Thrills and Upsets at K-1 BEYOND Event

The K-1 BEYOND event delivered a night of exciting bouts, including title defenses, a dominant tournament performance, and unexpected upsets.

Ouyang Feng`s Thrilling Title Defense

Returning to K-1 after more than a year due to injury, Ouyang Feng faced Dutch-Indonesian fighter Darryl Verdonk in a fight that quickly became a potential “Fight of the Year” candidate. Ouyang landed two knockdowns in the opening round, but Verdonk responded with a knockdown of his own in the same round. The fight evolved into a tough contest, with Ouyang ultimately securing his 14th consecutive victory and successfully defending his K-1 70kg title for the first time since winning it over 18 months prior. Following the win, Ouyang Feng indicated his willingness to face Kacper Muszynski and participate in the K-1 World MAX tournament later this year.

Rémi Parra Dominates 60kg Tournament

French fighter Rémi Parra, who previously surprised the K-1 audience by defeating Leona Pettas, entered the 60kg championship tournament as a strong favorite, especially after the title was vacated by his former opponent. Parra lived up to expectations, showcasing exceptional knockout power. He stopped Yuta Matsuyama and then Kyokushin stylist Chihiro Nakajima in the earlier rounds. In the final, Parra faced Krush champion Tomoya Yokoyama. Parra skillfully pressured Yokoyama, preventing him from circling away, and secured his third knockout of the night to claim the K-1 Super Featherweight title. His dominant performance with three KOs against Japanese opponents solidifies his position in the evolving 61kg division, potentially setting up future clashes with fighters like Yuki Egawa.

Thian De Vries Secures Massive Comeback KO

A last-minute change saw former champion Mahmoud Sattari step in to challenge Thian De Vries after the original opponent, Liu Ce, withdrew with a broken nose and was stripped of his Cruiserweight title. The fight started dramatically, with Sattari dropping De Vries just 30 seconds in. However, De Vries showed incredible resilience, immediately firing back with his own powerful left hand that ended the fight moments later. This swift comeback victory maintained De Vries`s perfect undefeated record, now standing at 30-0 with 27 knockouts. His future may involve a defense against the returning Liu Ce or potentially a move to promotions like GLORY Kickboxing.

Koji Ikeda Upsets Akihiro Kaneko

Krush title challenger Koji Ikeda delivered a significant upset by defeating the highly-rated Akihiro Kaneko. Kaneko, known for his technical skill and a three-year undefeated streak, had shown signs of a more passive approach recently. Ikeda capitalized on this, knocking down Kaneko just 15 seconds into their bout. Kaneko struggled to mount effective offense until the third round, by which point Ikeda had established a decisive lead. Despite the loss, Kaneko retains his K-1 55kg title as this was a non-title fight. Given Ikeda`s recent mixed record (3 losses in his previous 5 fights), a potential rematch against Kaneko could offer a path to redemption for the former pound-for-pound contender.