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Grabaka
05-23-2007, 03:59 PM
It just keeps getting worse for this event.

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CHOI DENIED LICENSE FOR JUNE 2 “K-1 DYNAMITE”

By Loretta Hunt ([Only registered and activated users can see links])

Fight Entertainment Group (FEG) has been dealt yet another blow as it races to complete necessary applications and paperwork to make it’s proposed June 2 K-1 “Dynamite USA!!” event a reality.

Headliner Hong Man Choi has been denied his fighter’s license in California due to medical reasons, according to an undisclosed source, following requisite examinations and tests the Korean star underwent sometime during the last week in the United States. The California State Athletic Commission has yet to officially confirm Choi's status.

7-foot-2, 330-pound Choi (1-0) was to have faced former World Wrestling Entertainment star and NCAA wrestling champion Brock Lesnar in a super heavyweight bout anchoring the card.

“We have not received notification from either FEG or the California State Athletic Commission regarding Choi not being able to compete,” said Brian Stegeman, Lesnar’s manager this morning. “We are still preparing as if Brock will be fighting Choi.” Stegeman would not comment if Lesnar would be willing to face another opponent June 2 if presented to him.

In weeks prior, the California State Athletic Commission had met on multiple occasions with K-1 officials, including FEG president Sadaharu Tanigawa, in San Francisco and issued a requirement that all foreign athletes undergo their medical protocol within the US under the supervision of a recommended physician. Choi was among the 14 athletes placed under this stipulation.

Choi’s last US appearance was April 29, 2006 in a K-1 kickboxing event in Las Vegas, where he earned a unanimous decision over Sylvester Terkay. The likeable giant rose to prominence when he bested three opponents in one night to take the 2005 K-1 Grand Prix title in Korea.

June 2 was to mark Choi’s US MMA debut.

POSTED -- 05/23/07

Easye1982
05-23-2007, 06:43 PM
Man I hope he is ok, I wonder what it was he failed on....Any word on Brock's replacement sacrifice?

Nos19
05-23-2007, 06:58 PM
if only they made a clone of brock when he was 3, he could fight himself and we could see the two pound each other.

Easye1982
05-23-2007, 07:17 PM
I think that would be a great idea! Too bad its about 20 something years too late.

Mastiff_owner
05-23-2007, 08:58 PM
I can only hope for the sake of the card that they can find a suitable replacement.

Uber
05-23-2007, 09:23 PM
Well...I don't even think this event will happen. Maybe sometime after June 2, but not on that date.

Mastiff_owner
05-23-2007, 09:43 PM
I don't think they will postpone it b/c of the Gracie v Sak fight.

Grabaka
05-23-2007, 11:21 PM
Well...I don't even think this event will happen. Maybe sometime after June 2, but not on that date.

That's what it looks like. This thing is getting postponed or cancelled. FEG just doesn't know how to do business in the States. They don't run the regular K-1 shows in the U.S. Those shows are promoted by ISKA. So this is their 1st time handling stuff here, and they are really screwing it up. They don't even have their promoter license yet. As of now the only thing that is cleared is the EXC portion on Showtime.

Boo
05-24-2007, 01:14 AM
I think it's going to end up being canceled or they are going to eat some big losses. From what I hear K-1 was counting on Hong Man Choi to bring in a big Korean-American crowd. If he's off the card, that all goes away.

I'd love to know how the heck business IS done in Japan. It seems pretty staight forward. They have known for months what the CSAC was requiring of them and they've blown it off. Add this nonsense to some of the other things I've read about doing business with the Japanese promotions and it would drive me crazy. I've come to believe that things like the Chuck vs Wandy debacle WAS the fault of Pride and not the UFC. No wonder Dana was so pissed off. There has got to be some big time cultural difference going on.