Branko Cikatić

Branko Cikatić (4 October 1955 – 22 March 2020) was a Croatian heavyweight kickboxer, the first Croatian-born fighter to achieve international success. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers of all time. He was the first K-1 World Grand Prix Champion. The tournament was held on April 30, 1993 in Japan.

Biography and career Cikatić began his martial arts training at the age of 12 when he took up Taekwondo, and later Shotokan Karate at 16. He eventually earned a black belt in both of these disciplines, as well as a blue belt in Judo. When he was 18 years old, he took up boxing before switching to kickboxing.

He surprised the martial arts world by taking the 1993 K-1 Grand Prix tournament by storm, knocking out all three of his opponents in one evening, including Ernesto Hoost in the final match. To date Cikatić is the oldest winner of the K-1 Grand Prix at 38 years and 208 days.

He extended his athletic resume to include mixed martial arts in 1998, fighting in the Pride Fighting Championships. His PRIDE debut was fought against Ralph White under K-1 rules format. Cikatić lost via disqualification after kicking the head of the downed White. Cikatić returned at Pride 2, fighting under MMA rules and facing Mark Kerr. He was again disqualified after holding the ring ropes when Kerr attempted a takedown, refusing to let go when directed by the referee, running away through the ring ropes, and delivering several illegal elbows to the back of Kerr's head. His next fight at Pride 7 ended in a submission loss to Maurice Smith by forearm choke.

Towards the end of his sports career, Cikatić tried his hand at acting, playing a villain in a 1997 B-movie Skyscraper, starring Anna Nicole Smith. In 2018, Cikatić had a pulmonary embolism and whilst in hospital acquired an infection causing sepsis and was later diagnosed as suffering from Parkinson's disease. He died on 22 March 2020.

Titles Professional career 1998 WMTA World Champion in Thai boxing (Zagreb) 1994 K-1 Grand Prix 3rd Place (Tokyo) 1993 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion (Tokyo) 1991 World Champion in Thai boxing 86 kg (Berlin) 1991 IKBF World Champion in kick-boxing 86 kg (Zagreb) 1991 WKA World Champion in kick-boxing 86 kg (Wiesbaden) 1989 WMTA World champion in Thai boxing 86 kg (Düsseldorf) 1987 WMTA World champion in Thai boxing 82.5 kg (Amsterdam) 1986 European champion in Thai boxing (Paris) 1985 European champion in Thai boxing (Amsterdam)

Amateur career 1983 European Championships in Caen (full-contact) 1982 European Championships in Berlin (full-contact) 1981 W.A.K.O. European Championships in Dublin -79 kg (full-contact) 1981 W.K.K.A. World Championships in Miami 79 kg (full-contact) 1980 W.A.K.O. European Championships in London -79 kg (full-contact) 1979 W.A.K.O. European Championships in Milan -79 kg (full-contact)

Kickboxing record (incomplete) 87 wins (82 knockouts), 11 losses, 3 draw, 1 no contestDateResultOpponentEventMethodRoundTimeLocation July 18, 2005Draw Hirofumi Kanayama WORLD OYAZI BATTLE -SAMURAI RETURN!- Decision 2 N/A Tokyo, Japan July 11, 1999 Win Benkai Sato Kakidamishi I KO (liver punch) 1 0:23 Naha, Okinawa, Japan December 13, 1998 Win Big Mo T Muay Thai WMTA World Title Fight Heavyweight KO (right punch) N/A N/A Dvorana Dražen Petrović, Zagreb, Croatia October 11, 1997No contest Ralph White Pride 1 NC (Cikatić kicked White while he was on the ground) 1 1:52 Tokyo, Japan September 7, 1997 Loss Mike Bernardo K-1 Grand Prix '97 1st round TKO (doctor stoppage) 1 0:38 Osaka, Japan July 20, 1997 Loss Sam Greco K-1 Dream '97 KO (right hooks) 1 2:58 Nagoya, Japan March 16, 1997 Win Musashi K-1 Kings '97 KO (right punch) 4 1:38 Yokohama, Japan December 12, 1994 Win Ernesto Hoost K-1 Legend KO (right hook) 2 1:18 Nagoya, Japan September 18, 1994 Loss Stan Longinidis K-1 Revenge Decision (unanimous) 5 3:00 Yokohama, Japan April 30, 1994 Loss Masaaki Satake K-1 Grand Prix '94 Decision (unanimous) 3 3:00 Tokyo, Japan April 30, 1994 Win Andre Mannaart K-1 Grand Prix '94 KO (right punch) 2 0:16 Tokyo, Japan March 4, 1994 Loss Andy Hug K-1 Challenge Decision (unanimous) 5 3:00 Tokyo, Japan April 30, 1993 Win Ernesto Hoost K-1 Grand Prix '93 KO (right hook) 1 2:49 Tokyo, Japan April 30, 1993 Win Masaaki Satake K-1 Grand Prix '93 KO (left hook) 3 0:45 Tokyo, Japan April 30, 1993 Win Changpuek Kiatsongrit K-1 Grand Prix '93 KO (punch) 1 2:35 Tokyo, Japan April 8, 1993 Win Mahmoud Babachi Muay Thai World Title Fight KO (Babachi injured shoulder after throw in clinch) 1 1:42 Zagreb, Croatia 1992 Win Novica Bogdanovic KO (left punch) 1 0:38 Zagreb, Croatia June, 1992 Loss Stan Longinidis World Kickboxing Association Decision (unanimous) 12 2:00 Melbourne, Australia March 16, 1992Draw Dennis Alexio World Martial Arts Challenge Technical draw (Alexio hit Cikatić during a stoppage) 3 1:25 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. October 19, 1991 Win Jean Atonga Muay Thai WMTA World Title Fight, -86 kg Decision (split) 5 3:00 Deutschlandhalle, Berlin Germany May 28, 1991 Win Charlie Lieuwfeld IKBF World Title Fight, -86 kg KO (body shot) 5 N/A Zagreb, Croatia March 23, 1991 Win Andre Mannaart World Kickboxing Association World Title Fight, -86 kg Decision (unanimous) 12 2:00 Rhein-Main-Hallen, Wiesbaden, Germany January, 1991 Win Stephane Lahousse Savate Rules KO 2 N/A Zagreb, Croatia October, 1990Draw Samir Usenagić Kickboxing Prestige Fight Decision 5 2:00 Belgrade, SFR Yugoslavia December 16, 1989 Win Carl Thompson Muay Thai WMTA World Title Fight, -86 kg Decision (unanimous) 5 3:00 Philipshalle, Düsseldorf, Germany October 8, 1989 Loss Ernesto Hoost Muay Thai WMTA World Title Fight DQ 4 0:15 Amsterdam, Netherlands, NED December 12, 1987 Loss Don Wilson KICK Association: Lightheavyweight World Title Fight TKO 7 1:24 Orlando, Florida, U.S. May 30, 1987 Win Radomir Bozovic Kickboxing Prestige Fight TKO 5 N/A Sportski Centar Gripe, Split, Croatia April 26, 1987 Win Carl Thompson Muay Thai WMTA World Title Fight TKO 3 2:18 Amsterdam, Netherlands October 17, 1986 Win Radomir Bozovic Kickboxing Prestige Fight KO 7 N/A Ivangrad, Montenegro, Socialist Republic of Montenegro 1986 Loss Dragan Ognjenovic Kickboxing Prestige Fight DQ (Cikatic KOed Ognjenovic after break) 3 N/A Niksic, Montenegro, Socialist Republic of Montenegro 1986 Win Kirk Walker Muay Thai EMTA European Title Fight KO 2 N/A Paris, France December 19, 1985 Win Tony Bristow Kickboxing European Title Fight TKO 2 1:05 Sportski Centar Gripe, Split, Croatia May 26, 1985 Win Jan Oosterbaan Muay Thai EMTA European Title Fight TKO (Oosterbaan's corner retired after round 3) 3 3:00 Amsterdam, Netherlands March 29, 1985 Win Bruno Campiglia Kickboxing KO (body shot) 5 N/A Sportski Centar Gripe, Split, Croatia 1984 Win Krstulovic Kickboxing KO N/A N/A , Split, Croatia 1984 Win Kenneth Plak Muay Thai Eliminator for European Title KO 1 N/A Amsterdam, Netherlands 1983 Loss Vjekoslav Šafranić Kickboxing Prestige Fight Decision 7 N/A Dom Sportova, Zagreb, Croatia August 18, 1983 Win Pascal Ducros KO 2 N/A Stadium Poljud, Split, Croatia 1983 Loss Maurizio Callegari WAKO World Championship, 80 kg, Title Defence N/A N/A N/A Palermo, Italy March 20, 1982 Win Jean Marc Tonus WAKO World Championship, 80 kg, Title Defence Decision (unanimous) 6 2:00 Sportski Centar Gripe, Split, Croatia November, 1981 Win Ray McCallum WAKO World Championship Technical decision (after headbutt: 38:38, 40:38, 38:37) 4 N/A Miami, United States

Mixed martial arts record

See also List of K-1 events List of K-1 champions List of male kickboxers

References

External links

Branko Cikatic official homepage

Profile at K-1

Branko Cikatić

Bron en licentie