Issue 207
July 2024
Kickboxing champions are revolutionizing MMA, and Fighters Only’s Paul Brown unpacks the stories of elite strikers who've taken their skills from the ring to the Octagon and how they're reshaping the sport.
Who needs grappling when you can chalk up the KO with a kick to the face? You’re witnessing a new era brought to you by kickboxing with two kickboxing world title holders - Du Plessis and Pereira - as UFC champions. The sight of elite kickboxers at the pinnacle of the sport has been refreshing for those who remember the UFC’s early days. Still, the modern takeover started with Adesanya’s debut. At the time, there was a belief that the division’s elites, such as Romero and Whittaker, would make light work of such a pure striker. Adesanya conquered his doubters, won nine consecutive fights, and finally got toppled by an old foe from his kickboxing days: Pereira. While we know what happened next, it’s been rare to see champions enter the Octagon from the striking disciplines and achieve elite status. A handful of elite kickboxers have achieved success in both disciplines, but here’s a reminder that they’re nothing new and have always helped elevate MMA.
MAURICE SMITH
MMA record: 14-17
Kickboxing record: 53-13
Achievements: WKA World Kickboxing Champion, WKA World Muay Thai Champion, WKC Light-Heavyweight Champion, ISKA World Muay Thai Champion.
Maurice Smith enjoyed a long career in kickboxing and Muay Thai since 1983, winning multiple world titles. At his peak in the 1990s, he transitioned to MMA, fighting in organizations such as Pancrase and Rings Japan. A meeting with Shamrock played a significant role in his development as a fighter. Frank Shamrock, a dangerous submission specialist, helped round out Smith’s skill set, and soon, the decorated kickboxer became a much more dangerous threat. Smith enjoyed success, picking up the Extreme Fighting heavyweight title and was called up to the UFC in 1997 to face reigning champion Mark Coleman for the heavyweight belt. Smith went into the fight as a heavy underdog at a point in the sport where no striker had come to grips with the wrestle-heavy/ground-and-pound style Coleman had to offer. Smith used an active guard from the bottom position to stifle Coleman's attacks and made the champion pay when he became fatigued. His unanimous decision victory is still regarded as one of the biggest shocks the sport has ever seen.
ALISTAIR OVEREEM
MMA record: 47-19
Kickboxing record: 10-4
Achievements: Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, K-1 Heavyweight Champion, Dream Heavyweight Champion.
‘The Demolition Man’ was a perennial contender in the UFC heavyweight division. He began his professional fighting career in the kickboxing ring in 1997 when he was just 17. After a promising start, he gradually shifted his focus to mixed martial arts, gaining experience before debuting at Pride Fighting Championships in 2002.
Over a 25-year career, Overeem switched between the kickboxing ring and the Octagon and achieved elite-level status in both. While he never got his hands on a UFC championship belt, losing his only title fight to Stipe Miocic at UFC 203, he did win a world title in a major MMA organization when he finished Paul Buentello to claim the Strikeforce belt in 2007. He added a second strap to that collection in 2008 when he won the Dream heavyweight title. Three years later, Overeem became the first fighter to win MMA and kickboxing world titles. He went through a murderers’ row of opponents to claim the K1 World Grand Prix championship belt. Throughout his MMA career, Overeem fought the best of the best in various big promotions, and it all started with kickboxing.
BAS RUTTEN
MMA record: 28-4-1
Kickboxing record: 14-2
Achievements: Pancrase Heavyweight Champion, UFC Heavyweight Champion.
The Dutchman won his first 14 consecutive kickboxing fights and became the Pancrase heavyweight champion in 1995. He enjoyed a successful career and picked up wins over Frank Shamrock, Maurice Smith, and Ken Shamrock. Rutten, a black belt in both Tae Kwon Do and Kyokushin karate, finally signed with the UFC in 1998, where he faced Tsuyoshi Kosaka at UFC 18 and scored a knockout victory late in the fight. This led to a title shot against Kevin Randleman at UFC 20, which began badly for Rutten. Randleman took him down, dishing out his trademark ground and pound over the first four minutes before a controversial stand-up allowed Rutten to land his famed liver shot. This shot took the wind out of Randleman’s sails and changed the course of the fight. Rutten won via split decision, a call which resulted in some animosity between his team and Randleman’s. Nevertheless, Bas Rutten became the UFC heavyweight champion.
MIRKO ‘CRO COP’ FILIPOVIC
MMA record: 52-11-2
Kickboxing record: 34-8
Achievements: Pride Openweight Grand Prix Champion, K-1 Heavyweight Champion, Rizin Openweight Champion, IGF Openweight Champion, IKBF World Heavyweight Full Contact Champion.
In 2013, Filipovic won three fights in one night to equal Alistair Overeem’s achievement of winning world titles in kickboxing and MMA. The Croat heavyweight had previously won the 2006 Pride Open Weight Grand Prix, scoring first-round knockouts over Wanderlei Silva and Josh Barnett on the same night to clinch the title. Cro Cop followed his stint in Pride by signing with the UFC in 2009, fighting ten times in the Octagon over the next two years. Known for his left high kick, Cro Cop also compiled an amateur boxing career of 48-8 and won multiple national titles. He won over fellow UFC veteran Roy Nelson in the Bellator cage in 2019 before retiring due to health issues, ending an impressive 23-year career in the professional fight game.
JOANNA JĘDRZEJCZYK
MMA record: 16-5
Muay Thai & Kickboxing record: 27-3-1
Achievements: UFC Strawweight Champion, WBKF Pro Champion, WKF European Champion, IFMA World Champion, WMC European Champion, WKN Muay Thai World Champion.
She will always be remembered as one of the most devastating strikers women’s MMA has ever seen. Making her UFC debut in 2014, she only needed two performances to convince the fans she deserved to fight for the 115lb title. The former five-time professional Muay Thai world champion, who chalked up a roster of kickboxing wins, dominated the UFC roster because her striking seemed untouchable. Her term as queen of the strawweight division happened in the slipstream of Ronda Rousey’s reign at 135lbs, and Jędrzejczyk looked invincible during that stretch. When Namajunas toppled her in 2017, the rest of the playing field finally caught up to the standards Jędrzejczyk had set, confirmed when the belt changed hands repeatedly. Jędrzejczyk will always be remembered as the division’s first dominant champion and for her part in the greatest fight in women’s MMA history when she lost by split decision to Weili Zhang.
KICKBOXING TO THE FUTURE
The UFC has showcased some of the finest kickboxers to grace the sport. From the precision and technical mastery of Anderson Silva to the relentless power of Mirko Cro Cop, these athletes have left an indelible mark on the Octagon and elevated the art of striking to new heights. They have shaped the UFC's history and inspired the next generation of fighters. As the sport continues to grow, the legacy of these legendary kickboxers will endure, reminding us of the incredible skill and heart required to become the best. These warriors prove that sometimes the simplest strike is the deadliest and possibly the most popular.
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