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K-1
EntityQ339165· pop 36· linked from 1,035 articles

Also known as K1 Kickboxing, k-1 Kickboxing, k1, K one, K-1 sport

K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion, founded and based in Tokyo. It is owned and operated by M-1 Sports Media Co, Ltd. It was established in 1993 by martial artist Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the world. The organization was known for its heavyweight division fights and Grand Prix tournaments. K-1 also promoted mixed martial arts events, with some events having both kickboxing and MMA matches on their cards (such as their Dynamite!! series). The promotion has

Key facts

Company.name
M-1 Sports Media Ltd.
Company.logo
File:K-1 Logo.png
Company.type
Private
Company.predecessor
Seidokaikan
Company.foundation
1993
Company.location_city
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Company.location_country
Japan
Company.founders
Kazuyoshi Ishii
Company.industry
Martial-arts entertainment planning and promotion
Company.owner
M-1 Sports Media Co., Ltd

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Official website
fan.pia.jp/K-1
Show 4 more facts
official shop URL
k-1.shop
Commons category
K-1
inception
1993-04-30
social media followers
553000
Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

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Article

15 sections
Contents
  • History
  • Early years
  • Acquisition and restructuring (2012–2023)
  • K-1 World GP Japan
  • 2023–present
  • Rules
  • List of K-1 events
  • Tournament format
  • K-1 Grand Prix
  • K-1 World MAX and others
  • Broadcast
  • List of K-1 champions
  • Current K-1 champions
  • See also
  • References

K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion, founded and based in Tokyo. It is owned and operated by M-1 Sports Media Co, Ltd. It was established in 1993 by martial artist Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the world. The organization was known for its heavyweight division fights and Grand Prix tournaments. K-1 also promoted mixed martial arts events, with some events having both kickboxing and MMA matches on their cards (such as their Dynamite!! series). The promotion has also held several tournaments under K-2 and K-3 banners from 1993 to 1995.

The letter K in K-1 is officially designated as a representation of words karate, kickboxing and kung fu. Nevertheless, some reports suggest that it represents the initial K found in competing disciplines such as karate, kickboxing, kung fu, kempo, kakutougi (the generic Japanese term for "combat sports"), and taekwondo. Another theory claims that the K simply comes from kakutougi and the "1" component pertains to the single weight division (in earlier competition) and the champion's unique position.

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