who reached the final match, therefore he was included in the 2006 Final Elimination.

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Usually the combatants of the Elimination 16-men 8-match super fights are paired by drawing. This is done differently at the Tokyo Dome, however. The event is combined with a ceremony where the fighters pull a ball from a glass bowl with a number on it. The balls are marked with numbers 1 through 8, determining fighter order. The fighter with the number 1 ball will choose first "empty" section. This procedure goes on until all the fighters have selected their first quarterfinal opponent.

[edit] Restructuring

In 2007 the K-1 organization introduced two new title belts and restructured the qualification system. The two titles can be acquired through single fights. One was created for the heavyweights under 100 kg fighters and the other for the super-heavyweights. Meanwhile, the well-known 8-man tournament system remains and the GP titles are still handed out.

The new tournament qualification system will be: the 8 finalists of last year, 4 new Grand Prix winners and two new single title champions; if some of the fighters hold more than one title, then the extra ones will be chosen by the organization. The last two spots will be selected by K-1 and the votes of fans from around the world.".^[13]

[edit] Tactics

This section may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (May 2009)

The principal objective of K-1 is to win either by a knockout or by a split or unanimous decision. Victories are usually achieved by kicks to the legs, head or midsection or using traditional boxing punches, such as the jabs, hooks or uppercuts.

The classic defensive boxing stance is rather ineffective against leg kicks, and fighters are more or less forced to constantly move and counterattack. The traditional clinch, often used in boxing, is not allowed, which has led to a very high knockout ratio in the K-1, since the fighters in other stand-up fighting sports often use the clinch to gain time to recover if they have been hit. The traditional Muai-Thai clinch (two hands grabbing the back of the opponents neck or head) is not allowed in K-1 rules. However, a single handed Muai-Thai clinch is allowed. If a fighter grabs an opponent with the intent of using a knee-technique he must let go after one single blow. In Thai Boxing, the fighters often hold on to each other to continuously use their knees and elbows. The same is said for Karate and Tae Kwon Do, though they consider clinch knees and elbows more circumstantial and only when the opponent is weakened to avoid neck and groin counters.

The rules themselves are constantly adapting and changing to create a competition which allows for participants of different styles to fight in a fairer manner, although these rules accommodate kickboxing rules as the main basis.

[edit] Rules

Each match is three or five rounds in duration, with each round lasting three minutes.
The match can end by Knockout, Technical Knockout, Decision, Disqualification, Draw or No Contest.
Both the referee and the ring doctor have full authority to stop the fight.
The fight is scored by three judges on a ten-point must system (The winner of each round receives ten points, and the loser receives nine or less. If the round is even, both competitors receive ten points).
If there is a draw after three rounds, the judges' scores are thrown out and one or two extra three-minute rounds are contested. The judges' decision will then come from the scoring of each extra round only. If, after the extra round(s), there is still a draw, the judges will decide a winner based on the flow of the entire match, considering even the slightest difference. A fight can only end in a draw if both fighters go down at the same time and cannot get up, or in the case of accidental injury in the late stages of the contest.
The three-knockdown rule is in effect (three knockdowns in a round results in a technical knockout).
The mandatory eight count is in effect (the referee must count to at least "eight" on all knockdowns).
The standing eight count is in effect (the referee has the right to declare a knockdown on a fighter who appears to be in a dangerous condition to continue in the match).
A fighter can be saved by the bell only in the last round.

In K-1 single elimination tournament matches:

Each match is three rounds in duration.
The three-knockdown rule becomes a two-knockdown rule for all matches except the final.
One or two reserve fights are held prior to the single elimination matches. If for any reason a fighter who wins and advances through the brackets is unable to continue, a reserve match competitor, or the fighter's opponent from the most recent match, takes his place. There are certain exceptions to this rule (i.e. a fighter who lost a match by knockout might not be eligible to replace another fighter).

Source: [edit] Fouls

The following actions in K-1 are considered fouls:^[14]

Using the head or elbow to deliver a blow

Attacking the opponent in the groin

Delivering wrestling or judo throwing or submission techniques

Thumbing, choking or biting the opponent

Punching the opponent in the throat

Attacking the opponent while he is down or in the process of getting up

Attacking the opponent after the referee calls a break

Holding the ropes

Using offensive language to the referee

Attacking the back of the head with a punch

Attempting to cause the opponent to fall out of the ring

Voluntarily exiting the ring during the course of a match

Attacking an opponent who turns around and shows his back (unless the opponent loses his will to fight)

Delivering a backspin blow in an unauthorized area

Charging inside the opponent's arms with the head held low (inducing a head-butt)

Fighting in a passive manner (without attacking), including continuous holding and clinching

Attacking more than once while holding the opponent's kicking leg, or while holding the opponent's neck with both hands

A fighter is penalized as follows:

Caution – verbal reprimand by the referee

Warning – fighter is shown a yellow card

Point Deduction – fighter is shown a red card

Two cautions result in one warning. Two warnings result in a point deduction, and three point deductions in one round can result in a disqualification.

A red card is shown automatically if a fighter commits a foul with malicious intent.

[edit] Reception

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This article's Criticism or Controversy section may compromise the article's neutral point of view of the subject. Please integrate the section's contents into the article as a whole, or rewrite the material. (December 2009)

The sport is very popular in Japan, Korea, Brazil and in Europe but enjoys only limited popularity in the United Kingdom and the United States. K-1 is rarely broadcast on English television, and the majority of US states does not sanction fight events, therefore K-1 fights are banned. To date, all K-1 tournaments in the US have taken place in Las Vegas or Honolulu (with one exception: Milwaukee 2001).

The events are frequently shown on Tokyo Broadcasting System and Fuji TV in Japan, XTM in South Korea, Combate (channel) and SporTV in Brazil, HDNet ("HDNet Fights") in the United States and on Eurosport in Europe. Reruns of older events are also aired on