By:  | December 14, 2020 9:40 am

The K-1 World Grand Prix 2020 Tokyo event took place at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo today with Kenta Hayashi making the first defence of his lightweight title against Gonnapar Weerasakreck. The fight was originally due to take place back in September, but the champion was forced to withdraw due to a rib injury.

Gonnapar started attacking the legs of Kenta with some stinging low kicks. His opponent responded with a hard straight right to the body as the Thai kept up his low kick attacks and started to mix in some fast body kicks.

Kenta began to open up with some sharp punches to the head and body before the Thai snapped his head back with a hard straight left. The champion started to land with some explosive long knees towards the end of the round.

Fast start

In the second round Kenta started faster and both started to trade hard shots. The Japanese fighter started to mix in some kicks with his punches, while Gonnapar kept on attacking the legs with more hard low kicks.

Gonnapar landed a heavy left, but Kenta came back with some heavy shots of his own, including a hard uppercut. The Thai kept punching but but his opponent managed to push him back with some hard long knees.

Gonnapar tried to counter back with fast body kicks, but Kenta got through again with another heavy knee and teh challenger finished the round by landing another hard left.

https://twitter.com/k1wgp_pr/status/1338082898499358728?s=20

Close call

It was very close going into the final round and Gonnapar started the busier of the two, opening up with some fast, hard body kicks. Kenta started slowly at first, but mid round started to unload relentlessly with punches, backing the challenger onto the ropes and attacking with hard shots to the head and body.

Gonnapar landed a fast high kick that seemed to shake up Kenta but he cleared his head and came back on the attack as both fighters traded hard shots up to the final bell.

It was a tough call for the judges and the first scorecard had it even as both fighters prepared for a fourth round. But the other two had the fight in favour of Gonnapar who is crowned as the new K-1 lightweight champion.

https://twitter.com/k1wgp_pr/status/1338084336311042048?s=20

Wild brawl

The co-main event was a wild brawl between Minuro Kimura and Abiral Ghimire. The action was barely underway when Minuro started to unload with heavy punches, but was soon dropped for an eight count by a big punch from Ghimire.

Minuro wasted no time going straight back at Ghimire and dropped the Nepalese fighter for an eight count cutting him by his left eye in the process. Both refused to back down and traded wild punches, before the referee called a halt to let the ringside doctor check Ghimire’s cut.

The doctor allowed the fight to go on and soon after another heavy punch from Minuro sent Ghimire down for another count. He beat the count again, but Minuro unloaded with more heavy punches, rocking Ghimire more than once, but somehow he survived the round.

Round two saw Minuro unload with more hard shots to the head and body. Ghimire managed to take them though and started to taunt Minuro a little. The referee took Ghimire to see the doctor again, who allowed the fight to continue.

Minuro was using Ghimire for target practice now, landing with some huge left hook, that somehow Ghimire managed to take. Again the referee stopped the action to have Ghimore’s cut checked and this time the doctor waved off the fight.

K-1 World Grand Prix 2020, Tokyo, December 13th
Gonnapar Weerasakreck def. Kenta Hayashi via majority decision (For K-1 Lightweight title)
Minuro Kimura def. Abiral Ghimire via TKO (cut) in Round 2
Kizaemon Seiga def. Hirotaka Urabe via DQ (low blow)
Yuta Murakoshi def. Naoki Yamamoto via Decision
Ryusei Ashizawa def. Kotaro Shimano via KO in Round 2
Taio Asahisa def. Hikaru Hasumi KO in Round 3
Daizo Sasaki def. Tetsuya Yamato via Decision
Shuji Kawarada Fumiya Osawa via Decision
Hiromi Wajima def. Yuhei Fujoka via KO in Round 1
Taito Gunji def. Yusho Kamemoto via KO in Round 2
Junki Sasaki def. Riamu via Decision
Fukashi def. Hayato Suzuki via KO in Round 2