enough to beat me. To the fans in Seoul, I'd say I'm sorry I had to beat up a Korean guy, but that's my job!"

Brazilian kyokushin karate fighter Ewerton Teixeira earned a spot on tonight's card by winning this year's K-1 Japan GP. His opponent was Japanese seidokaikan karate fighter Musashi, who failed to qualify for last year's Final 16, and came to Korea aiming to reclaim preeminence among Japanese K-1 fighters.

Both combatants tested the distance early, jabbing and tossing low kicks. After a couple of his kicks fell short, Teixeira commenced aggressively closing on his southpaw opponent with the right cross, and this threw Musashi off. Early in the second Musashi was shown a yellow card for clinching. Soon afterward, Teixeira planted a left that sent the Japanese fighter reeling, then sustained a good punching attack to finish the first in control.

The fighters came out swinging to start the third, things getting messy in close before a lull marred by clinching. Musashi switched his stance to make contact with a couple of lefts, but Teixeira did better late with a left straight, and took the win by a comfortable unanimous decision.

"Winning is matter of who trains better," said Teixeira afterward. "I'm very happy that I have made it to the final tournament and I will do my very best."

Flashy Dutch kickboxer Remy "The Flying Gentleman" Bonjasky used his signature spectacular knee and kicking attacks to capture the WGP Championship in 2003 and 2004. Here he fought Australian muay thai stylist Paul Slowinski, who trains with K-1 legend Ernesto "Mr. Perfect" Hoost, and earned a spot on the card through fan voting on the K-1 website.

Bonjasky closed up against Slowinski's early combinations then answered with a couple of flying knees that left Slowinski's nose bloodied and his legs shaky. Bonjasky continued with a swell left straight punch and a high kick but Slowinski would not go down. In the second the pace quickened, both fighters staying close and mixing it up with hooks, body blows and low kicks hooks. Another Bonjasky flying kick made partial contact before things slowed and the pair rode out the round.

The third was give-and-take before Slowinski launched a solid uppercut and took it into a promising punch volley. Bonjasky was slowed by the blows, and Slowinski appeared to have found the distance for his meat-and-potatoes fistwork. But Bonjasky rebounded, connecting with a couple of high kicks to stop the pestering, finishing on the offensive and with enough on the judges' cards for a majority decision.

"I should have finished Paul but I couldn't," said Bonjasky in his post-bout interview. "I'm not happy with my fight today, I need to train hard for the final."

Dutch kickboxer Errol Zimmerman, this year's K-1 Europe GP Champion, fought kyokushin karate fighter Glaube Feitosa of Brazil in an electrifying bout.

With musical accompaniment provided by a live rapper, Zimmerman made his ring entrance in a skeleton costume and mask. Then Feitosa walked in wearing a karate gi. The guys were dressed for the show, and it was spectacular.

Plenty of punches early on, but neither fighter letting much get past their high guard. After using his speed to lead with the right straight for a time, Zimmerman started landing big hard hooks around and behind Feitosa's close guard, prompting a standing count at the clapper. There was a fleeting window of opportunity between the completion of the count and the bell to end the first, and Zimmerman leapt through it with a flying knee. Feitosa stumbled out of the round but was in big trouble.

The remainder of the bout saw Zimmerman frenetic with the knees and punches, including a novel leaping hook. Zimmerman had done his homework, and as time wore on used his left to lower Feitosa's guard before powering in the right. The hardest high kick here was also delivered by the Dutchman. Almost as surprising as Zimmerman's power, stamina and smarts was Feitosa's chin. The Brazilian had been compromised since the late first -- and had taken blows galore since then -- but stayed on his feet, and even managed to get the crowd to their feet with a late rally.

But without a doubt, it was the 22 year-old Zimmerman -- with perhaps the best bout of his young career -- who had made the statement. A well-earned unanimous decision.

"I'm happy with my fight," said Zimmerman afterward. "I was able to get some downs against Glaube, an experienced fighter. I had prepared for Glaube's high kick, and my plan was to try to go on the attack after defending. I'm very young, but I will try to take the belt!"

Veteran slugger Ray Sefo has come awfully close, but has yet to win the World GP. Although slumping with a five-bout losing streak, the perennial fan favorite was voted onto the Final 16 card. Here, Sefo's chances for advancement hinged on a contest with Turk kickboxer Gokhan Saki, whose tough and technical fighting style earned him the K-1 USA GP 2008 Championship.

Sefo came in with some speed to start, doing well inside with body blows and low kicks. Sefo deftly dodged a high kick, and countered well through the balance of the first before taking the initiative in the second, setting with the jab and closing with the right hook. Sefo threw more than a few kicks through the first two, and a high kick at what he thought was the end of the second -- Seki surprising him with a flying kick at the final second. Some characteristic guard-dropping and monkeying from a nonchalant Sefo in the third, Saki playing it straight with combinations to keep it close. Sefo thought he'd won, but the judges saw a draw and called for an extra round.

In the tiebreaker, Saki went with quick low kicks while Sefo stayed back, coming in only occasionally with punches and low kicks. The dozen years that separate these two had come into play against Sefo, who was now looking very fatigued. At one point, he simply fell to all fours. Saki may not have hurt Sefo, but he did put through more than enough strikes to take the win by unanimous decision.

"I should have done a lot better, but maybe I was too nervous fighting with Ray because he is my favorite fighter," commented Saki later. "But I thought that I won the first and third rounds, I didn't expect it to go to an extra round."

Queried regarding his sixth consecutive loss, Sefo said "This is fightsport, there is always a winner and loser. I'm not retiring yet, there are other fighters who are older than me, maybe