Epic contest set for K1 

An epic contest looms at the top of the New Zealand kickboxing heap when K-1 returns to TV2 on Saturday night.

Round two of the Oceania Grand Prix qualifying series pits Kiwi K-1 legend Jason 'Psycho' Suttie against newcomer Paula 'The Tongan Tornadoe' Mataele.

Mataele is tipped as the next big thing in K-1. The six-foot-seven and 120 kilo giant is a huge obstacle for five foot ten Suttie to overcome.

But Suttie has always been a small man in a big man's game and uses superior hand speed and skills carried from the middleweight ranks to beat the odds.

Suttie also possesses the same intangible quality that made Evander Holyfield great: Heart.

His unconquerable heart has lead him to six world titles in different weight divisions.

Heart also allowed Suttie to fight with multiple injuries for the past three years.

Yet he has consistently found ways to beat world class opposition including current Oceania king, Peter Graham.

Although Mataele has knocked out all but one of his six professional kickboxing opponents he has not yet been tested in the kicking game.

The big Tongan's power has in some ways outstripped his experience - he has no one left to fight outside the top dogs in Oceania.

Fighters like the normally durable Hiriwa Te Rangi were expected to go the distance and take Mataele into the later rounds, growing his experience. But the tough Maori was overwhelmed and was blasted out.

Suttie is a dangerous testing ground for Mataele, he is highly skilled defensively and has many weapons in his arsenal.

The greatest difference will be Suttie's ability to fight hardest when hurt and backed into the corner. He is a pit-bull of a fighter and lives by his mantra "Die Fighting".

The key to this fight is how Mataele copes with being hit back after unloading a big bomb.

If he doesn't blink and returns fire with the same ferocity we are in for a war and New Zealand can celebrate the baptism of a new K-1 star.

Other match ups on Saturday include:

Ron Sefo is fighting for his career against tough Dutch fighter Ricardo Van Den Bos.

Big Aussie Peter Graham taking on sledgehammer fisted Jay Hepi

Hiriwa Te Rangi and Matt Samoa both need victories after KO losses in their first round.

Tough kiwi Daniel Tai is the underdog against World Muay Thai Champion Paul Slowinski.

Two talented up and comers meet when south-paw Syd Asiata takes on powerful Aussie Ben Edwards.

The Oceania Grand Prix Eliminations series features 12 of the region's best fighters divided into pools of four.

Competitors are awarded points for each victory and bonus points for a knock out.

After the three fight round robin is completed in December the top fighter from each pool plus a wild card progresses to the international K-1 Oceania Grand Prix in March.

The March Grand Prix sees Oceania's top four challenge fighters from Japan, Europe and the United States in an eight man tournament.

The winner from that event will advance to the K-1 Grand Prix final 16 elimination and the chance to take on K-1's biggest names.