The road to gold at 154 pounds just took an unexpected turn.
The K-1 Executive Committee announced that the K-1 WORLD GP Super Welterweight Championship has been declared vacant, removing reigning titleholder Ouyang Feng from the throne ahead of his scheduled Apr. 11 defense at K-1 GENKI 2026.
The bout, slated for the main card at Yoyogi National Stadium Second Gymnasium, was set to feature Ouyang opposite Brazil’s Jonas Salsicha, last year’s world championship tournament winner at super welterweight. It was a matchup layered with history and intrigue.
Salsicha defeated Ouyang by decision in the quarterfinals of the Nov. 15 tournament, a result that propelled the Brazilian through the bracket and into championship contention. For Ouyang, the April clash represented both his second title defense and a chance at redemption against the man who had previously bested him.
Instead, the belt is now without an owner.
According to the announcement, Wu Lin Feng — the organization affiliated with Ouyang — formally requested that the champion relinquish his title. The request stems from significant changes within Ouyang’s training camp. In January, the head coach at Tianjin Afu Fight Club, a figure described as someone Ouyang deeply trusted, stepped down from his position.
With China in the midst of the Spring Festival holiday period, efforts to establish a new training structure have been delayed. Even if a new system were finalized after the holiday, it was determined that Ouyang would not have sufficient time to build what the parties deemed an optimal preparation environment for a championship-level bout.
Faced with those realities, the decision was made to vacate the title rather than move forward under compromised circumstances.
The K-1 Executive Committee accepted the request effective immediately and formally declared the championship vacant. In its statement, the promotion acknowledged Ouyang’s accomplishments and contributions, noting its intent to provide him future opportunities once he has reestablished a stable training base.
What this means for Apr. 11 remains to be clarified. With the title now unclaimed and Salsicha already positioned as the division’s most recent tournament winner — and the last man to defeat Ouyang — the Brazilian appears to be central to whatever comes next at super welterweight.
For now, however, the division resets. The belt is vacant. And at K-1 GENKI 2026, a new chapter at 154 pounds is poised to begin.