It was always Andy's dream to fight in Las Vegas, and he was perhaps the most exemplary man to lead the battle to legitimize the status of K-1 in the U.S. On August 7, 1998 he fought a super bout at the Mirage in K-1 Las Vegas. Complete with commentaries by Roy Jones Jr., he would be fighting American kick boxing champion Mike LaBree who was 45-1 (American Kick Boxing rules – no leg strikes).

LaBree comes out hard and aggressively to the cheers of the home crowd. The American is lengthier, he kicks, but Andy corners him and lands an axe chop to the left shoulder blade. He follows with low leg kicks, another axe chop and two powerful smacking Hug tornados. LaBree holds on, but then Andy lands another left axe chop followed by a left right combination and a final right leg kick. LaBree went for the knock out, but instead got TKO'd. It was a rather anti climatic U.S. debut for Andy, not because of his own output, but because the fight was very short (1rst Round - TKO) and the crowd didn’t notice or appreciate enough the talent their eye's beheld.

Andy would then return to Osaka Dome on September 27th of the same year to fight Brit Mark Russell, who was exactly Andy's size, but was built like a "Mini-Taz," all shoulders and a tiny waist, only four kilos lighter than our man. Andy immediately delivers a Hug tornado to Russell's right knee. He follows with an axe chop to the neck and shoulder area, and combinations. Hug keeps kicking constantly, overwhelming the Brit and sending him to the canvass with a right upper cut to the chin. Russell is back on his feet, while Andy assumes a very peculiar stance replete with a bird dance. He suddenly starts throwing legs, combinations, body shots, axe chops, low kicks inside and out of Russell's right thigh. Finally after the third knock down the fight is stopped in the third round. Hug simply chopped away at the top-heavy man, taking out his support from underneath.
Hug was confident and dominant at this point in his career, finishing many fights early.
The following year, 1999 would be Andy's final K-1 Grand Prix appearance. He would encounter the man who would become a four time K-1 GP Champion, Ernesto Hoost. Earlier that year, on June 5th, Hug had won a decision over the tough up and comer Stefan "Blitz" Leko. It was a hard battle against a mentally and physically tough young German fighter. Perhaps it was experience and technique, which captured the victory for Andy in this one. Leko’s spinning back kicks to the torso were a weapon to be dealt with.

The Grand Prix 99 quarterfinals got underway on December 5th. No one could have imagined that this would be "Mr. K-1's" final grand prix. It would be a devastating blow to those closest to him and in particular for the Japanese fans; Andy was a living symbol.

With his usual demeanor and intensity, Hug enters and faces a tall lanky Ernesto Hoost who would take over K-1 for a while.
Hug is the aggressor. He throws a one two combo and follows with a back spinning glove to the head which lands, and then a back spinning high kick which goes right over Hoost's head. Ernesto then delivers three low kicks and a combination. They are delivering leg kicks back and forth until Andy lands a Hug tornado. There is a very hard exchange of combinations and kicks. As Hoost attacks full on he lands another series of combinations for the roaring crowd. Andy bends his elbows, keeping his gloves up high while awaiting the storm. He seems to be in trouble, but responds by delivering a solid axe chop to Hoost's right shoulder and then the bell. Hoost is perhaps slightly ahead after the first round.

When round two begins, Andy goes in with a flying left knee to Ernesto's head. Hoost just continues throwing combinations, but Andy keeps coming forward despite. Andy sends a straight left to the face followed by left low kicks, forcing Ernesto to go for a clinch and defend with the knees. Andy insists on coming forward delivering more left right combinations, but looks more wounded than usual as Hoost turns it on at the bell.

As the third round begins Hug lands a left low kick and a left upper cut to the face. Blood starts trickling from Ernesto's nose. At this point it seems like a very even fight, then Hoost chops at the back of Andy's right thigh. As the knee bends forward Hoost follows with a combination and a clinch. He is taking advantage of his height and puts Andy against the ropes. After they are split up, Andy comes back and lands a series of left right combinations to the head. Hoost nails Andy's right calf with a leg chop following up again with a combo and clinch. In the clinch "Mr. Perfect" chops relentlessly at that right leg. It's hardcore pounding and Hug's legs are visibly reddening and bruised. When the bell rings Andy looks to be more shaken. Hoost would go on to win the 99 K-1 Grand Prix by K.O. over Mirko Filipovic in the third round with a paralyzing body shot to the ribs.

Andy would then be fighting for the WFA heavyweight tile. I suppose it is Ying/Yang perhaps, that my favorite MA/MMA villain should make an appearance in this article. Mirko "Tiger," as he called himself early on, would confront Andy Hug on June 3rd, in K-1 Switzerland 2000. Filipovic was coming of a KO victory over Mike Bernardo with his newly patented left high kick to the head. Andy did his usual prayers and meditating before a little makeshift shrine in the locker room. He enters in his cut off sleeved GI to the awesome roar of his own native's cheering voices. His expression is super heavy and dark; he is extremely focused for what would be his last fight in Switzerland. Cro-Cop is taller, heavier, younger, entering to Duran Duran's military march. The aesthetic difference is revealed by the entrance music, Queen rocks and grooves heavily while the other is light rigid 80's disco. Kakuda stands next to Andy during the Swiss national anthem while Andy seems filled with emotion, trying to hold back sincere tears.

As the first bell is still ringing, Andy immediately comes out with a back spinning high kick, which barely misses Mirko's tiny head. The chinless cop is undoubtedly the anti-hero in this Swiss K-1 scenario. Andy is wearing red shorts with yellow trim, while Mirko wears black. Andy delivers another spinning leg kick to the legs. They kick simultaneously; Andy chops at the right thigh, tenderizing it inside and out. Mirko always waits, being the counter striker, he finally replies with a combo at the corner of the ring, followed by a high left kick, which is blocked. Andy continually spins and kicks hard, as Mirko delivers another left right combo to the head at the first minute. As Andy always did, he put up his guard, utilized his elbows and waited out the benign storm. After that entire ruckus, he finally connects with a left upper jab to Hug's chin. Floating on the roars of the crowd, Andy comes back at him with left right combinations, high and low kicks. Cro-cop tries circling away, but his torso eats a hard left body shot, so he clinches. As the bell rings for the end of the round, Andy delivers an axe chop to the head and left shoulder. Hug was much more active.

Round 2 - Andy, the aggressor, keeps on kicking as Mirko backs up. He lands a tornado to the midsection, and then accidentally rattles the Croatian "bread basket" with another Hug tornado. The Croat grimaces and adjusts the cup while black clad Kakuda warns Andy, pointing to the goods with white Mickey Mouse gloves. Cro-cop recovers, kicks with a right, Andy keeps the leg and counters with a combination. Another high right kick by the Croat, but nothing, the bell rings. Cro-cop was stronger in that round, the fight is now more even.

Round 3 - Mirko is consistently circling away to the left, but Hug drops a heavy axe kick onto his shoulder. With a seemingly annoyed expression, Cro-cop slams down Andy's leg and they circle again. The crowd is chanting "ANDY, ANDY!" Hug goes forward delivering body shots, a spinning kick to the torso, right left body combination, "Hug tornado" and a heel kick. He takes over this round as Mirko seems off balance and vulnerable.

Round 4 – Andy is still the aggressor; constantly striking he delivers a spinning kick to the torso, followed by a left axe chop to the shoulder and constant kicks to the legs. Mirko replies with an axe chop, which Andy backs out of, he smiles back at him. Cro-Cop tries an assault, as Andy defends he's caught with a left, but he's fine. Mirko is ineffective; he lands too little for so many throws. Hug's defense is extremely effective against Mirko, who hasn't yet been a real threat.

Round – 5 They touch gloves. Andy measures with a left to right heel movement around Mirko's face. Mirko also measures, but Andy jabs and lands a Hug tornado to the abdomen. Mirko digests the heel indentation and circles left only to recieve a low leg kick. Cro-cop looks gassed out and is barely coming forward, receiving another low kick. He finally comes forward violently with a combination, looking for the knock out. Andy replies with a combination as well, and lands three fists to the face. He follows with a Hug tornado to the knees, and an axe to measure distance. Mirko breathes heavily and doesn't seem to want it bad enough. Hug heaves, but keeps working it. He spins, lands, kicks, counters, but Cro-cop keeps clinching. He pushes Andy back and lands a kick under the left arm area. Hug lands a kick to the torso and finally delivers a left right kick combination as the final bell sounds.
Andy hugs Mirko, and approaches his smiling corner; they knew he had dominated Mirko. Andy is already raising his arms before the judges' cards are announced, Ilona trembles. Hug wins by unanimous decision, tears pour from her eyes. He put on a beautiful fight and simply outclassed Mirko, who gives Andy a hug afterwards. This would be Andy's last fight in Zurich, in his native Swiss soil. It is as if the stage had been set, and his last fight would be where his heart is, Japan.Although, the greatest pain and shock of Andy's death was felt by his wife Ilona and his son Seiya, the tragic and premature death of Andy Hug was deeply felt around the world. The doctors diagnosis was a shock to everyone and of course especially to Andy, although he promised to fight back just as he always had throughout his life. Unfortunately, when Andy collapsed in training in mid-August of 2000, the tumor that his trainer detected behind his ear was in a stage already too advanced for medicine to conquer. This was a "rare and severe" form of Leukemia and there was too little time for chemotherapy. Andy would die on Thursday August 24 of 2000 at the age of thirty-five. It was said that his heart stopped beating three times before he died. The doctors did not revive him that third time, as Andy fell to sleep in a fluorescent surreal space, inside an island twice devastated. His being had conquered and revitalized the hearts of so many fans.

Andy Hugs final professional K-1 bout occurred in K-1 Japan 2000 GP. It was against a fellow Japanese Samurai named Nobu Hayashi. Nobu was a K-1 Japan GP champion from the Chakuriki Gym, which had already sprung a very young two time champion named Peter Aerts.

As Andy comes out to the thumping heavy drum beat of Queen, he seems especially stoic. But, his deep dark eyes
and the heavy pools beneath them are actually bobbing to the beat. His body language is looser, although perhaps his body is already beginning to ail. As he steps up to the ring the crowd explodes, roaring, they are inflamed by the moment, he absorbs their power and energy with closed eyes. Brian May's scorching guitar solo blazing on cue, he bows and gestures "Osu!" counterclockwise! This would be Andy's final victory.

The bell sounds Hug tornado. Throwing combinations landing heavy kicks to legs, left roundhouse kick to head roaring crowd animated spectators geometrically encircle them surrounding him as he traces Nobu's profile with an axe chop. Andy feels the electricity toys back straight left flying back spinning kick to mid section tornado doctors check Nobu's right eye brow Chakuriki corner is silent.

Andy displays amazing skills unique technique making the larger more powerful fighter seem static left kick to torso beautiful spinning back kick to head left right combo kick. Andy steps back suddenly in trouble the lumberjack choir ignites right kick to Andy's torso Andy counters with a left straight Nobu staggers then walks into a left right combo hitting the canvass. Andy raises his right arm circling with his glove people are going nuts but Nobu leaps onto his feet at eight in the count. He goes in hard after Hug lands a left right combination but is staggered back again by another straight left then as if in an instant replay another straight left as he staggers forward.
it's over! A counterclockwise four-axe chop salute then Andy hugs the big bear he has just dismantled.

This was Andy Hug's final professional fight in K-1. Only one month later, he would be diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia and died shortly after. Three days after his death there was a mecca to Zenpukuji Temple, in Japan, were mourners from around the world came to pay their final respects to Andy Hug.

On the next to last page of Jean Genet's Funeral Rites, while mourning the loss of a lover, he shifts from a Europe corrupted and torn by war to the following thought.

"The Japanese advised their soldiers to fight on even after death so that their souls could sustain and direct the living. Which shows me a heaven bursting with potential activity…"

Whether you believe in a heaven or not, it's impossible to deny the spirit and influence certain human beings have left upon this earth. In the fight world Andy Hug is such a person, he entered making an impact, and left the same way.

RECORD:
42 Fights 33 Wins 8 Losses 1 Draw 21 KOs 1 No Contest
K-1 LOSSES
Andy vs. - Patrick Smith (1-1)
Mike Bernardo (1-2)
Peter Aerts (2-2)
Ernesto Hoost (1-1)
Francisco Filho (0-1) Kyokushin (0-1)

TITLES:
Karate World Cup '92 Champion, '93 Finalist
U.K.F. World Super Heavyweight Champion
W.M.T.C World Super Heavyweight Champion
W.K.A World & European Muay Thai Super-Heavyweight Champion
K-1 GRAND PRIX '96 Champion , '97 & '98 Finalist

Andy Hug - Larger than Life: part 1 >>

Andy Hug - Larger than Life: part 2 >>