Kickboxing – Championships & Champions

The World Association of Kickboxing Organization is the governing body for arranging different types of international tournaments and championships all over the world. Apart from that, every nation has its own governing body for the game. Following is the list of major championships in kickboxing.

Asian Games
WKC Kickboxing Championships
World Class Kickboxing Championships
US National Championships

Champions

Following are some of the renowned male and female champions of kickboxing.

Benjamin Adegbuyi

Benjamin Adegbuyi is a kickboxer from Romania who debuted in kickboxing in 2011. In year 2012, he took part in the K-1 World Grand Prix where his opponent’s left hand broke. In the same year, he won the Superkombat World Grand Prix III Championship. In 2013, he won the Superkombat World Grand Prix I Championship.

He then took part in the Glory World Series and defeated Dmytro Bezus and Daniel Sam. In 2015, he participated in the Glory Heavyweight Contender Tournament and defeated Jahfarr Wilnis and Mladen Brestovac and received the Ramon Dekkers Memorial Trophy.

Xhavit Bajrami

Xhavit Bajrami is a kickboxer from Albania but he relocated to Switzerland. He was trained under Andy Hug and Michael Thompson and won many domestic fights. Then he was selected by K-1 in 1998. In 1999, he participated in the K-1 Fight Night ’99 and defeated Carl Bernardo.

In the quarter final of the tournament, he defeated Sinisa Andrija and in the semi-final he defeated Mirko Filipovic. In the finals he defeated Lloyd van Dams and won the tournament.

In 2000 and 2001, he could not get any success as he was defeated in the finals of K-1 Fight Night 2000 and K-1 Grand Prix Europe 2000. The year 2002 and 2003 were also not good for him.

But in 2004, he was able to win the ISKA World Super Heavyweight Championship. The years from 2005 to 2008 were mixed years for him. In 2009, 2011, and 2012, he won ISKA World Super Heavyweight Championship.

Vitali Akhramenko

Vitali Akhramenko is a kickboxer from Belarus who started his career as a kickboxer and won the European titles in Muay Thai boxing. In 1998, he won a gold medal at European Open Muay Thai Championship and then he debuted in the K-1 tournaments in 2001. Before this, he won the WAKO World Championships in 1999.

In 2003, he won the Cup of Arbat Tournament in the under 93 category. In 2006, he was sent to jail due to an armed robbery attempt and after completing his punishment of three years, he returned to the game arena and in 2010, he won the Tatneft Arena World Cup. In 2011, he won the Fight Code Rhinos Series.

Damien Alamos

Damien Alamos is a kickboxer from France who has won the WPMF European and World Muay Thai Championships. At the starting of his career, he won the Muay Thai Fury 2 Efucatif Fight.

Till 2009, he had won many fights and lost some too. In 2009, he was able to retain his FFSCDA Muay Thai title.

In the same year, he won the WPMF World Muay Thai title which he also retained n 2011. In 2010, he won the WPMF European title.

In 2012, he won the Lumpinee Stadium Super Lightweight title which he also retained in year 2013.

Cosmo Alexandre

Cosmo Alexandre is a kickboxer from Brazil who has won the 77Max World Championship, the WMC Intercontinental and the WPMF World Championships.

His kickboxing career started in 2004 in Brazil. In 2007, he won the WMC Middleweight Intercontinental Championship and the WPMF World Championship.

In 2008, he reached the finals of the Showtime Series Season first. In 2009, he won the WMC /S1 King’s Cup Challenger Tournament and the Showtime 77Max title which he also retained in 2010. In 2014, he won the W5 World Championship.

Ruqsana Begum

Ruqsana Begum is an English kickboxer who is currently the captain of the British Muay Thai Team. She began her kickboxing classes in 2002 and started her career in 2008. In 2009, she won a bronze medal in the World Amateur Kickboxing Championship by defeating a Malaysian opponent.

In 2010, she won the British Muay Thai Atomweight Kickboxing Championship where she defeated Paige Farrington. In 2011, she won the European Club Cup Amateur Muay Thai Championship.

In 2012, she became the captain of the British Muay Thai team and she won a bronze medal in the International Federation of Muay Thai Amateur World Championship.

Cecilia Braekhus

Cecilia Braekhus is a kickboxer from Norway who has won the WBA, WBC, WPBF, and the WBO titles simultaneously. She started her kickboxing training at the age of 14 and soon started competing in amateur boxing. In 2009, she became the WBC World Champion in welterweight.

In the same year, she also won the WBA title. In 2009 also, she won both the championships. In 2010, she won the WBC, WBA, and the WBO titles and in 2014, she defeated Ivana Habazin and won the WPBF title.

Cathy Brown

Cathy Brown is a British kickboxer who has won the World Cup Foundation European Flyweight title and the BBBofC English Bantamweight title. She started her career in 1992 and, within three months, her trainer told her to compete in the tournaments.

In 2000, she won the WBFo European Flyweight title. In 2002, she competed in the WIBF International Bantamweight Title but could not win it.

In 2003 also she could not win any World Cup title. In 2006, she won the English Women’s Bantamweight title. After this competition she retired.

Graciela Casillas

Graciela Casillas is a kickboxer from America who started her career in 1976. In 1979, she became the first woman to win boxing and kickboxing titles in the Bantamweight Championships. Before starting her career in kick boxing, she chose taekwondo. After the discontinuation of classes, she started learning karate and then started learning kickboxing.

In 1979, she won eight fights in karate and in the same year, she won the WKA Women’s World Championship. In 1981, Casillas defeated Cheryl Wheeler. She announced her retirement in 1986 and joined as an instructor at Oxnard College.

Regina Halmich

Regina Halmich is a kickboxer from Germany who popularised female boxing in Europe. She is one of the most successful female boxers. She started her professional career in 1994. In her full career, she has defeated many kickboxers who were known for their kickboxing.

Elina Reid was the only one with whom her fight ended in a draw. The year 2005 was very successful for her where she defeated Marlyn Harmandez, Hollie Dunaway, and Elina Reid. In 2006, she defeated Reka Krempf by a unanimous decision. She announced her retirement in 2007.