K-1 Beyond Title Fights Announced

K-1 is set to host a new event featuring title bouts this spring.

The upcoming K-1 Beyond event, scheduled for May 31st in Yokohama, Japan, is poised to showcase top-tier kickboxing talent with a lineup featuring three significant championship fights.

Reigning Cruiserweight champion Liu Ce, also the winner of the 2023 Openweight Grand Prix, is slated to defend his K-1 Cruiserweight title. His opponent will be Thian De Vries, the undefeated Enfusion World Light Heavyweight champion.

While Liu boasts a perfect record in K-1 appearances, De Vries holds an impressive streak of 11 consecutive victories, all secured by knockout or technical knockout. Fans can anticipate a hard-hitting clash for the K-1 Cruiserweight strap.

In the Super Welterweight division, K-1 Super Welterweight champion Ouyang Feng, a specialist in Sanda, is scheduled to defend his championship against the in-form Enfusion fighter Darryl Verdonk.

Verdonk, a former Enfusion Lightweight world champion, has achieved back-to-back wins since his quarterfinal exit from last year`s K-1 World Max tournament. Ouyang Feng, the current titleholder, enters the bout on the back of a five-fight winning streak in Wu Lin Feng. The Chinese fighter also participated in the K-1 World Max last year but had to withdraw due to injury after advancing from the first round.

The Super Lightweight championship will feature a rematch between Shu Inagaki and the current Thai champion, Yodkhunpon.

Yodkhunpon recently successfully defended his Super Lightweight title with a notable TKO victory over Hayato Suzuki. The experienced Thai competitor will also be active before this rematch, with a fight against Chinese veteran Meng Gaofeng scheduled for March 29th at Wu Lin Feng 553.

Promising prospect Shu Inagaki, who was defeated by Yodkhunpon in a competitive first meeting, is focused on making the necessary strategic adjustments to overcome the Thai champion in their upcoming second encounter.