Kickboxing: Sefo makes his presence felt

Ray Sefo

Champion Ray Sefo's footprint is stamped all over round two of the Kings of Oceania K-1 competition to be fought at the Trusts Stadium tonight, the US-based fighter training the event headliner Paula Mataele as well as his brother Ronnie and Aucklander Jordan Tai.

Former Commonwealth Games boxer Mataele enjoys significant height and weight advantage, 2m and 122.8kg to Jason Suttee's 1.81m and 104kg.

Suttee said his approach to such a gap was to see his height as the advantage. "I get down and get inside, I don't care about size." Weight mattered less, he said, though agreeing an opponent's extra reach, arm and leg, was a plus.

Sefo will be in New Zealand for five weeks and has a giant South African in his camp helping him prepare for his next fight in the K-1 world grandprix series. His next opponents in November are 2.1m and 2.2m in height and close to the 130kg of Jan Novtje who Sefo spars with.

Sefo has been living in the US and Tokyo for the past 10 years and admits his annual earnings are "in the mills", though reluctant to be more specific. At age 34, he said he will compete for another three years then seek a career in film and television. He has just finished filming for the movie Bad Guys in Los Angeles and has already done fight commentary.

As many as 80,000 people pay as much as $850 for a seat at the Tokyo Dome for the K-1 world series events where 16 qualified fighters compete. The dome is deathly quiet during fights, Sefo said, until there is a major turning point or an outcome, "then they go off".

Fighters on the card at the Trusts Stadium tonight have the opportunity to force their way into that competition as Oceania representatives, the four best from four events going through.

Sefo has suffered few injuries and nothing serious during his career and thanks God for that and his talent.

K-1 CARD (Auckland, unless stated)

Jay Hepi (113.9kg) v Peter Graham (Sydney, 114.9kg). Sam Tusa (Palmerston North 69.55kg) v Simon Chamberlain (69.45kg). Ron Sefo (109.2kg) v Ricardo van den Boss (Gold Coast, 103.6kg). Steve Heremaia (69.35kg) v Charles August (Hastings, 70.4kg). Syd Asiata (108.2kg) v Ben Edwards (Sydney, 117.2kg). Jordan Tai (68.8kg) v Dwayne Glasgow (Hamilton, 67.3kg). Matt Samoa (Gold Coast, 128kg) v Hiriwa Te Rangi (Invercargill, 116.4kg). Prince Hamid (69.8kg) v Hamish Johnson (69.9kg). Daniel Tai (99.95kg) v Paul Slowinski (Adelaide, 108.6kg). Jason Suttie (104kg) v Paula Mataele (122.8kg).