Daniel Ghita's annihilation of three opponents in less than six minutes at the K-1 in Tokyo Final 16 Qualifying Grand Prix was the stuff of legend. In doing so Ghita (pronounced Ghitsa) smashed a K-1 record that many thought would never be beaten, writes MICHAEL SCHIAVELLO.

When Dutch Lumberjack Peter Aerts won the K-1 World Grand Prix tournament for a third time in 1998, he was at the peak of his extraordinary powers. Not only did Aerts win the world's most grueling 8-man tournament for a (then) record third time but also he did so in record fashion, completing the tournament in only 6 minutes and 43 seconds.

Since 1998 many had tried to take Aerts' record but none even came close.

Ernesto Hoost took 19:35 for his 1999 Grand Prix win; Semmy Schilt took 11:56 for his 2005 Grand Prix win; Remy Bonjasky took 13:44 for his 2003 Grand Prix win; and even Mark Hunt and his fabled knocked power took 26:32 to win the 2001 Grand Prix.

Once again Aerts' legendary 6:43 appeared unbreakable.

Enter Romania's Daniel Ghita at the K-1 in Tokyo Final 16 Qualifying Grand Prix on August 11, 2009. It was on that night that the heavily fancied Ghita, whose name had been bandied around Europe for a long time among hardcore fans as a fierce competitor deserving of a K-1 contract, finally made his Japanese K-1 debut. He did not fail to deliver.
Romanian fighter, Daniel Ghita, sliced through his 3 opponents in a combined time of just 5 minutes and 15 seconds. This not only breaks Aerts' record, but it shaves almost 1 minute and 30 seconds off it. What makes it even more interesting is that all three fighters fell to the same technique. The low kick.

K-1 WORLD GP 2009 IN TOKYO -FINAL16 QUALIFYING GP-Tournament Table

When Ghita's very first leg kick of his quarter final bout against Welshman John Love cracked against Love's thigh with a sickening thud, everyone in the audience at the Yoyogi Stadium knew they were witnessing a very special athlete.

"Just from the way he delivered that first kick, I knew he was going to win the whole tournament," said FEG staff writer Stuart Tonkin. "Ghita was just on. And when you're on, you're on."

In a truly awe-inspiring and frighteningly brutal display, Ghita went on a tournament tear the likes of which had never been seen. Whereas Aerts set the record in 1998 with his infamous head-kicking arsenal, Ghita didn't just break Aerts' record he shattered it with a murderous leg kicking display.

One by one Ghita's three opponents fell.

John Love lasted just 1:28.

Reserve fighter Yuki (replacing the injured Melvin Maenhoff - cut his shin open) in the semi final also lasted just 1:28.

Entering the final, Ghita had a 3:46 margin in which to break Aerts' record. As the history books now show, he needed only a fraction of that time. Against European Muay Thai champion Sergei Lascenko it took Ghita only 2:19 to knock Lascenko down three times and secure a place in the last 16 in the world and a place in the record books with a new total GP tournament winning time of 5: 15.

Both his first opponent, John Love, and his second opponent, YUKI, were stopped at 1:28 of round 1. The sickly crack that was heard when he kicked Love's thigh for the first time made the entire audience sit up and grimace with pain. It took just half a dozen more to end the Welshman's night. The reserve fight winner YUKI fought back with everything he had, but he could do nothing to stop the inevitable.

With this win Daniel Ghita has earned himself one of the coveted positions in the Elimination to be held in Seoul in September.

Photos and compilation from http://www.k-1.co.jp