A final in January in Paris, a success in Rabat for his 3rd Premier League. France’s Mehdi Filali asserts himself day by day as the rising value of the World heavyweights. In Rabat, he won his first K-1. Certainly not the last…

By Ludovic Mauchien in Rabat / Photo : K-photos

For this final of the Rabat Premier League, he had in front of him no less than the World N°1, Germany’s Jonathan Horne. But Mehdi Filali, 18 years old, is not one to be impressed. He even scored a beautiful Ura Mawashi to finally win 4-2. « I am very happy with my tournament. This is my first victory in the Senior division. But that’s only one success. A champion is judged on the lenght. Against Horne, it was the third time we met (for a success in Paris and a defeat in Rotterdam on the score of 1-0 each time) but I had not prepared anything special. I just knew I had to pay attention to his reach. I did not particularly work the Ura. It came instinctively. I am very happy with my tournament, especially because I am of Moroccan origin. It's a victory that particularly pleases me. »