It's already been a busy combat sports weekend, with Bellator, UFC, and Glory representing kickboxing, but we're not done yet. Join us here at Bloody Elbow today to discuss all the action as K-1 returns for K-1 Rising 2012 in Madrid, Spain. Featuring the opening round of the 2012 K-1 World MAX Grand Prix along with Heavyweight fights from Badr Hari, Mirko Cro Cop, and Daniel Ghita, this is a great all-around card.

The show is available as a live stream on K-1's UStream channel (K1GlobalTV) and begins today at 12:15 p.m. ET / 9:15 a.m. PT. There is a bit of confusion over that start time though, as they have opening fights set to start at that time, and an "opening ceremony" scheduled for roughly two hours later, so we'll have to see what happens.

Originally, it was going to cost you $20, but on Friday, K-1 announced that the stream would in fact be free. So what excuse do you have not to watch? Even better, you don't even have to leave Bloody Elbow as you can watch the live streaming video after the jump

Here's the complete fight card, and for a more in-depth look, be sure to check out my preview.

Welcome back K-1 - we missed you!

K-1 Rising 2012 Fight Card

World Max 2012 Final 16 Fights:

Mike Zambidis defeated Chahid Oulad El Hadj by KO, Round 3
Andy Souwer defeated Abraham Roqueni by unanimous decision
Artur Kyshenko defeated Su Hwan Lee by KO, Round 2
Yasuhiro Kido defeated Xu Yan by KO, Round 3
Andy Ristie defeated Gago Drago by unanimous decision
Reece McAllister defeated Yuji Nashiro by unanimous decision
Murthel Groenhart defeated Harut Grigorian by KO, round 3
Chris Ngimbi defeated Chain Superpro Samui by unanimous decision

Heavyweight Superfights:

Badr Hari defeated Anderson "Braddock" Silva by decision
Mirko Cro Cop defeated Loren Javier Jorge by KO, Round 2
Daniel Ghita defeated Wendell Roche by TKO, Round 2
Sergei Lascenko defeated Rico Verhoeven by split decision

Editor's note by Brent Brookhouse: I added the video stream for Fraser, when I was previewing it before posting it, it was working. If it ends up not working, we'll still have this post up for discussion but you'll have to go to the uSteam page to watch it. The stream will start around 4 p.m. ET.

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This Sunday, K-1 makes a (hopefully) glorious return to action with K-1 Rising 2012. Coming from Madrid, Spain, K-1 Rising is the first K-1 show since 2010 to feature the long-standing kickboxing organization's marquee Heavyweight and MAX divisions. We've talked enough about the trials and tribulations of K-1's recent past, so here, let's focus on Sunday and the fight card.

The show will be available on K-1's UStream channel (K1GlobalTV) at a price of $19.99 starting Sunday at 12:15 p.m. ET. And be sure to join us here at Bloody Elbow for a live discussion.

The card is divided into two segments - the opening round of the 2012 K-1 World MAX Grand Prix, and a series of 5 Heavyweight Superfights. For this preview, we'll take a look at the two halves of the card, plus lay-out the 5 fights you should be most excited about.

The Tournament

For die-hard K-1 fans, Sunday's big highlight is the return of the Grand Prix. Last year, neither K-1, nor K-1 MAX crowned a GP champion, and the year just felt... hollow. It's great to see this tradition return. If you're new to K-1, the Grand Prix is their annual tournament where one champion is crowned. The tournament begins with a qualifying round of 16 (how you get into that qualifying round varies from year to year). Winners there move on to a one night 8 man tournament where a Grand Prix champion is crowned. This show features that qualifying round of 16 in the MAX, or 70 kg division (roughly equivalent to MMA's Lightweight division). Winners will compete for the 2012 GP championship in November.

How to Watch K-1 Rising | K-1 Classic Fights: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Ernesto Hoost |
K-1 Classic Fights: Badr Hari vs. Stefan Leko

More in the complete entry.

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This weekend, there's no shortage of options for combat sports fan. For the MMA-only fan, UFC 146, Bellator, and The Ultimate Fighter Live have you already plenty busy. But in that busy weekend, may I suggest that you make some time for kickboxing. Adding to the weekend's crammed line-up are a pair of kickboxing shows that feature many of the sport's elite - Badr Hari, Semmy Schilt, Giorgio Petrosyan, Andy Souwer, and Mirko Cro Cop among many others. Here are the details on each show, including the full line-up, when to watch, and details on live streams:

K-1 Rising 2012
Sunday, May 27
12:15 p.m. ET / 9:15 a.m. PT

K-1 makes their big return with a stacked show in Madrid. The centerpiece is the opening round in the 2012 K-1 MAX Grand Prix. Sixteen fighters will compete here with winners moving on to the GP finals in November in Taipei. The big names here include Artur Kyshenko and Andy Souwer, plus a rematch of the 2010 Mike Zambidis vs. Chahid Oulad El Hadj classic. There are also 5 Heavyweight superfights with Mirko Cro Cop, Badr Hari vs. Anderson Silva (the kickboxer, not that Anderson Silva), and Daniel Ghita in action as the highlights.

How to Watch: The show will be available on K-1's UStream channel (K1GlobalTV) at a price of $19.99. Right now, that UStream channel is not fully set-up, so let's hope things are finalized by Sunday. One last note - that start time is the time listed for the "opening fight" with the opening ceremonies beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET, so the 12:15 start time may be some sort of prelim action.

Related: K-1 Update: K-1 Not Bankrupt, Live Stream News, 2012 Schedule More

GLORY World Series First 16
Saturday, May 26
12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT

Like K-1, this Glory event features the opening round of a 70kg tournament along with some other non-tournament action. Glory may not have the name recognition of K-1, but as far as the two tournaments go, they do have a trump card - Giorgio Petrosyan. Petrosyan is the two time K-1 MAX champion, and is undeniably the #1 kickboxer in the world at 70kg. His involvement here immediately elevates the status of the Glory tournament. Also on the card is Heavyweight #1 Semmy Schilt as he faces Errol Zimmerman, plus Gokhan Saki in action, and Bellator fighter Cosmo Alexandre in the 70kg tournament.

How to Watch: Again, a live stream will be available. You can watch directly at their website (gloryworldseries.com) for $15. If that doesn't work, the stream is also available at liverkick.com, again for $15.

UPDATE: It turns out the Glory show will also be available at FIght Now TV. Check their website for further details.

And don't forget to check in here at Bloody Elbow for live discussion posts during both shows.

Complete fight cards for both events in the full entry.

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With just days to go until the official return of K-1 we continue our preview of this week's show. Once again, I'm taking a look back at a classic K-1 fight featuring one of this weekend's fighters - in this case Badr Hari. The controversial fighter takes on Anderson "Braddock" Silva at the K-1 Rising show this Sunday. That fight will be Hari's first K-1 fight since April 2010. Since then, Badr has had a very rocky road. From being disqualified against Hesdy Gerges, to fleeing Amsterdam in order to escape suspicion in a nightclub assault, to officially retiring from kickboxing in order to become a pro boxer, things have not gone smoothly for Badr. But through it all, he remains one of the best Heavyweight kickboxers on the planet today, and (as long as he keeps his head on straight) we'll likely get to see that again this Sunday.

Related: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Ernesto Hoost K-1 Classic

Here, we look back at one of Hari's all-time great moments, and one of the best KO's in K-1's rich history. Once again, this is an updated version of an article originally published at Head Kick Legend.

BADR HARI v. STEFAN "BLITZ" LEKO
K-1 World Grand Prix 2005
November 19, 2005

Seven years ago, the landscape of K-1 was vastly different. The old guard of K-1 was still at the top, though for some of these older fighters, it was clear that their time was starting to wind down. The company needed new names, but since the newer breed of fighters that have characterized K-1's recent history had not yet emerged, the company was in a tough position. They turned to the giants to save the day. In 2005, they were at the end of their much reviled "freak show" stage of development, a time marked by a heavy focus on the trio of Bob Sapp, Hong Man Choi, and Akebono as the leading figures. At the same time, another giant had effectively taken over K-1, as 2005 marked the rise of Semmy Schilt as a regular K-1 competitor, winning his first of three straight Grand Prix titles. Between a general dislike of Schilt and growing weariness with the freak show stigma, this period is generally considered a low point by many fans.

Enter Badr Hari.

Videos and more after the jump

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In case you haven't heard yet - K-1 is back. And I am more than a little excited about it. This weekend, K-1 Rising takes place in Madrid, Spain. It's the first K-1 show to feature Heavyweight action since the conclusion of the 2010 Grand Prix, and it also marks the return of the Grand Prix as the 2012 MAX GP gets underway with the round of 16. In short, it's a big deal.

To get ready for the show, I decided to take a look at some classic K-1 fights featuring the fighters who will be in action in Madrid. K-1 is an organization with a rich, near 20 year history, and it's been home to some of my favorite fights in all of combat sports. Here, we'll take a look at one of those fights.

One last note before we begin - this article was originally published in a slightly different version back in my days as one of the founders at Head Kick Legend (R.I.P.). But with that site shutting down its doors, I wanted to bring it here to Bloody Elbow. Expect more of these fight classics to follow. But enough of that, let's look back at this K-1 Classic...

ERNESTO HOOST v. MIRKO CRO COP FILIPOVIC
K-1 Grand Prix Finals 1999
December 5, 1999

At K-1 Rising, Pride and UFC veteran Mirko Cro Cop returns to K-1 for the first time since shattering Bob Sapp's orbital bone back in 2003. It's Cro Cop's second kickboxing fight since a possible retirement from MMA - he defeated fellow K-1 legend Ray Sefo earlier this year. In Madrid, Cro Cop takes on Loren Javier Jorge, a Spanish kickboxer who has faced Tyrone Spong and Danyo Ilunga for It's Showtime. If Cro Cop wins, he will likely get a shot at the 2012 K-1 Grand Prix crown - the ultimate prize in kickboxing, and one that has eluded Mirko throughout his career.

Thanks to his time in MMA, Cro Cop is one of the most famous K-1 fighters of all time. But for those who don't follow K-1, his experience brings up an obvious question - "Just how good was Cro Cop in K-1?" The short answer - he was really good, but not the best. For the long answer, let's take a close look one of Mirko's best performances - the 1999 K-1 Grand Prix.

Fight video and more in the complete entry.

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When starting off in training, one of the most daunting tasks can be shopping for gear. No matter what discipline you are going into, having good gear is a must, but knowing what gear is actually good is easier said than done. Add in hefty price tags, and it becomes an even bigger challenge. When I started my training, I didn't know what to get and went for mostly basic items (you can read my review of those items here). Now, over a year later, I've been upgrading, and am ready to pass along my experiences. We'll start with the gloves.

After beginning training with a pair of basic Everlast gloves, I upgraded to the Bad Boy Pro Series Leather Sparring Boxing Gloves. Bad Boy has long been one of the industry leaders for MMA gear, and for good reason - their equipment is always excellent quality with a real focus on durability and practicality. These gloves are a new product in their pro series, and are only available in 16 oz.

Putting them on, I immediately felt the difference from my old Everlast gloves. The Bad Boy gloves are a tight fit, but that's a decidedly good thing. With my old gloves, I was often tweaking my wrist, as they were too loose in the wrist. These new gloves have a much tighter fit, with a velcro strap that grips firmly across the wrists.

The other big difference is in the padding. Here, the padding is very concentrated in the knuckle area, where it should be. With my old gloves, there was more padding on the back of the hand, which doesn't actually do much for you. As a result, while I stayed with 16 oz gloves, my hands feel much more protected now on my punches. These are little details that you don't even notice until you get a better pair of gloves, but between that extra padding and the grip on my wrists, I feel much more confident throwing punches, which is great.

I've had these for about a month now, and they have shown no wear and tear yet. That includes the insides, which remain odor-free. I should note that I have used them for bag and pad work and sparring, all in Muay Thai.

Overall, I love these gloves. They are a big step-up from my old ones, and provide the needed protection while also being comfortable. At a retail price of $99.99 they are a step up in price as well, so if you are just getting started and want to begin with something more basic, go for it. But once you are ready to get serious, these Bad Boy gloves are the way to go - particularly if you are having any troubles with wrist control during training.

An enthusiastic thumbs up from me on the Bad Boy Pro Series Leather Sparring Boxing Glove. Check back down next week for more reviews.

Finally - I'm curious to hear your opinion. What do you look for in a good glove? And any other glove feedback to contribute?

And now - the legal fine print. I received these gloves for review purposes and did not pay for them. Bad Boy is also a sponsor of Bloody Elbow Radio. This does not affect my review in any way.

Next weekend, K-1 returns with their first card since a huge change of ownership last year, and it's a big one, with the start of the K-1 MAX 2012 Grand Prix, and Heavyweight fights featuring Badr Hari and Mirko Cro Cop. Check out the full line-up here. With this big event approaching, K-1 has been in the news quite a bit recently - sometimes for good reasons, sometimes bad. Here's a quick look at everything happening in the world of K-1, including the true story behind their alleged bankruptcy, and how you can watch their May 27 return show.

FEG Declared Bankrupt by Japanese Courts

FEG, the former parent company to K-1, is officially dead. Last week, the Tokyo DIstrict Court declared the company bankrupt and insolvent. This should come as no shock to anyone who has been following the K-1 saga over the past two years, as many fighters including Alistair Overeem, Ray Sefo, and Giorgio Petrosyan have been very public about being owed huge amounts of money for previous K-1 appearances. Recently, the most vocal has been Golden Glory head Bas Boon, who claims he is owed $2 million by FEG to pay fighters and trainers. It was Boon who pushed FEG into bankruptcy court in an attempt to force the company to pay off their creditors.

This story is getting a lot of press, and to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure why. Some articles are reporting that "K-1" is bankrupt, which is simply not true. The K-1 brand was sold last year to a company called EMCOM which has since branded itself K-1 Global. There remains some confusion over the details of this sale and exactly who makes up K-1 Global, but It's Showtime head Simon Rutz has very publicly stated that former FEG executives, including former K-1 head Sadaharu Tanikawa, are no longer involved. Once the sale was made, FEG was essentially dead - this ruling simply makes it official.

Unfortunately, the confusion surrounding this sale is causing a lot of misinformation about this bankruptcy ruling. Sherdog ran an article titled "K-1 Parent Company FEG Declares Bankruptcy in Tokyo Court" and speculated that this may cause the May 27 event to be cancelled. Dave Meltzer also reported on it and described FEG as the parent company to K-1, going on to say "K-1... is virtually dead."

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May is a big month for kickboxing. Later this month we get two major shows from Glory and the resurrected K-1. Those shows contain a wealth of big fights including the opening rounds of two separate 70kg Grand Prix tournaments, the K-1 returns of Badr Hari and Mirko Cro Cop, and the pound for pound #1 Giorgio Petrosyan in action.

This past weekend, May kicked off in earnest with a pair of smaller, but still notable shows from It's Showtime and SuperKombat.

Top European organization It's Showtime was in action on Saturday with a show in Belgium. The biggest name on the card was It's Showtime Heavyweight champion Daniel Ghita, who took on Brian Douwes. Ghita defeated Douwes via KO in the 2nd round. With that win, Ghita is now on a 5 fight win streak, with a number of those wins coming via impressive stoppage. Because the Heavyweight division was essentially shut down in 2011, it's hard to create accurate rankings at the moment, though I see Ghita as the #2 Heavyweight in the world right now behind Semmy Schilt (though some may argue for Ghita at #3 and Badr Hari at #2). Another great win for the young star.

Five Things To Know About The K-1 MAX 2012 Final 16

Also on the It's Showtime card, 85kg champion Sahak Paparyan successfully defended his title with a Unanimous Decision win over Andrew Tate in a close fight, while Sergei Lascenko continued his resurgent run with a KO win.

Full It's Showtime and Super Kombat results, plus video of Ghita vs. Douwes and more in the full entry.

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