While K-1 representatives remain adamant that the Japanese promotion will continue its push back into the kickboxing world, the promotion's transitional period continues to be plagued by the issue of fighter payment.
Two-time K-1 World Grand Prix runner-up Jerome Le Banner recently stated that he has no intention of competing for the organization in the future. The heavyweight great, who recently won an ISKA trinket in a victory over Stefan Leko, lodged his complaints in an interview with French website IKUSA.org.
Le Banner's distaste for Sadaharu Tanikawa comes through in particular in the aforementioned interview, a fact which should come as little surprise. Le Banner has had a rough departure with FEG, forfeiting his October 2010, K-1 World Grand Prix bout with Kyotaro and having reportedly not received compensation for his Dynamite!! 2010 mixed martial arts loss to Satoshi Ishii. Le Banner's distaste for the current K-1 structure is matched by a clear appreciation for Kazuyoshi Ishii, who is said to be eying some new opportunities in the promotion of kickboxing in 2012.
While Jerome Le Banner's statement, in itself, makes waves as a statement on the alienation of K-1's former top competitors, Ray Sefo has also discussed the troubles with domestic media in Japan. Suffice to say, Sefo, the K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 runner-up and current striking coach at Xtreme Couture, isn't happy with K-1 either.
http://www.headkicklegend.com/section/k-1
Ray Sefo also done with K-1.
Sefo says that they still owe him a lot of money and that they owe Aerts, Le Banner, and Golden Glory as well. He also says that during Ishii’s time everything was done properly and that it became crap since Tanikawa took over.
http://nightmareofbattle.com/2011/07/10 ... -persists/
