1 vs Oiki Super Fights: K-1 MMA Rules / 3Min. 5R :

Rene Rooze Rene Rooze (born 26 January 1969) is a Dutch former kickboxer and mixed martial artist. Biography and career As a member of Team Aerts, he was an active fighter competing in mainly European events and accumulating (as of 2004) a kickboxing recor ...

Tadao Yasuda is a Japanese retired sumo wrestler (''rikishi''), professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He competed in sumo from 1979 to 1992 under the ''shikona'' of , achieving the rank of ''komusubi'', and afterward turned to professional wrestlin ...

:Rooze defeated Yasuda by KO (Left High Kick) at 0:09 of the 3rd Round :

Gary Goodridge Gary Goodridge (born January 17, 1966), is a Trinidadian-Canadian former heavyweight kickboxer and mixed martial artist fighting out of Barrie, Ontario. Prior to kickboxing and MMA, he was also one of the top ranked contenders in the world of pr ...

Jan Nortje Johannes "Jan" Nortje (born 11 April 1975) is a South African professional kickboxer, mixed martial artist and undefeated professional boxer who has fought for Strikeforce, DREAM, K-1, Inoki Genome Federation, PRIDE Fighting Championship and Ne ...

:Goodridge defeated Nortje by Submission (Arm Crush) at 1:11 of the 1st Round :

Mirko Cro Cop Mirko Filipović (; born 10 September 1974), better known by his ring name Mirko Cro Cop, is a Croatian former professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer and amateur boxer. He is mostly known for his time in Pride Fighting Championships. Cro ...

Kazuyuki Fujita is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestling, freestyle wrestler, currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is a one-time GHC Heavyweight Championship ...

:Cro Cop defeated Fujita by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 0:39 of the 1st Round

References

External links

K-1 Official WebsiteK-1.de - Your Source for Everything K-1
{{2001 K-1 Events Andy Memorial 2001 Japan GP Final 2001 in kickboxing Kickboxing in Japan Sport in Saitama (city)

K-1 Andy Memorial 2001 Japan GP Final Tournament

Results

See also

References

External links