Men -65 kg – a category with highly ranked fighters and known to give us high-pace explosive fights. When you have a World Championship whit criteria that one have to qualify to enter – the level will of course be sharpened. Lightweight men are ready – are you?

This year the number of 32 fighters in the men categories been decreased. Some due to the war in Ukraine with Russia out with their ordinary 12 fighters. That said, there are no way that one can enter the podium easily.

－65㎏ MEN LIGHTWEIGHT

In the twenty-four large category, we have many top fighters, champions from all over the world. If we look at the regions, Japan and Europe then these regions make up half of the total. Some of the hardest fights will probably be between these two regions. That bring us into the first set up in the draw.

Kai Nuo Chan / Australia will represent the South Pacific region, and are up against Data Putkaradze / Georgia and the European region. Both quite young fighters, energetic and up and coming. Putkaradze qualified by winning the eight men -65kg category in the European Karate Cup. Been highly active participating in tournaments with good results. Entered the -75kg category this EC – but lost in the first fight, going into extensions.

Most likely, cannot Chan compete with the frequency of participating in tournaments. Australia known for holding a respectable level of their fighters. Who can forget the war Mathew Ah Chow had with Yuki Maeda last time in the 6^th edition?!  With an amazing scoring and win for Chow. Will Chan be able to repeat something like this, or will the frequency of Putkaradze make the difference.

The winner will face on of the top favourites of the category: Atsushi Kawase / Japan. Competed last time, went out in the second round after a long demanding fight with Andrei Zinchenko. Kawase has been among the absolute top fighter in the lighter division in Japan. Being the runner up in the 1^st. International Fullcontact Karate Championship and that in a category with 125 fighters. Putkaradze or Chan can also be marked after their fight, as Kawase will be fresh for his first fight of the day.

The next fight between Donát Karczub / Hungary and Scelimpilo Buthelezi / South Africa is a more open fight as we see it. Hungary with it tradition and solid knowledge have always produced elite fighters. In this case, we are not sure how Karczub did qualify since there are no results like EC or qualifying championships medals to see. Experience – no doubt, as we saw him fight in the U-21 EC (3^rd place) Strong base with good combinations. Buthelezi has been one of the leading fighters in the lightweight in South Africa for some years. Does have the ability to turn the tables in fights where he is under hard pressure and with explosive techniques, knock outs are not a rare thing to see.  The winner will face Central Asia representative Yelaman Mukashev / Kazakhstan. Mukashev one of Kazakhstan’s great fighters coming up. Been successful in the U-categories and stepping up and to senior division with a wide experience. It will be hard for the winner of Karczub / Buthelezi face and overcome a fresh Mukashev.

Next block starts with Middle East – Seyed Mobin Mohaddes / Iran vs Europe – Taras Havrylets / Ukraine. Mohaddes we know little or nothing about – so we must wait to see what he bring, Havrylets we do know something about. He did also compete last time in the 6^th. edition 2017, being podium place holder in the EC the year before. Same thing this time, also into the EC podium in 2021. Last World Championship he advanced to the second round facing Yoshinobu Kumagai / Japan. Steady course, always deliver a decent fight at a high level. We lean towards that Havrylets can make it through the first fight – if so he are up against Yuki Otsubo / Japan. Bring a 3^rd place in the 7^th JFKO. All Japan Open, but not ranked as the best Japanese of the fighters in this category.

Kazuto Teshima / Japan is a high pace explosive fighter. Use to fight in the open-weight as well as fighting in the weight-category championships. He will face Alisher Karmenov / Kazakhstan – Kyokushin-Kan. The winner will go up against another favourite Mindia Mgeladze / Georgia. We feel that Teshima can outpace Karmenov – but the poetical Teshima vs Mgeladze will be a very interesting match-up. This will be a test for both – if it happen. If the pace “belongs” to Teshima, maybe the strength belongs to Mgeladze.

Highly ranked Daniel Redondo Cardoso / Spain – IFK, will be one to follow. Did not have the success that many believed in his last tournament, but this is a high-class fighter. Many World / EC Champions medals trough KWU/ IFK / Rengokai. His opponent from Kazakhstan, Ilgiz Kanybekov does not have the same experience and merits and it will be a huge challenge for him to overcome such an experienced fighter. Awaiting for the winner of this bout and his opponent: Tenshin Sawai / Japan. Sawai is a fighter that are quite new for the most of us, but very interesting to watch. He can change the fight into a low pace chess-game, or high paced fighting depending on what he might prefer in the given match. That might be handy, as Redondo have been all over the world and got all the tools in the book.

Next fight is between Yaroslav Kovalchuk / Ukraine vs Haruto Koroki / Japan. None of these fighters has heavy merits, so this will be for us quite open. Kovalchuk is for us most known for excellent Kata performance – we do not know when he did his qualifying into this tournament. Anyway, the winner will face home-fighter Daniel Sternik / Poland. Sternik lifted his level and made it the EC podium this year. Most of us remember the very hard and technical fight vs Eltaj Humbatov / Germany. Both showing all what a fight should have. When it comes to Eltaj Humbatov – who gave a positive doping tests at the 7th WC Qualification Tournament held on December 4, 2021 in Lithuania, is out/ suspended, waiting for his penalty.

Hayato Iino / Japan will fight the winner in the fight between Zoltan Magyar / Hungary and Bohdan Lemishko / Ukraine. Both been representing strong nations through the fighting many times, and this will be at the highest level they have entered. EC and “Open” tournaments have been their “bred & butter” for years, and it will be interesting to see the outcome. As mention, the winner will face Iino. Iino fought also last time in Kazakhstan. After a win in the first fight, he lost the next to the double world champion Dmitriy Moiseyev / Kazakhstan. The fight went out to two extensions – hard and demanding.

Last 1^st round fight: Kodai Hosokawa / Japan vs Sbonelo Ncube / South Africa. The winner will face one of the absolute favorites Andrei Zinchenko / Georgia. The chance that Andrei Zinchenko will be a factor in who will advance further of these three is high. His incredible drive and strength seems never to slow down– proven all over the world time after time. Zinchenko as many remember, is the current vice World Champion from 2017, when he was up against Harutaka Okazaki / Japan. Since then, it is safe to say that Zinchenko has kept it sharp.