to have the strength and power advantage, but Van Do Milnes countered with her speed and accuracy as she picked her shots from the outside. Hernandez landed more power shots, but Milnes won more of the exchanges.
Round 2:
Both women were fearless headed into the second stage, while also appearing to be picking up the pace. Hernandez tried to close the gap to engage in more of a punching game as Milnes appears content utilizing outside angles to strike Hernandez with leg kicks and body kicks. The round ended with Milnes landing more blows.
Round 3:
The final frame saw much of the same with both women using short snapping punches and leg kicks exclusively. However, the pace had slowed substantially, as both women appeared to be exhausted in the fight's final minutes. Milnes had found her range and took more initiative peppering Hernandez from the outside, which in the eyes of the judges was enough to earn her the unanimous decision vitory (29-28 from all 3 judges).
Quarter-Final #1 (3 rounds x 3 minutes with possible extra round):
Tsuyoshi Nakasako (207 lbs) vs. Alexandre Pitchkounov (226 lbs)
The first quarter-final match saw the lone Russian and Japanese representatives square off. The tournament favorite was the Kyokushin Karate stylist and World Grand Prix 2007 in Hawaii finalist Alexandre Pitchkounov (7-1-1 : 3 KO's) pitted against a fellow Karate stylist in the Japanese fighter Tsuyoshi Nakasako (18-24-1 : 5 KO's). On paper and in the sports books, this was by far the most lopsided fight of the night with Pitchkounov coming in as a heavy favorite and it appeared that Pitchkounov was given a most favorable first round draw due to his recent success.
Round 1:
The fight began with Alexandre Pitchkounov in the red corner and Tsuyoshi Nakasako in the blue corner enaging in a caustious and tedious first round feeling out process as neither man is looking to take a risk as they try to find their range. Nakasako has a full head of hair on the right side of his head with the left side shaved. However, his fighting style is much more conservative, as he appears reluctant to open up and trade with Pitchkounov.
Round 2:
The second round began with a restless crowd, as each fighter exchange leg kicks. The men start picking up the pace as you can hear the impact of their kicks. Nakasako begins aggressing early on, but Pitchkounov was able to avoid any damage and settled in. He unloaded an arsenal of kicks that began connecting with devastating force. Nakasako was subsequently taken to the mat for an eight-count with a gnarly uppercut that landed on the button. As the fight continued, Nakasako was quickly knocked down again with a stiff jab. Nakasako would survive the two-knockdown rule, as the second time he hit the mat, it was ruled a trip, allowing Nakasako to close out the round.
Round 3:
Nakasako again opened the third round the aggressor, but quickly found himself unable to inflict any damage on the more skillful Russian, while he was forced to eat heavy blows from Pitchkounov every time he tried to engage. Nakasako finished the round bloodied and battered, while covering up from a decision-minded Pitchkounov, who appeared to be saving himself for the up-coming tournament rounds. The final bell rang and it was Pitchkounov's hand raised with a 30-26 (three times) unanimous decsion.
Quarter-Final #2 (3 rounds x 3 minutes with possible extra round):
Rick "Savage" Cheek (255 lbs) vs. Imani "The Juggernaut" Lee (310 lbs)
The second quarter-final match saw the two largest competitors in the tournament face off. Rick "Savage" Cheek (19-0 : 17 KO's) against the massively built Imani "The Juggernaut" Lee (17-4 : 12 KO's). The fight was Cheek's return to K-1 after just amassing three consecutive Mixed Martial Arts wins in Gladiator Challenge spanning five months with his last win in May. Along with his recent MMA accolades, Cheek is also an undefeated kickboxer and former United States Air Force and Armed Services heavyweight boxing champion. The undefeated Cheek started the tournament favored only slightly below Pitchkounov as a favorite in the Las Vegas sports books. However, he would be facing a veteran of last year's "Battle at the Bellagio" who nearly shocked Michael McDonald in a second round match as a replacement, in the gelatinous and imposing form of Imani Lee's 310 pound frame. The winner of the quarter-final match would have a clearly advantageous size advantage the rest of the night by advancing into the Semi-Finals.
Round 1:
Rick Cheek and Imani Lee touched gloves and seemed to be trying out various strikes in an attempt to get a feel for each other, while trying to find their range. The much bigger Lee attempted a spinning heel kick much to the amusement of the crowd and Cheek attempted a spinning back fist, which would have made MMA fighter Shonie Carter proud. Cheek repeatedly danced backwards to avoid Lee's heavy hands and was able to connect with several straight jabs before the close of the fist round.
Round 2:
The second round saw both fighters throwing with more force, as every strike was audible upon impact. Cheek landed a spinning
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