The 2021 K-1 World Grand Prix finally took place at the Yokohama Budokan on Sunday. The card featured an eight man bantamweight tournament with eight of the top Japanese fighters in the division.
Originally scheduled for May 23rd at Ota City Gymnasium in Tokyo the event was postponed and moved to a different venue after a state of emergency was declared. It was worth the wait for Toma Kuroda who emerged as the tournament winner after stopping two of his three opponents.
The final pitched Kuroda up against Kazuki Miburo. The former was seen as something of a dark horse coming into the tournament but he made short work of his opponent landing with a heavy straight left after just 30 seconds to finish the fight and win the tournament.
黒田斗真、1R秒殺KO！ @ABEMA で視聴中 https://t.co/pmX8G5SZ1x #k1wgp pic.twitter.com/BepUEKHxsq
— K-1【Official Account】 (@k1wgp_pr) May 30, 2021
Jumping knee
Kuroda also had the easier run into the final, stopping Koji Ikeda in the second stanza of the quarter final with a jumping knee kick. He breezed through the semi-finals, taking aa unanimous decision win over Hinata Matsumoto.
Miburo had the harder run in, taking a majority decision win over Aoi Noda in the opening bout and then having to fight an extension round to win own points over Naoki Oomura in the semi final.
Best of the rest
The shows co-main event saw K-1 featherweight champion Tatsuya Tsubakihara face Shuhei Kumura in a non title bout. The title holder taking a comfortable unanimous points win.
Former K-1 Lightweight champion Kenta Hayashi, now fighting at super-lightweight put on a thrilling battle with Brazilian Vitor Tofanelli. The Japanese fighter survived two knockdowns and came from behind to drop Tofanelli three times in round two and win by TKO.
K-1 World Grand Prix, May 30th, Yokohoma
Toma Kuroda def. Kazuki Miburo by KO (Punch) at 0:31 of Round 1 (Bantamweight tournament final)
Tatsuya Tsubakihara def. Shuhei Kumura by Decision (Unanimous)
Kenta Hayashi def. Vitor Toffanelli by KO (Three knockdowns) at 2:35 of Round 2
Mio Tsumura def. Miyu Sugawara by Decision (Majority)
Narufumi Nishimoto def. Momotaro by KO (Punch) at 1:06 of Round 2
Toma Kuroda def. Hinata Matsumoto by Decision (Unanimous) (Bantamweight tournament 1/2 final)
Kazuki Miburo def. Naoki Omura by Decision (Extra round) Bantamweight tournament 1/2 final)
Tenma Sano def. Kotaro Shimano by Decision (Unanimous)
Junki Sasaki def. Rat by Decision (Majority)
Toma def. Yusho Kamemoto by Decision (Unanimous)
Yu Fukuhara def. Moe Takahashi by Decision (Unanimous)
Katsuya Jinbo def. Aqil Bukhari by KO (Punches). Round 1, 1:09
Toma Kuroda def. Koji Ikeda by KO (Knee) at 2:10 of Round 2 (Bantamweight tournament 1/4 final)
Hinata Matsumoto def. Yuya Uzawa by Decision (Unanimous) (Bantamweight tournament 1/4 final)
Kazuki Miburo def. Noda Aoi by Decision (Split) (Bantamweight tournament 1/4 final)
Naoki Omura def. Mao Hashimoto by Decision (Split) (Bantamweight tournament 1/4 final)
Yuki Toyota def. Kazuki Oishi by Decision (Unanimous) (Bantamweight tournament reserve match)
Haru Furumiya def. Natsuki Kitamura by Decision (Unanimous)
