February 17, 2026

The K-1 Executive Committee hereby announces that the K-1 WORLD GP Super Welterweight Championship has been declared vacant.

At the upcoming “K-1 GENKI 2026”, scheduled for Saturday, April 11 at the Yoyogi National Stadium Second Gymnasium, the main card was set to feature reigning champion Ouyan Feng (China / Tianjin Afu Fight Club / CFP) defending his title against Jonas Salsicha (Brazil / TF Team / Allan Popeye), winner of last year’s World Championship Tournament in the same division.

The title bout offer was formally extended to both fighters. Notably, the two previously met in the tournament quarterfinals on November 15 last year, where Salsicha secured a decision victory. For Ouyan, the bout would have served as a highly anticipated rematch and his second title defense.

However, Wu Lin Feng, the organization affiliated with Ouyan, has recently submitted a formal request for him to relinquish the title.

According to the statement, in January of this year, the head coach at Tianjin Afu Fight Club — a figure Ouyan deeply trusted — stepped down from his position. While efforts are currently underway to establish a new training structure, China is presently observing the Spring Festival holiday period. It was determined that even if the new training system were finalized after the holiday, it would be difficult to create an optimal preparation environment in time for the scheduled bout. As a result, the decision was made to relinquish the championship at this time.

The K-1 Executive Committee has accepted this request effective immediately and officially declares the K-1 WORLD GP Super Welterweight Championship vacant.

In recognition of Ouyan Feng’s achievements and contributions to K-1, the committee intends to provide him with future opportunities to compete once he has established the best possible training environment.

■Official Event Website

https://www.k-1.co.jp/schedule/16666

■About K-1

“K-1 WORLD GP” is a world-renowned striking martial arts organization that brings together elite fighters from across the globe. With 14 weight divisions for men and women, K-1 focuses on championship belt bouts and one-day tournaments to determine the strongest fighters. The event delivers world-class competition at the highest level.