Artur Kyshenko vS. Gago Drago promoclip

It's Showtime just released the promoclip for their event in Amsterdam on March 6th. As you know, Artur will fight Gago Drago there. Here's the clip:

Looking at the fight card, you can see this is another 70Kg fight for Artur. This means he'll have to cut weight again, which could prove to be problematic:
 Kyshenko fought reasonably well  at -72.5Kg against Öberg, better than in his previous fights. He looked a little soft in that fight, so the extra couple pounds probably helped. If he has to cut weight hard to get below 70Kg. he might come in lacking stamina again.
When you go up against Drago, that's not a good thing. Drago has a tremendous work ethic in the ring: he may not have the biggest punch but he keeps on working from the first second until the final bell sounds.
Check out his latest fight against Yavuz Kabayashi on December 11s:

He eats a full knee in the last round, just gets back up and works hard.

Kyshenko needs to be in great shape to avoid getting steamrolled by Gago. Given that his conditioning has been problematic this year, it'll be interesting to see if he can pull it off at -70Kg.


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Artur Kyshenko vs. Gago Drago on the 6th of March 2011 at It's Showtime

This just in:
"It's Showtime" is hosting it's next big event on March 6th of 2011 in Amsterdam. Artur Kyshenko will face Gago Drago for the first time at that event. If you don't know who Drago is, here's a clip:

 

Prediction:
Drago is a bit of a wild card. He can do great things and he can mess things up in an equally great way. For a long time, he was all about aggression and forward pressure. It seemed he didn't know any other direction than going forward. Taking the offensive is of course very important but not at the detriment of other strategies. And that's where Gago often ran into trouble against good fighters. If you look at his fight record, you'll notice he has almost as many losses as he has wins in the last few years. To give him credit, it seems he's becoming more well-rounded lately, which makes him even more unpredictable.

His greatest assets are tremendous fighting spirit and physical fitness. He just doesn't give up. You have to knock him out to stop the guy or he'll just keep coming at you.

Given that Artur's fitness is still unsure, this could prove to be the key to the match. If Drago can keep the pressure up from start to finish, the Kyshenko we've seen in most fights this year will not be able to hold on. But if Artur improves upon his endurance as he already demonstrated against Ölberg, he has a good chance of winning. Especially if he keeps up the way he used his power shots in that fight.

Knocking out Gago is probably going to be difficult. So unless he gets in a perfect shot (like his amazing left hook) Kyshenko probably wins on points.

Artur Kyshenko vs. Marcus Öberg

Artur Kyshenko vs Marcus Öberg

 2010-11-27
Scandinavia, Rumble of Kings
Stockholm Sweden.

Fight Analysis:

As you can see in the video, Artur starts the first round looking sharp and hungry, more so than we've seen him in his last few fights. Just look at his face right before the round starts: he's pissed off and totally focused.
He immediately starts stalking Öberg and throws a couple of hard shots to set the pace. Öberg doesn't seem impressed and tries to get in the game along with Artur. That works fine until Kyshenko counters perfectly against a one-two combination: when Marcus doesn't bring his right hand back to his guard, Artur nails him with a left hook, hard.
Öberg deserves a lot of credit for hanging in there because that could have been the end of the fight right there. Though this is clearly where the balance of the fight tips over in favor of Kyshenko. But he recovers and even lands a nice spinning back kick. But he does get nailed again in the closing seconds of the round.

In round two, the fight is on. Kyshenko brings out the big bombs and tries to chop Marcus down. Öberg on the other hand knows he's in trouble and tries to turn the fight into a brawl, bringing it right to Kyshenko. It goes back and forth until Kyshenko lands a perfect cross to the body; you can see Marcus wince as it lands. As a result, Artur throws a couple more body shots that visibly hurt his opponent.  Despite the pressure, Marcus lands a solid spinning back fist that shakes Kyshenko. But he replies with a series of leg kicks that all land and a few well placed punches.
Artur gets knocked down when Öberg throws a spinning elbow (which is prohibited)  but he gets back up and the round soon ends.

You can see both men are getting tired when round three starts but Artur is still strong enough to remain very aggressive. This pays off because he manages to score two more knock downs with his left hook. Öberg is clearly no longer in the fight, even though he tries to hang on. But Kyshenko has his number and keeps throwing power shots, never letting his opponent get back into the game again.

A clear win for Kyshenko.

The left hook that changed it all.

Strengths:

• Artur was in much better shape than in his last fights. His endurance has clearly improved.
• His left hook is still devastating and he knows how to place it. 
• Kyshenko is feared for his punches to the body and this fight proves his excellence in that area once again. Öberg was visibly in pain when Artur landed some of his shots.
  

Weaknesses:

•  His endurance is still not good enough. It was better than before, but not at the level where it should be. He should be able to go full tilt for three rounds straight.
• Despite Öberg repeatedly throwing a good left knee, Artur doesn't defend enough against it. He's very lucky he didn't get KOed by it because it came close to hitting the button several times. 
• Artur's defensive footwork was almost nonexistent. At his best, he's able to move around the ring with speed and ease, making opponents miss at his leasure. But here, he just kept walking forward and as a result sometimes walked right into a punch. 

Conclusion:

It looks like Artur's decision to change gyms is paying off. He looked a lot better than in his previous fights and was much more aggressive. Especially in the first round, he looked like his former self again: clean, crisp and precise. But it was sad to see his endurance was still not good enough to keep him at that level throughout the fight. And that's just not going to cut it against guys like Petrosyan or Sauwer who do have the endurance for an all out brawl.

All in all, this was a good fight for Artur and he's clearly on the right track. Mike Passenier seems to have succeeded in making Kyshenko more aggressive again, which paid off in this fight. Though it's too soon to tell how Artur will develop as a fighter now that he's getting used to a new coach.

Perhaps it's best to be cautiously optimistic right now: Kyshenko is definitly moving in the right direction. Let's hope he keeps on improving his endurance and fight game so we can look forward to his upcoming fights.

Artur Kyshenko vs. Marcus Öberg results: Artur wins!

A quick update:

Artur won his fight against Marcus Öberg. Apparently, Marcus was doing quite well until Artur nailed him with a hook. After that, Kyshenko dominated the fight from start to finish, knocking Öberg down repeatedly throughout the fight. Kyshenko wins on points.

That's all the news we could find right now. As soon as we can find video footage of the fight, we'll put it on line here.

UPDATE: Check out the video of Artur Kyshenko vs. Marcus Öberg.

Artur Kyshenko: Interview before the Oberg fight.

Here's a short interview, right before Artur's fight against Marcus Oberg.

Tomorrow: Artur Kyshenko vs. Marcus Oberg

Don't forget that the Artur Kyshenko vs. Marcus Oberg fight is tomorrow. As soon as we know the winner or can find video, we'll post it here.

Artur Kyshenko - Highlight

Here's a recent highlight video for Artur Kyshenko. Enjoy!

Documentary on Marcus Oberg, Artur Kyshenko's opponent on November 27, 2010 at K-1 Scandinavia

As you know, Artur Kyshenko will fight Marcus Oberg on November 27th 2010 at the K-1 Scandinavia event in Stockholm Sweden. The promoter just released a 15min. documentary on his opponent, Marcus Oberg.
Unfortunately, it's in Swedish and there are no subtitles. But if you'd like to see how Oberg does in training, there are several scenes showing his work in the gym.

From the way it looks, Marcus means business and is taking this fight pretty damn seriously. So Artur better come prepared. That said, as Kyshenko is training at Mike's Gym in The Netherlands now, it'll be interesting to see how his fighting-style will evolve under a new coach.

Analysis:

• Artur wasn't doing all that great this year. He desperately needed to shake up his training. So moving to another gym is probably a good idea.
• Rumor has it Kyshenko hasn't decided to stay at Mike's Gym just yet though. Apparently, he's trying out different gyms and coaches to see where he would fit the best. That's smart.
• That said, Mike Passenier has a proven track record in training K-1 fighters so it sounds like a safe bet.
• Kyshenko's traditional Muay Thai style isn't working for him anymore in K-1 like it did before. Like all sports, K-1 is constantly evolving. Pure muay Thai is no longer the best fit for that venue and the Dutch fighters and coaches have known this for a long time. They train specifically for K-1 and that's exactly what Artur needs right now. 
• There will be plenty of high-level sparring partners for Kyshenko to train with. I think that's a key factor in turning things around for him. He needs people who challenge him every day and teach him new ways of using his incredible talent. 

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Artur Kyshenko doing some boxing focus mitt training

Check out Artur doing some boxing-style focus mitt training. Apparently he's been working with the people at A Million Styles Boxing to improve his game. In these clips, you can see Kyshenko doing some very specific drills and punch combinations.

Artur Kyshenko now training at Mike's Gym in The Netherlands

Here's the latest news: apparently, Artur Kyshenko is now training at Mike's Gym in The Netherlands. This gym is run by trainer Mike Passenier, who coaches famous fighters like Badr Hari and Melvin Manhoef.

This is good news actually, as the Dutch school of muay Thai and Kickboxing has produced numerous K-1 champions and top-contenders. If all goes well, Artur can break his losing streak of this year and return in top shape for his upcoming fight against Marcus Oberg.

Here are some pictures of Kyshenko training at Mike's Gym:

Artur Kyshenko v. Marcus Oberg on November 27, 2010 at K-1 Scandinavia

Artur Kyshenko will fight Marcus Oberg on November 27th 2010 at the K-1 Scandinavia event in Stockholm Sweden. The fight will be at super-middleweight, meaning -72,5 Kg. For more info on the event, go here.
Here's the promoclip:

Prediction:
Artur needs a big win to show he's still a contender after being on a losing streak this year. Whereas he needs to be at 70Kg for K-1 and is probably having a hard time making weight, at -72,5Kg, he should be more comfortable and have a lot more endurance.
If he trains well, I think we can expect Kyshenko to be in great shape for this upcoming fight. At the very least, the little bit of extra weight should be a test case for Artur to see if -70Kg. is no longer the weight class for him.

Marcus Oberg isn't a bad fighter but Kyshenko should be able to handle him. Oberg has only 7 KOs out of about 35 fights. Which means he isn't a hard-hitting fighter. Kyshenko on the other hand has plenty of power when he's in shape and he knows how to take a punch. So on paper, he should be able to dominate Oberg from start to finish.

The only wild card is range. Oberg is a tall guy and Kyshenko hasn't fought that many guys his own height. This could prove more difficult for Artur than he anticipates. Especially if Oberg uses his reach well.

Be that as it may, if Artur's training goes well and the extra weight is all he needed to get back into top shape, Marcus will not last the full three rounds...

UPDATE: Check out the video of this fight.


Here are some videos of Marcus Oberg in action:

Artur Kyshenko vs Rayen Simson

Artur Kyshenko vs Rayen Simson
2006-06-30

K-1World MAX 2006 Tournament Final

Yokohama, Japan

Part 1:

Part 2:

Fight Analysis:

Artur begins the fight like he's on a mission: he's very aggressive and puts Simson under pressure right away. He walks forward continuously and places blow after blow, combination after combination. Rayen seems a bit lost at first though he does fight back: he places several good counter punches and lands a couple of nice jabs. But Kyshenko doesn't seem to care, he keeps going in and places a LOT of hooks to the body. The first round is definitely his.

Round two starts with both fighters trading leg kicks. They take turns slamming their shin into the opponent's upper leg and aren't holding back. This goes on for a while but they soon grow tired of the pain and move on. Simson does place a good lead hook in one of those exchanges.  Artur reacts by switching to mainly boxing and going to the body. He pours out the power-punches, particularly in a jab-cross-lead hook combination, forcing Rayen to cover up.
But this costs him a lot of energy and he has to take his foot off the pedal near the end of the round, giving Simson the opportunity to fight back a bit.

Round three gives us a totally different Kyshenko: he knows he's leading on points and only works to secure that lead. He tries to stick and move while throwing a lot of techniques at his opponent. Artur sacrifices power for speed and sheer volume of techniques. Simson gets a few shots in but he never manages to pin Artur down. Later in the round, Kyshenko starts to tire and his techniques seem to lack power. But Rayen doesn't capitalize on this and the fight ends.

Artur Kyshenko wins on points

Strengths:

• Some incredible body shots. Artur shows us one of his signature moves, over and over, especially in the first round. 
• Great fighting spirit. Kyshenko is aggressive from the first second in and tries to force a knockout. He doesn't get one but that's not for lack of trying.
• When Simson puts him under pressure with his leg kicks in the beginning of the second round, he wises up in time to realize he's not going to win that game. So he switches to something he's better at than his opponent. Good tactical thinking.
  

Weaknesses:

• He still walks into punches he could have avoided. Artur often stands still right in front of Simson when he finishes his attack. That gives Simson all he needs to counter. Not so smart. 
• Kyshenko drops his hands too much after landing punches. Even at the beginning of the fight when he is still fresh, you can see this happen way too often. Rayen manages to use it against Artur a couple of times but never lands with enough power to do serious damage. Which is a blessing for Kyshenko because otherwise he would have been knocked out.
• Cardio,cardio,cardio. Artur does a lot of work but he runs out of gas in the second round. For a guy at his level, this shouldn't happen. As a result, he is unable to hit really hard in the last round. Had he faced a stronger opponent, this could have been a nightmare for him.

Artur Kyshenko doing his trademark body blow

Conclusion:

Not a bad fight. Artur shows a lot of heart and determination. At times, his timing and techniques are sublime. But because his defense and conditioning isn't at the same level, he gets a couple of close calls where he could have been dropped to the canvas.

It looked like this fight gave him some more experience against tough fighters who aren't impressed by his reputation and who can take a beating without giving up right away.  Given that he'll go on to lose his next two fights on decision, he probably didn't learn that lesson well enough at that time.

Artur Kyshenko vs. Mohammed "Mootje" Khamal - Post-fight interview

This is the post-fight interview after the Artur Kyshenko vs. Mohammed "Mootje" Khamal fight.

Here is a quick translation provided by somebody on Youtube (so I don't know how accurate it is):

Q1: What do you think about this fight?
A1: I think I have won. And I think judges wrongly gave victory to other guy. And I can't understand why how judges give the points. May be I have lost in first round, but I am sure I have won 2nd and 3rd one

Q2: I see the injuries at your face and your leg. When did you get these damages?
A2: I didn't get any damage but moral damage since I didn't win. And every fighter has some scratches or minor wounds after fight. You are asking such a questions, but it's impossible to get outside of the ring without wounds. Every fighter has it.

Q3: You have lost at the end of this year. And this year has ended. What do you think about it?
A3: I think I have more fights ahead. Of course this is not the best ending of the year. But this is life, I don't agree with that decision, and ... I don't know we will probably apply appeal. I will add one more thing - I don't think I have lost this fight.


Q4: I know in the June of this year there was I fight in Japan where you have also lost. Have that fail affected this fight?
A4: No, there is no relation at all.

Q5: Now I support you and we expect you to win your next fight.
A5: Thanks... I want people to explain rules, how do they count the points. For punches, kicks or for knee kicks?? At current moment I can't understand already how they count the points! For moving forward or for retreating? For hand punches or for kicks? I really don't understand how do they calculate the points! I want them to explain more detailed, let them watch video fight once again at home and make another decision...

A5: I would like to add one more thing - since they forbid clinches, let them forbid to use head since I got second face injury because of that. Let them take some measures to prevent fighters to avoid dangerous head movements. They strike with the head too often.

If you want to know why Artur, read below...

Comments:
Artur looked very disappointed indeed, just look at his face. If he really thought he had won the fight, then that's understandable. But I'm pretty sure he'll reconsider once he views the footage at home. The third round is perhaps a closer call than some would like but you can't really say Artur is the clear winner in that one. Khamal outworked him, plain and simple. Go here for more fight analysis.

Kyshenko is a great fighter but he needs to work on a couple of things to do better in today's K1:

• Work on his stamina. He needs to be able to go 3 rounds at full speed and power. That certainly wasn't the case against Khamal. 
• Develop stopping power. Especially in the first round, he spent too much time doing his beloved "stick and move" number. He needs to get back to bone-crushing punches and kicks that give his opponents a reason to not just storm forward and rush him.
• Work on his combinations. He has both the speed, timing and technique to throw monster-combinations if he wants to. Combos are part and parcel of the K1 MAX game, Kyshenko should know that by now as he used them well enough in the past. Then again, longer combinations require great conditioning and he doesn't seem to have that worked out well enough these days. 

Here's hoping Artur gets these things sorted out and he can come back to claim what his within the reach of such a talented fighter: the K1 Max crown. 

Artur Kyshenko vs. Mohammed "Mootje" Khamal

Artur Kyshenko vs. Mohammed "Mootje" Khamal

2010-10-03

K-1 World MAX 2010 Final 16

Seoul, South Korea

Fight Analysis:

The first round shows a tentative Kyshenko who is feeling out his opponent. Lots of push kicks but they usually get caught and used against him. Khamal is not impressed and seriously out-punches Artur: his hand speed is a step above Artur's, so are his combinations. Kyshenko is lucky his guard is closed tight because the gloves are coming in from all directions. This round clearly goes to Mohammed.

Round two has Kyshenko doing a lot of work: he's much more aggressive than before and scores a lot of points. Artur sticks and moves and it looks like Khamal doesn't really know what to do right away: he just closes his guard and takes the punishment. But he isn't hurt, he just keeps on walking forward.

Khamal only takes action in the last seconds of the round but he does place a solid left hook to the body which seems to hurt Artur. 

This round is for Artur, for sure.

The last round starts off hectic: both fighters go at it hard. They both try to score as many points as possible and pour out tons of combinations. At first it looks like it can go either way but the longer the round goes on, the clearer it becomes: Mootje Khamal is out-classing and out-working Artur Kyshenko. He just scores more than Artur does and even manages to catch him with a nice overhand right. 

Khamal is the winner of this fight; no questions asked.

Artur Kyshenko vs Mohammed Mootje Khamal: Kyshenko getting manhandled against the ropes

Strengths:

• Artur has amazing talent, this is is still evident in this fight. He technique is good and so is his timing. Nothing wrong there. When he lands, you see perfectly executed punches and kicks.

Weaknesses:

• Unfortunately, there are a lot of bullets in this category so let's get started...
• Kyshenko starts too slowly. In the first round, he Khamal gives about three techniques back for every single one he receives from Kyshenko. Artur should have noticed that right away and changed his game-plan from trying out Mohammed's defense to putting him under pressure.
• As of round three, Artur was running on empty. He was still firing shots but they lacked power and determination. Maybe he's having too hard a time cutting weight and it's eating his stamina? Who knows? But he sure wasn't in the necessary shape for a three-round brawl. 
• His techniques lacked stopping power. Artur can hit plenty hard, as proven in many other fights but in this one, his punches and kicks didn't slow down his opponent. Which forced him to fight a running battle, which is always a tough thing to do. Especially if your stamina isn't up for it...

Conclusion:

Mohammed "Mootje" Khamal deserved the win in this fight. Kyshenko didn't fight at 100% for reasons we don't know just yet. Regardless what these may be, he didn't do enough to take the win here.
As of right now, I'd say his future is questionable. In the last few fights, he lacked the power and stamina that made him such a dangerous fighter a few years ago. But now, he's mainly getting by on his talent and timing. That won't do as he fights stronger opponents who are hungry and out to take his place.
I hope his team and coaches are aware of this and can do what is needed to get his career back on track. Fingers crossed...

Artur Kyshenko to fight Mootje Khamal at K1 World MAX 2010 in Seoul

The latest buzz is that Artur Kyshenko will fight Mootje (Mohammed) Khamal at the K1 World MAX 2010 in Seoul on Sunday, October 3rd 2010.  This promises to be a good fight as Khamal is a young and hungry fighter. He's undoubtedly going to give it his all so he can get a shot at the big time in K1. Artur will have his work cut out for him so let's hope his training goes well and he can come in at 100%

Here are a few videos of Mootje Khamal so you have a better idea of what kind of fighter he is and what we can expect.

UPDATE: Click the link for the video and analysis of Artur Kyshenko vs. Mohammed "Mootje" Khamal.  

Artur Kyshenko vs Vladimir Moravcik

Artur Kyshenko vs.Vladimir Moravcik 
2009-12-12
 K-1 ColliZion 2009 Final Tournament
Prague, Czech Republi

Fight Analysis:

The first round starts with a lot of testing and feeling each other out. Moravcik is very active but Artur does manage to land a few shots to the body and places a good high kick. Near the end of the first round, he becomes more dominant but were I a judge, I'd give it to Vladimir.

In the second round, Moravcik picks up the pace right away: He puts Kyshenko under a lot of pressure with punches and kicks, basically driving him backwards, off balancing him. Artur is a bit at a loss and can't seem to find a way to take the initiative; he mainly tries to counter.

In the second half of the round, he starts fighting back a bit more but still isn't leading the fight. In fact, Vladimir puts him under pressure and drives him into the corner when Kyshenko pulls a rabbit out of his hat: a perfectly timed high kick to the back of his opponent's the neck.  Moravcik drops to the canvas and is counted out, even though he wants to continue.

The high kick that finishes the fight

Strengths:

• Artur keeps on using footwork, he often disturbs the pace of his opponent with a few well chosen steps.
• Despite being on the receiving end of a lot of punches and kicks, not a lot of them get through. Kyshenko's defense did its job.
• He keeps mixing it up, trying different techniques all the time to keep his opponent guessing.

Weaknesses:

• This is not one of his better fights. He looks tired and slow when you compare this fight to some of his others. Maybe he had an off day, maybe he cut weight too much, who knows?  But not his most stellar performance in the ring.
• Especially in the first round, the timing of his punches is off. He misses and swings wide a lot with hooks.

Conclusion:

This fight wasn't all that impressive. Looking at both rounds, I'd say Moravcik was winning on points, even if not by all that much. But Kyshenko is always dangerous and you can't afford many mistakes against him. Vladimir's guard isn't in place when the kick lands and he pays the price for it. 

Hopefully there'll be a rematch soon, because Moravcik certainly deserves one. 

Artur Kyshenko, new pictures

Artur Kyshenko vs Chi Bin Lim

Artur Kyshenko vs Chi Bin Lim 

2007-07-21 

K-1 Fighting Network KHAN 2007 

Seoul, Korea

Fight Analysis:

Artur starts the first round with pretty much nothing else but walking forward. He seems determined to go toe-to-toe with Lim. At first, he seems to have a little trouble finding the right distance but near the end of the round, his timing and distance is pretty good.
Lim puts up a good fight though. He doesn't let Artur just walk all over him and tries his best to keep him at bay.

Early in the second round, Kyshenko throws a beautiful jab-lead hook- right leg kick combo and nails his opponent with his shin. You can clearly see chi Bin Lim is hurting and Kyshenko goes after him with a couple more leg kicks. A couple 8-counts later the fight is all over.

Strengths:

• Once again, Artur combines speed and power well.
• He shows some nice counters, especially in the last part of the first round.
• Despite moving forward all the time, he keeps his defense up relatively well.
  

Weaknesses:

• In the first part of R1, he walks into a couple of his opponent's shots. It looks like he was a bit overconfident or didn't have the guy's measure yet. Either way, he should have been a bit more careful. As mentioned above, he kept his guard up and wasn't punished for it.
• With some more explosiveness in his footwork, he could have put a lot more pressure in the first round. Instead of exploding off the line, he often just casually steps forward to strike. With his reach advantage, this could have made his techniques even more powerful and harder to defend against.

Conclusion:

Another good fight by a Kyshenko.Though he seems a bit careless in the beginning, he stays focused and finishes his opponent off without rushing it when he smells blood.

Artur Kyshenko highlight: body shot

This is a pretty good highlight of Artur Kyshenko's previous fights. I clearly shows his love for throwing body shots using hook and straight punches.



Kyshenko lands many of his left hooks to the body because:

• He hides them well with other punches, setting them up.
• He often stays upright when he throws them, with the forearm horizontal. This allows him to come in from the side and around the arms of his opponent.
• It also makes it more difficult for the opponent to spot the body shot coming as many fighters tilt their torso before they hook to the body. Artur doesn't.
• He turns his hips correctly when he punches. This causes a lot of damage.

 Combine all that and you get a wicked cocktail of power and good timing.

Artur Kyshenko teaching a Masterclass

Here are several videos of Artur Kyshenko teaching a masterclass. Enjoy!