[K-1 East Europe GP]: in Bucharest - confermato Raul Catinas vs Carter Williams (21/05/2010)
Catinas made his K-1 debut last year where he made the semi-finals of the Europe GP. He looked good in his quarter final win before falling to eventual tournament winner Zabit Samedov. Since then he's had just one fight, a highly entertaining battle with Dzevad Poturak for K-1 ColliZion, in which Catinas earned the decision victory. A young fighter at only 21, Catinas brings in an 11-3 record, with his biggest wins coming against Poturak, Stefan Leko and Mindaugas Sakalauskas. He's a tough fighter with a lot of potential, though his under 6' frame may prove to be a notable disadvantage as he moves through the rankings.
His opponent, Carter Williams, is a popular American fighter making his return to K-1 after a 3 year absence. Last seen in an August 2006 loss to Stefan Leko, Williams has a number of very impressive accolades under his belt, including a win in the 2003 Vegas GP and wins over Bjorn Bregy, Chalid Die Faust, and Gary Goodridge among others. With over 50 fights and 10 years experience to his name, Williams will have a huge experience advantage, but that will be coupled with a lot of ring rust. As mentioned, he has not fought in a pro kickboxing fight in over 3 years, though he did have 2 MMA loses in that time (one to UFC fighter Paul Buentello in Strikeforce).
Honestly, this one is virtually impossible to call as Williams is just too much of an unknown right now. Can he show the form that brought him the win in 2003, or is he returning to the spotlight too late? I'd love to see him do well, but I'd have to favor the hungry and rising Catinas here.
