K1 MAX Tournament
Kristoffer Addis makes waves at K1 MAX 8-man tournament in Warrington!
Addis, who represents the Kao Loi Gym based at Hornbeam Park, has had a thirty fight career, winning two British Titles and the WMF European Title. He went into the tournament as one of four favourites along with Adrian Wedolowski from Glasgow, Kerrith Bhella from Wolverhampton, and Martin Goink from London. The remaining fighters were Seb Long, Marcus Powell, Marc Evans, and Mo Javid.
The draw for the event was held after the weigh ins at the Village Hotel in Warrington, and saw the four favourites matched with each other in the first round. Addis versus Wedolowski, and Bhella versus Goink, with Powell facing Evans and Long matched with Javid. The Addis Wedolowski clash was the standout match-up and has been talked about for many years as a possible exciting fight, and it did not dissapoint.
Harrogate’s finest went into the three round fight with a very positive mind set, which he would need in spades against such a tough opponent. After delivering three hard jabs Addis bloodied Wedolowski’s nose, and was wary of the Yorkshireman’s power. However this didn’t stop him from landing his own hard shots. Addis edged the first round but increased the pressure in the second, with his corner team, Pierre Mahon, Paul Foster, and Craig Jose, calling for speed in his work. This made the difference in the second with Addis now ahead. Wedolowski rallied but Addis was not to be denied and his excellent workrate took the third. A unanimous win for the Starbeck man!
In the other draws Powell stopped Evans in the second, Bhella stopped Goink in the first, and Javid won on points. So the semi finals were Addis versus Powell, and Bhella versus Javid.
In Addis’s first fight he had injured his right foot, right knee, and left shin, but undaunted he went into the clash with Powell in a positive frame of mind. However Powell soon took away any thoughts the Yorkshireman might have of an easy path to the final! He scored well with all techniques and just before the end of the round, wobbled Addis with a hook. He recovered well and attacked with ferocity and strength in the second, landing a knee to the head which dropped the Londoner. Powell made it to the third, but Addis’s ferocity was too much and he received another knockdown before the fight was stopped with a minute left.
Another win, but another hard fight for Addis, with Bhella winning on points in the second semi final. The crowd could look forward to the final they wanted to see, Addis versus Bhella!
Addis’s injuries had got worse during the second fight, but if anyone thought this would stop him attacking in the final three rounds they would soon be proved wrong! Massive exchanges of blows in the first round had the crowd on their feet, Bhella with tremendous punches and Addis with his trademark knees. Into the second and Addis found a home for the long knee (pictured above), which dropped Bhella for an eight count. A dominant round for Addis and he continued to knee Bhella to the head for much of the third, but with 40 seconds left on the clock Bhella caught Addis with a massive right hand, affecting the Yorkshireman’s equilibrium. Despite this he called on his opponent! Bhella tried to finish it but hardly had the energy left to commit to the required onslaught.
At the end of the third it seemed to many in attendance, that Addis had done enough to win, but the judges gave it a draw which meant the two combatants had to fight an extra round! This proved to be a round two far for Addis who had already done two more rounds than Bhella in the evening, and he took the victory by one point. However Addis was very pleased with his performance. “My next fight is on home soil at the Harrogate Pavilions on October 20th, and I feel really confident after my fights here, beating Wedolowski and knocking down my other two opponents. Roll on October!”