Kickboxing Rankings part 2: 70 kg
Posted by Fraser on May 17th, 2009
As promised, here is part 2 of kick boxing rankings, this time focusing on the 70 kg division (aka the Middleweight, or K-1 MAX division). With K-1 dabbling with a 60 kg division, we’ll keep this focused on the 70 kg K-1 MAX area. This is a deeper talent pool than the Heavyweights, so we’ll go with a top 20:
Top 20 Kickboxers (70 kg division)
1. MASATO
2. Artur Kyshenko
3. Giorgio Petrosyan
4. Andy Souwer
5. Albert Kraus
6. Buakaw Por. Pramuk
7. Nieky Holtzken
8. Gago Drago
9. Yoshihiro Sato
10. Chahid Oulad El Hadj
11. Murat Direcki
12. Taishin Kohiruimaki
13. Yuya Yamamoto
14. Leroy Kaestner
15. Yoshihiro Kido
16. Chi Bin Lim
17. Alviar Lima
18. HINATA
19. Sahin Yakut
20. John Wayne Parr
Obviously by the end of the year we’ll have a new #1 as MASATO is set to retire. For my money, I wager it will be Kyshenko. Petrosyan is on a red hot streak, which I hope he can keep going. I somewhat grudgingly have Buakaw at #6 – he has earned it, but I really think those who are picking him to win it all this year are riding on his past accomplishments, not his recent subpar track record. Finally, Drago’s defeat of Sato screwed things up in a way as it drops Sato way down, plus retroactively seems to elevate Direcki (who recently destroyed Drago) and Chahid (who also recently defeated Drago and Direcki). I’m somewhat skeptical of when we’ll see Sato defeat a top 10 name again - might be a little while.
And since this seems like a good place for it – my early predictions for the Final 4: Drago, Petrosyan, Kyshenko, Buakaw (though it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see Holtzken take out Buakaw). Which is an exciting Final 4. At the beginning of the year I called for new blood, and so far K-1 MAX has delivered. I’m looking forward to seeing how this year plays out.