Karate Combat (KC) is a brand which promotes the first professional full-contact karate league, hosting worldwide events since April 2018. The private company is headquartered in Dubai and was founded by Robert Bryan. Karate Combat is owned by the Sensei Foundation, a Cayman Islands Foundation Company and its affiliates. The brand also encompasses sports equipment, a worldwide Dojo network and mobile apps for viewers. Karate Combat was founded in order to promote karate as a sport and martial art to the new generation of sports fans.
Contestants compete in a seasonal championship in which the winner is awarded a golden belt. They consist of karateka from various styles of karate like Kyokushinkai, Shotokan, Shitō-ryū, and Wadō-ryū. Contestants from other martial arts disciplines like Kenpō, Taekwondo, and Tang Soo Do have also participated. The contestants are expected to abide by karate-do etiquette and specific tournament rules.
The organization puts emphasis on innovation and technology with the use of video game-style analytics of fighter's biometrics, nutrition and DNA-based data in real-time. Fights regularly feature CGI environments created with the Unreal Engine as reported by NBC Sports. Marketing and promotion include appearances of Bas Rutten, Georges St-Pierre, Lyoto Machida and Stephen Thompson, who have all served as league ambassadors, as well as Danny Trejo and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson.
In 2020, rights to Karate Combat have been acquired by beIN SPORTS. The media group broadcasts the Karate Combat seasons in 37 countries.
Rules Fighting takes place in a 6,5m x 6,5m (21'4" x 21'4") square combat pit surrounded by 45° angled walls. A match consists of 3 rounds each lasting 3 minutes with the possibility of 2 additional rounds for championship fights.
Scoring uses a 10-point must system and is based on aggression and effectiveness of attacks. Three judges evaluate each fight from a position around the combat pit. Scoring cards are omitted in case of a knock-out.
Equipment consists of 4oz gloves, mouthpieces, groin protectors for male contestants, karate belts and officially designed long karate trousers with national emblems or flags.
Wrestling, submissions, elbows are not permitted. A grounded opponent may use upkicks while the standing opponent may use ground punches. After 5 seconds any grounded opponent will be brought back to a standing position by the referee.
Weight divisions and classifications
Division Upper weight limit Gender Heavyweight No limit Men Light Heavyweight Men Middleweight Men Welterweight Men Lightweight Men Featherweight Women Bantamweight Women / Men Flyweight Women Strawweight Women
Pit Submission Series In January 2024, Karate Combat announced that they would begin staging professional grappling matches in the pit prior to their karate fights, under the name of "Pit Submission Series." The first fight under the Pit Submission Series took place on January 26, 2024.
Current championships
ChampionshipCurrent Champion(s)Date wonPrevious Champion(s)Defenses Karate Combat Heavyweight Championship Robelis DespaigneDecember 5, 2025 Sam Alvey 0Karate Combat Light Heavyweight Championship Sam AlveyJuly 24, 2026 Inaugural 0Karate Combat Middleweight Championship Ilyas KhamzinOctober 30, 2025 Ross Levine 1Karate Combat Welterweight Championship Oussama AssliDecember 5, 2025 Rafael Aghayev 1Karate Combat Lightweight ChampionshipVacantMarch 2, 2026 Shahzaib Rindh 0Karate Combat Featherweight Championship Luiz Victor RochaMarch 27, 2026 Inaugural 0Karate Combat Bantamweight Championship Arturo VergaraDecember 19, 2024 Myrza-Bek Tebuev 0Karate Combat Women's Bantamweight Championship Melinda Fabian December 15, 2023 Inaugural 0Karate Combat Women's Flyweight Championship Aline Pereira July 19, 2025 Inaugural 0Karate Combat Women's Straweight Championship Sthefanie Oliveira Lili Ferreira (interim)November 3, 2023 February 13, 2026 Inaugural 0
Championship history Heavyweight Championship Weight limit: None No.NameEventDateReignDefenses1 Sam Alvey Karate Combat 43 December 15, 2023 2 Robelis Despaigne Karate Combat 58 December 5, 2025 (incumbent)
Light Heavyweight Championship Weight limit: 205lb No.NameEventDateReignDefenses1 Sam Alvey Karate Combat 62 July 24, 2026 (incumbent)
Middleweight Championship Weight limit: 185lb No.NameEventDateReignDefenses1 Shahin Atamov Karate Combat The Future Episode 10 September 2, 20212 Ross Levine Karate Combat Season 4 Event 2 June 25, 2022 Levine retired from combat sports.3 Ilyas Khamzin Karate Combat 57 October 31, 2025 (incumbent)
Welterweight Championship Weight limit: 170lb No.NameEventDateReignDefenses1 Josh Quayhagen Karate Combat Neo Tokyo Episode 7 October 25, 2020 — Rafael Aghayev Karate Combat 37 December 17, 2022–2 Rafael Aghayev Karate Combat 40 June 24, 2023Aghayev retired from combat sports in March 2025.3 Oussama Assli Karate Combat 58 December 5, 2025 (incumbent)
Lightweight Championship Weight limit: 155lb No.NameEventDateReignDefenses1 Edgars Skrīvers Karate Combat Evolution September, 20192 Luiz Victor Rocha Karate Combat Season 4 Event 2 May 28, 2022 — Karate Combat 47 September 18, 2024–3 Shahzaib Rind Karate Combat 56 July 19, 2025 The title was vacated on March 2, 2026 after the weight class changed from 150 lbs. to 155 lbs.
Featherweight Championship Weight limit: 145lb No.NameEventDateReignDefenses1 Luiz Victor Rocha Karate Combat 60 March 27, 2026 (incumbent)
Bantamweight Championship Weight limit: 135lb No.NameEventDateReignDefenses1 Eoghan Chelmiah Karate Combat Season 3 Episode 12 on September 16, 2021 October 25, 2020 2 Myrza-Bek Tebuev Karate Combat 41 September 16, 2023 Myrza-Bek Tebuev vacated the belt for unknown reasons.3 Arturo Vergara Karate Combat 51 December 19, 2024(incumbent)
Women's Bantamweight Championship Weight limit: 135lb No.NameEventDateReignDefenses1 Melinda Fabian Karate Combat 43 December 15, 2023 (incumbent)
Women's Flyweight Championship Weight limit: 125lb No.NameEventDateReignDefenses1 Aline Pereira Karate Combat 56 July 19, 2025 (incumbent)
Women's Strawweight Championship Weight limit: 115lb No.NameEventDateReignDefenses1 Sthefanie Oliveira Karate Combat 42 November 3, 2023 (incumbent) — Lili Ferreira Karate Combat 59 February 13, 2026–
Karate Combat records Longest championship reign Luiz Victor Rocha1148 daysMost wins Shahzaib Rind 9 Oldest champion Sam Alvey40 years, 1 monthsYoungest champion Eoghan Chelmiah24 years, 1 monthsMost title fight wins Luiz Victor Rocha Sam Alvey4Most consecutive title defenses Edgars Skrivers Eoghan Chelmiah Luiz Victor Rocha Ross Levine Sam Alvey2
Events
Overview Karate Combat events feature male and female karateka from a roster of over 100 professional fighters. The first five events were held in front of an invite-only audience. Later events incorporate CGI effects and original music in order to achieve a modern appearance and appeal to a younger demographic. Event locations favor optimal camera angles and cinematic scenery over a big live-audience. Thus locations like the 102nd floor of the One World Trade Center were chosen hosting a selected audience with black-tie dress code. The events attracted the notice of American television and newspaper. Recordings of all events can be accessed for free via the official website. Past events have also been streamed via UFC Fight Pass.
Seasons
Season 1 # Event Date Venue Location Fight Card VOD 0 Karate Combat: Genesis Secret Warehouse Budapest, Hungary Rafael Aghayev - Dionicio Gustavo Achraf Ouchen - Elhadji G Ndour Luiz Victor Rocha - Reda Messaoudi Lahad Cisse - Aykit Usda Muslum Basturk - Joshua Quayhagen Deivis Ferreras - Saeid Ahmadikaryani Randy Cura - Alexandre Bouderbane Watch 1 Karate Combat: Inception Miami Beach Miami, U.S. Elhadji Ndour - Andras ViragAlexandre Bouderbane - Dionicio Gustavo Abdalla Ibrahim - Joshua Quayhagen Spyros Margaritopoulos - Mohamed Salem Mohamed Lahad Cisse - Adham Sabry Pedro Roman Roig - Jerome Brown Watch 2 Karate Combat: Olympus Zappeion Courtyard Athens, Greece Jerome Brown - Davy DonaDeivis Ferreras - Myrza-bek TebuevAchraf Ouchen - Franklin MinaFabiola Esquivel González - Sarah Ait IbrahimFioravante Valentino - Igor De CastañedaWellington Barbosa - Yaser SahintekinReda Messaoudi - Nikos Kosmas Watch 3 Karate Combat: One World One World Trade Center New York City, U.S. Abdalla Ibrahim - Dionicio Gustavo Dimitrios Triantafyllis - Luiz Victor Rocha Elhadji G Ndour - Adilet Shadykanov Spyros Margaritopoulos - Jorge Perez Joshua Quayhagen - Vitalie Certan Adham Sabry - András Virág Pedro Roman Roig - Jesus Paucarcaja Lopez Gabriele Cera - Fernando Moreno Paz Teeik Silva - Edgars Skrivers Watch 4 Karate Combat: Hollywood Avalon Los Angeles, U.S. Luiz Victor Rocha - Myrza-bek Tebuev Elhadji G Ndour - Calum Robb Igor De Castañeda - Milos Vukovic Abdalla Ibrahim - Kevin Walker Daniel Viveros - Ilies Mardhi Alexandre Bouderbane - Willians Quirino Nadege Ait Ibrahim - Ana Luiza Ferreira Da Silva Teeik Silva - Kevin Kowalczik Luis Diogo - Jonas Correia Watch 5 Karate Combat: Evolution KC-1 Orlando, U.S. Luiz Victor Rocha - Edgars Skrivers Dionicio Gustavo - Joshua Quayhagen Abdalla Ibrahim - Davy Dona Jorge Perez - Shahin Atamov Igor De Castañeda - Zsolt Habda Watch
Season 2 # Event Date Venue Location Fight Card VOD 1 Karate Combat: Anger Wat I 2020 Mixed Reality Unknown Abdalla Ibrahim - Jerome Brown Maximilian Mathes - Stefanos Roupakas Deivis Ferreras - Jesús López Watch 2 Karate Combat: Anger Wat II 2020 Mixed Reality Unknown Ilies Mardhi - Pedro Roig Roman Reda Messaoudi - Joshua Quayhagen Craig Ryan - Rida Boutadout Watch 3 Karate Combat: Anger Wat III 2020 Mixed Reality Unknown Myrza-Bek Tebuev - Daniel Viveros Calum Robb - Franklin Mina Vitalie Certan - Gabriele Cera Watch 4 Karate Combat: Scrap Punk I 2020 Mixed Reality Unknown Luiz Victor Rocha - Ilies Mardhi Stefanos Roupakas - Daniel Viveros Bruno Assis - Gergő Horváth Watch 5 Karate Combat: Scrap Punk II 2020 Mixed Reality Unknown Jerome Brown - Joshua Quayhagen Bryan van Waesberghe - Lahad Cisse Watch 6 Karate Combat: Scrap Punk III 2020 Mixed Reality Unknown Shahin Atamov - Franklin Mina Dionicio Gustavo - Reda Messaoudi Gilmarcos de Bastos Jr. - András Virág Watch 7 Karate Combat: Neo Tokyo I 2020 Mixed Reality Unknown Edgars Skrivers - Myrza-bek Tebuev Willians Quirino - Nikos Gikados Watch 8 Karate Combat: Neo Tokyo II 2020 Mixed Reality Unknown Christina Kavakopoulou - Fabiola Esquivel Andrei Grinevich - Achraf Ouchen Watch 9 Karate Combat: Neo Tokyo III 2020 Mixed Reality Unknown Bruno Assis - Teeik Silva Melinda Fabian - Ana Luiza Ferreira Da Silva Watch 10 Karate Combat: Valhalla I 2020 Mixed Reality Unknown Davy Dona - Nikos Gidakos Igor de Castañeda - Shahin Atamov Franklin Mina - Bryan Van Waesberghe Watch 11 Karate Combat: Valhalla II 2020 Mixed Reality Unknown Vitalie Certan - Nikita Yanchuk Anna Laura Prezzoti - Omaira Molina Watch 12 Karate Combat: Valhalla III 2020 Mixed Reality Unknown Bruno Assis - Jesus Lopez Teeik Silva - Pedro Roman Roig Willians Quirino - Vasilii Antokhii Watch
Season 3