On September 13, 2026, K-1 held the draws for the Final 8 tournament match-up of K-1 WORLD MAX 2026. The draw determined the matchups for the one-day Final Tournament, scheduled for Tuesday, December 29, at Yokohama BUNTAI in Kanagawa, Japan.

The draw followed the same system used last year. Each fighter drew an envelope from a box, with the number inside determining the order in which they could select one of the tournament positions from A through H. Depending on the number drawn, a fighter could potentially choose his own opponent, adding an element of strategy to the proceedings.

The drawing order was determined by the results of the tournament’s opening round. Priority was given first to fighters who won by knockout, ranked according to the earliest time of victory, followed by fighters who won by decision. Decision victories were ranked in the order of 3–0, 2–0, and 2–1. If fighters were tied, priority was given to the fighter who won by the widest margin on the judges’ scorecards.

The fighters drew their envelopes in the following order: Vladimir Tulaev, Jones Coliseu, Jonas Salsicha, Jayjay Morris, Lorenzo Di Vara, Lorn Panha, Zack Pankhurst, and Kacper Muszyński. They then moved on to the stage to select their tournament positions.

Di Vara drew number one and selected Position A, placing himself in the first quarterfinal. Coliseu, who drew number two, selected Position E on the opposite side of the bracket. Panha drew number three and chose Position C. Pankhurst then drew number four and selected Position D, choosing to face Panha and officially confirming their matchup.

Muszyński, who drew number five, selected Position B next to Di Vara. When Tulaev, who drew number six, chose Position F next to Coliseu, the announcement drew an excited reaction from the crowd. Salsicha, who drew number seven, selected Position G. Morris, who drew number eight, was automatically placed next to Salsicha in Position H.

As a result, the quarterfinal matchups for the K-1 WORLD MAX 2026 –70 kg World Championship Tournament were officially determined as follows:

• Lorenzo Di Vara vs. Kacper Muszyński
• Lorn Panha vs. Zack Pankhurst
• Jones Coliseu vs. Vladimir Tulaev
• Jonas Salsicha vs. Jayjay Morris