Nagashima may look like a little girl, but he punches like a man, and had won three straight fights coming into this dance.

The contest started with Nagashima tossing in hooks, which were met by Kraus' sound defense. When roles reversed and Kraus began to unload, it quickly became apparent that Nagashima's defense was anything but sound. A left put the Japanese fighter on the mat the first time, and seconds after resumption a right dispatched him to la-la land. Kraus with a KO win at just 1:07.

"I think it went well, I was in good condition and I'm glad to win," said Kraus from the winner's circle. "I expected his punches to be faster than they were. I didn't really care about his costume, I just concentrated on my fight, and I think I taught him that a fighter needs to respect his opponent."

Japanese karate stylist Yuya Yamamoto, a late substitute for injured Taishin Kohiruimaki, went up against Chi Bin Lim of the Republic of Korea.

Lim closed well in the early going with tight punch, kick and knee combinations, and went up a point up on one card after the first. In the second the pace picked up, Lee aggressive with the fists and tagging his opponent well with counters. But in a flash, a Yamamoto spinning back punch surprised the Korean and sent him down. Lee pressed late with hooks, but Yamamoto answered well with kicks to pick up points. An spinning high kick by Lee sailed just short in the third, after which Yamamoto made partial contact with a similarly athletic foot to the head. Lee pressed through the balance of the bout, pumping the knee and landing a dandy spinning back kick to the head at the clapper. A spirited battle, going to Yamamoto on all three cards.

"I think he's a great fighter," Yamamoto told reporters afterward. "When I think of going through to the final eight, I'm a bit scared to fight against those strong fighters. However, I have people who encourage and support me, so I will do my best!"

Rising World Max fighter Artur Kyshenko of the Ukraine took on 31 year-old kickboxer Alviar Lima of Cape Verdi.

The bell sounded and Kyshenko came out like a loaded gun, chasing his opponent across the ring with a barrage of punches. In no time Lima was on the mat, and although he strove to rally midway through the round Kyshenko did better with counters, corralling Lima into the corner and laying in to force a standing count. Lima was totally outworked here, eating fists again late in the round before the referee mercifully stepped in to call it.

"This was a very important fight for me, I had to win and I felt a lot of pressure, but now I am happy that I could win and go to the final," said Kyshenko in his post-bout interview. "I need to proceed step-by-step, work hard to keep winning like today, and make my fights memorable. The process will give me more confidence."

And finally, Italian muay thai hotshot Giorgo Petrosyan met Dzhabar "Chengiskhan" Askerov of the United Arab Emirates -- both boys making their K-1 debuts.

A command performance by Petrosyan the southpaw, who set well with the jab before firing in the left, and made strong contact with low kicks and knees to the body. The Italian showed superior positioning, timing and power throughout, dropping Askerov in the third with a knee to the midsection to win by TKO.

"I think it was a good fight, and my opponent was strong," said Petrosyan afterward. "The start was difficult but it was good that my knees eventually hit him. I was happy I could win in front of Japanese fans, and next time I will show even better techniques! Everyone who has advanced to the final eight is strong, however I believe I am the strongest of them all!"

The Final-16 reserve fight saw Yasuhiro Kido of Japan open a bag of tricks early then switch to low kicks to take a narrow decision over Korean Su Hwan Lee.

Today's winners will reconvene at the K-1 World Max Final-8, set for July at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo.


In other action on the card, reigning World Max Champion Masato took to the ring for a three-minute 'exhibition' bout with 17 year-old Hiroya, the 2008 K-1 Koshien (high school) Champion.

This was the first in a trio of farewell bouts for Masato, who announced his retirement earlier this month and will exit the ring for good on New Year's Eve (fighting the 2009 World Max Champ). To be sure, this was a bit of fun -- Hiroya strapping on the headgear and shin pads to meet his hero. But both fighters broke a sweat, as Hiroya showed promising positioning, speed and reactions. Stay tuned -- this kid has potential.

The undercard bouts featured fighters from Kyushu and all went to the scorecards -- Masahiro Yamamoto bettering Yuki; Tatsuji edging Ryuji by majority decision; and Kazuki Hamasaki scoring a lopsided victory over Hareruya.

All fights were contested under K-1 Rules, three rounds of three minutes each, with a possible tiebreaker round possible in all but the opening fights.

The K-1 World Max 2009 World Championship Tournament Final-16 attracted a crowd of 7,130 to the Marine Messe Arena. It was broadcast live in Japan on the TBS network. Delay-broadcasts will bring the action to a total of 135 countries -- for scheduling information contact local providers. Visit the K-1 Official Website (www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp) for official results and comprehensive coverage of this and all K-1 events.