K-1 World Max 2025 shakes the great Curitiba this Saturday with a GP of eight athletes.

The largest Kickboxing organization in the world, K-1, is back in Brazil this Saturday night, June 28. The city of São José dos Pinhais, in greater Curitiba, is hosting the K-1 World Max South American Round, featuring the main attraction of a GP with eight athletes up to 70kg, with the winner earning a spot in the final stage of the tournament in Japan at the end of the year. On one side of the bracket is the category champion in the WGP, Petros Cabelinho, facing the Argentine Metralleta Torino. The winner will face the winner of the match between André Martins and Gabriel de Lima, who replaced Junior Luiz after he exceeded the weight limit for the category by 400g and was removed from the card. On the other side is the matchup between Jones Coliseum and Heliazir Estefani. The advancing fighter will take on the winner of the clash between Marcio de Jesus and Jonas Salsicha. The event will also feature several other attractions, such as the title fight for the women's lightweight (up to 60kg) WGP title between champion Jennifer Maia and challenger Marilyn Contin, as well as the Brazil vs Argentina match between Jordan Kranio and Ignacio El Fino.

The official weigh-in for the K-1 World Max took place this Friday, June 27. All athletes fulfilled their obligations and made weight within their respective limits, except for Junior Luiz. The Rio de Janeiro native, who was one of the GP participants, failed to make weight, coming in 400g over the limit for the division, and due to the tournament regulations, had to be removed from the card. As a result, his opponent André Martins had to choose between the two athletes who would fight in the reserve match: Gabriel de Lima and Ariel Villalba. André chose Gabriel, who is now part of the GP, while Ariel faces Maycon Souza, who was on stand-by in case any of the athletes had weight issues, in the reserve fight.

Eight athletes and only one spot in Japan

The most well-known in the GP is Petros Cabelinho, the WGP Welterweight champion, with experience in K-1. At 27 years old, the athlete from Teixeira Team in Curitiba has a long history. He has had over 30 fights in his career, with an 80% win rate. He fought a significant number of those in the WGP. There were 12 matches, with three successful title defenses. His most recent appearances have been in K-1. First, in June 2024, he participated in a reserve match of the K-1 World Max in Tokyo against the Spaniard Sergio Sanchez, where he was defeated by knockout. Later, he was on the K-1 World GP card in Brasília, successfully defending his WGP belt against André Martins with a stunning knockout. With a great reach and a unique style, he stands out as the favorite in the tournament.

His opponent is the Argentine Metralleta Torino, from Buenos Aires. At 29 years old, he has made six appearances in the WGP, recording four wins and two losses. A member of the PFC team, led by Nicolas Ryske, he is known for mastering all areas of kickboxing, effectively utilizing both hands and legs. His physical conditioning is also a differentiating factor. In his career, he has fought nearly 40 matches.

André Martins, ranked third in the WGP, was the last challenger to Cabelinho and has a somewhat more modest fight record compared to his opponents, but his track record is very interesting. He has had 16 fights in his career, with 13 wins and only three losses. Known for his intelligence and aggressiveness, he has participated in the WGP nine times and gained experience in the title fight against Cabelinho in the K-1 World GP in Brasília.

His opponent is Curitiba's Gabriel de Lima, who entered the GP at the last minute after Junior Luiz exceeded the weight limit by 400g. Thus, Gabriel, who was set to fight Ariel Villalba in a reserve match, moved up to the GP after André Martins' choice. At 27 years old, Gabriel has an extensive career and is moving up a division as he was accustomed to fighting in the lower category. He boasts impressive career statistics and is part of the Santa Fé Team, the same team as Jhonata Diniz, a former WGP athlete now in the UFC.

The paulista Jones Coliseum is ranked second in the WGP, only behind Cabelinho. Also at 27 years old, he has a fight record very similar to that of the champion, whom he has lost to in very competitive bouts during WGP Kickboxing edition 70. With over 30 fights in his career and only five losses, Coliseum is known for his physical strength and versatility in the ring. In the WGP, he has had 10 matches, with eight wins and only two losses.

His opponent is Heliazir Estefani, from Sarandi in Paraná. At 26 years old, Zizi, as he is known, is a member of the Ponto 1 Fight team, coached by Fábio Galvão, the coach of the Brazilian Kickboxing Team. In the WGP, he has had four fights with a 100% success rate. With a very aggressive style and powerful punches, he aims for the knockout. In his career, he has had 10 fights, winning eight, six of which by knockout.

Marcio de Jesus is ranked third in the WGP and had the right to choose an opponent after Cabelinho and Jones. Marcio is paulista and has a fight record very similar to Jones and Cabelinho, with 30 fights in his career and an excellent track record. He is known for his powerful strikes and boxing strength. Despite having been defeated by Cabelinho, he is energized after his victory over André Martins, another GP participant, at WGP 79 in April of this year.

Lastly, we have Jonas Salsicha from Cidade Tiradentes. At 29 years old, he is a former champion of the Super-Middleweight (78.1kg) in the WGP and has 11 fights in the event, with two successful title defenses and only two losses, both to former champion Gustavo Jones. In his career, he has had over 35 fights and is known for his aggressiveness and efficiency in throwing strikes in the ring. This is his first time fighting kickboxing in the up to 70kg category, but he has recently fought in this division in MMA. He is also regarded as one of the title contenders.

Women's title fight and international bouts are other attractions
The event also brings standout fights, such as the defense of the women's lightweight title by Jennifer Maia against Uruguayan Marilyn Contín. The Curitiba native was the interim champion of the division but will contest the linear title after the then-champion, Julie Werner, was unable to defend her title due to reaching the maximum age limit allowed by WAKO PRO. Also noteworthy is the fight between Brazilian Jordan Kranio and Argentine Ignacio El Fino, as well as the match between Maycon Souza and Paraguayan Ariel Villalba, who will now participate in the GP's reserve fight. The event will feature six preliminary fights as well.