Karate Combat Ep 8 Results

by Toni Gannon

It was the Warrior of Light against the Wolf in the Karate Combat pit, and we learned that no matter how hard he fought, Grinevich was no match for the animal instinct that makes up Achraf Ouchen. 

Grinevich tried to make up for Ouchen’s height and reach advantage, but had some misses, while Ouchen took advantage of the pit and surged forward almost viciously, proving not only to Grinevich but to the world that he was ready. 

While Grinevich was of the mindset that he would have superior mental strength and conditioning, he made a mistake at the end of the first round with an illegal knee, costing him a point, and angering Ouchen. 

Round two allowed  the athletes used every inch of the pit, with Grinevich working overtime to compensate for his lost point. He may have overcompensated by kicking within the knee and the hip, fortunately, but thankfully, only costing him a warning from the Ref. Ouchen answered by getting wilder and much more aggressive with his punches and contact, which reminded Bas Rutten of another well-known aggressor in the ring, Mike Tyson. Bas recalled, “Everybody says, "Oh, why don't they counter him?" Well, because they know that if one shot lands, he throws power shots. You're going to get knocked out. You can't counter. You cannot take the risk. “ 

Whether it was fear of countering and angering the beast that is Ouchen, or getting another warning or points deduction, Grinevich seemed to retreat a bit. 

In the third and final round, the question became, will Grinevich’s conditioning carry him to the finish round? Ouchen, now answering every strike with a vengeance, with Grinevich eating each heavy punch. 

The Winner, by a draw, was Achraf Ouchen, claiming his second victory at Karate Combat.

High off his win, he flipped into his post interview with Layla Anna Lee with confidence. In fact, when Layla Anna Lee asked “any names you want to pull out of the hat? Black Magic might be the next one.” Ouchen answered, without hesitation, “Anyone wants the belt, you need to pass me first to get the belt. The belt is mine. I'm here to take over. And yeah, Black Magic, all my respect for you, but I'm waiting for you. You better be ready, Yeah.”