SEOUL, September 27, 2008 -- The fighter they call the "Dutch Lumberjack" has cut down many an adversary in his illustrious K-1 career, but tonight Peter Aerts outdid himself -- overcoming a 20cm/7" height and 17kg/50lbs weight disadvantage to beat three-time and defending K-1 World Grand Prix Champion Semmy Schilt in the Main Event at the K-1 World GP 2008 in Seoul Final 16.

No fightsport competition can match the drama of the annual K-1 World GP Final. But for many purists, the sheer depth of talent in the K-1 WGP Final 16 makes this an equally exciting, must-see event.

Early each autumn, culminating scores of regional qualification and elimination tournaments held around the globe, the best 16 stand-up martial arts fighters in the world go head-to-head in eight bouts at the K-1 Final 16. The winners advance to the K-1 WGP Final, to fight for the world's most prestigious fightsport championship; while the losers limp home empty-handed. For the athletes did battle tonight at Seoul's Olympic Sports Complex, the Final 16 showdown was nothing short of do-or-die.

Fighters from the 2007 K-1 WGP Final automatically qualified for this year's Final 16, while the other participating fighters either prevailed in one of this year's regional qualifying tournaments or were voted onto the card by fans. All bouts were fought under regular K-1 rules -- three rounds of three minutes each, with two possible tiebreaker rounds.

In the Main Event, Semmy Schilt of Holland met compatriot Peter Aerts -- a K-1 veteran who has also thrice won the World GP and holds the distinction of being the only fighter to have competed in every K-1 World Grand Prix final since the sport's inception in 1992.

It's no easy task to figure how to beat Semmy Schilt, because so few fighters have managed the feat. With just two losses in 30 fights (one coming against Aerts in 2006), Schilt is the most dominating fighter in K-1 history and the strongest champion of any fightsport in the world. But tonight the timeless Aerts -- whose last World GP championship came 10 years ago -- executed an intrepid go-to strategy to slay the giant and establish himself as a leading contender for this year's K-1 crown.

Aerts started fast and hard, charging through Schilt's preternaturally long reach with a vicious punching attack that backed the big seidokaikan fighter over the ropes. No slouch, Schilt fought back, slamming in punishing low kicks. But Aerts refused to stay outside, first answering Schilt with low kicks of his own, then relentlessly fighting through to close on his opponent, landing a great right hook then planting a straight punch up and smack on the money. Throughout, Aerts kept his guard out far in front, swatting at Schilt's fists then barreling forward with punches. By the end of the first round it looked like he just might have a chance. The crowd was starting to believe, and the arena got loud.

In the second round, Aerts again went all-out, fighting past Schilt's legs and fists with more guts than grace. Schilt was now in a defensive mode, desperately trying to fend Aerts off with front kicks. But Aerts would not stop, and continued taking the fight to his opponent, pushing forward with the fists, at one point knocking Schilt's mouthpiece out.

Schilt, clearly surprised, resorted to the clinch, for which he received a warning. In the third round Schilt landed a couple of brutal lefts, but Aerts did better with a right that was the strike of the night, and his aggressiveness crescendoed to the final bell.

The first judge's card had it for Aerts, but the second scored the contest a draw. The exhausted Aerts was visibly relieved -- actually he was ecstatic -- when the third card gave him the win.

"I'm not happy," said Schilt afterward. "I should've done more, but Peter put on a lot of pressure and he didn't let me fight."

Said a beaming Aerts, "I feel good, it was a hard fight. It's difficult to fight a guy like Schilt, you have to keep going at him. My trainer made a good plan for tonight, I'm the doer but he's the thinker, so I'll let him explain!"

Aerts' trainer, Jan Plas, explained. "Schilt's a big guy who needs lots of space, he works with a big circle but if you give that to him he's going to kill you! So the way to beat him is to get inside his circle, and that's with Peter did perfectly."

In the evenings penultimate bout, K-1 2007 and 2008 Heavyweight Champion Badr Hari took on Hong-Man Choi. Hari is an explosive fighter with a tremendous KO ratio. While many place the 23 year-old muay thai fighter at the forefront of the sport's new generation, some still see the outspoken Moroccan as a punk. Hari thrives on his bad boy image, which he carried into the ring tonight for a date with Korea's favorite son. Choi is a former ssirium grand champion who stands 218cm/7'2".

Following a thunderous ovation for Choi, the fighters engaged in an intense staredown during the referee's pre-fight instructions. When the bell sounded, Choi sent in a solid front kick. Then Hari took over, circling and firing in low kicks and straight punches. Choi countered promisingly, making contact with a straight punch, but Hari came back with a dandy leaping right straight punch to finish the first. Hari's speed carried him well here, but early in the second, Choi's power shifted the balance. As Hari came in to deliver a punch, the big Korean tagged it "return to sender." A left to the nose followed by a right hook deposited Hari on the mat. Although Hari sustained no apparent damage, the down put Choi up on all cards.

Hari circled once more in the third, repeatedly darting in with low kicks and closing to pump in body blows. Absorbing the strikes slowed Choi, who could no longer effect counters, his few attacks coming with front kicks.

One judge liked Choi, while two saw a draw, prompting a tiebreaker round. But a distressed Choi did not answer the bell, his corner throwing the towel to give Hari the win.

"Scoring a down on Badr is good enough for someone who hasn’t been fighting for one year," said Choi in his post-bout interview. "But I was nervous so I couldn’t move well, and I made the decision to stop. It wasn't an injury, I was just concerned about my next fight."

Hari had a different take, suggesting his body blows had cracked Choi's ribs. "I had no problem with the extra round, I was prepared to go 100 rounds if I had to -- more rounds just give me more time to beat him up! He only touched me once in the fight, that was the count, and although he's become better, he's not strong