K-1 returns to the Saitama Super Arena with a big card next month. There will be two titles on the line in the main event when Takeru face French based Moroccan fighter Adam Bouarourou.
K’Festa 3 is set for the Saitama Super Arena on March 22nd. The K-1 and ISKA titles will be on the line when Takeru faces Bouarourou in a headliner that is set for 60kgs.
Bouarourou is the current ISKA champion while Takeru holds the K-1 belt. The Japanese fighter is coming into the match on the back of a win over Yuta Murakoshi at the K-1 World Grand Prix event in November.
Yuta Kubo has been somewhat inactive recently averaging just one fight a year since 2017. He faces Jordan Pikeur of the Netherlands in about that will have the Japanese fighter’s welterweight title on the line.
Pikeur was on a strong run of form in Japan in 2019 with decision wins over Masaaki Noiri and Katsuya Jinbo and a stoppage win over Kaisei Kondo at the end of the year.
The third title fight of the night sees Rukiya Anpo defend his super lightweight title against compatriot Fukashi Mizutani. The Japanese fighter won the title from Kaew Weerasaklekgym at K-1 World Grand Prix in July and then defended it against the same opponent at K-1 World Grand Prix in December.
However both wins were controversial with the Thai fighter harshly warned for holding by the referee on both occasions. The judging of the two fights was also questionable.
Fukashi fought across multiple disciplines in 2019, with points losses in Muay Thai to Australia’s Chadd Collins and in Shootboxing to Renta Nishioka. But he finished the year with two third round KO wins in K-1, against Tsubasa Horii and Tetsuya Yamato.
Also on the card is a four man super-welterweight tournament with a ‘Japan vs the World’ theme. It features Kaito, Jinbo Katsuya, Kido Yasuhiro and Wajima Hiromi from Japan with Brazilian Kimura ‘Philip’ Minoru, Eder Lopes of Portugal, Milan Pales of Slovakia and Denmark’s Niclas Larsen providing the opposition.
K’Festa, Tokyo, March 22nd
Takeru (c) vs. Adam Bouarourou (c) (For K-1 and ISKA (Super Featherweight Titles)
Yuta Kubo (c) vs Jordan Pikeur (For Welterweight Title)
Anpo Rukiya (c) vs Fukashi (For K-1 super lightweight title)
Yuki Egawa vs. Facu Suarez (Featherweight)
Takei vs. Dansiam Ayothaya Fight Gym (Bantamweight)
Hayashi vs. Zhu Shuai (Lightweight)
Kana vs Gloria Peritore (Flyweight)
Hiromi Wajima vs Niclas Larsen (Super welterweight tournament 1/4 final)
Yasuhiro Kido vs Milan Pales (Super welterweight tournament 1/4 final)
Jinbo Katsuya vs Eder Lopes (Super welterweight tournament 1/4 final)
Kaito vs Minoru Kimura (Super welterweight tournament 1/4 final)
Daisuke Fujimura vs Kotetsu (Super welterweight reserve fight)
