Kickboxing is a full-contact hybrid martial art and boxing type based on punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouth guards, shorts, and bare feet to favor the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general fitness, or for competition. Some styles of kickboxing include: Full contact karate, Muay Thai, Japanese kickboxing, Lethwei, Sanda, and Savate.
The ISKA is one of the major international bodies regulating sport karate and kickboxing matches. It is based in the United States. It was established in 1985 as a response to legal and revenue issues that sent the Professional Karate Association (PKA) into decline.
Dennis Raymond Alexio is an American former professional kickboxer and actor who competed in the light heavyweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions. Starting out as a light heavyweight, Alexio kicked off his career with an extensive, knockout-laden undefeated streak before losing a decision to Don "The Dragon" Wilson in a World Kickboxing Association (WKA) World Super Light Heavyweight Full Contact Championship match in 1984. He rebounded from this by winning the Professional Karate Association (PKA) World Light Heavyweight title that same year before moving up to cruiserweight and taking the International Sport Karate Association (ISKA) World Cruiserweight Full Contact strap. In the late 1980s, he began his transition to the heavyweight division where he won six world titles and was considered the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion. He faced the two toughest tests of his career in 1992 against Branko Cikatić and Stan Longinidis - both of whom were heavier fighters - fighting to a controversial draw with Cikatić and losing to Longinidis via an early low kick KO which resulted in a broken leg.
Stan "The Man" Longinidis is an Australian retired heavyweight kickboxer and 8-time world kickboxing champion. Born in Melbourne of Greek ethnicity, Longinidis is one of the few fighters to win world titles in four different styles of kickboxing competition: international rules, Oriental rules, full contact and Muay Thai. He holds notable victories over Branko Cikatić, Adam Watt, Peter Graham, Musashi and Dennis Alexio.
Marek "The Punisher" Piotrowski is a Polish retired heavyweight kickboxer and boxer. He is a former ten time kickboxing world champion.
Łukasz Jarosz is a Polish heavyweight kickboxer. He is former I.S.K.A. World Super Heavyweight champion.
Andre Mannaart is a Dutch former kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He was four times world champion in kickboxing and Muay Thai, having fought against K-1 legends such as Ernesto Hoost, Branko Cikatić, Maurice Smith and Ray Sefo. He is now a trainer at the Mejiro Gym in Amsterdam, where he has coached fighters of the calibre of Peter Aerts and Remy Bonjasky.
Michał Głogowski is a Polish welterweight kickboxer fighting out of Siedlce for TKKF Siedlce. He is the WKN Low Kick World Champion and the K-1 Europe MAX 2008 in Poland runner up.
José 'The Devil's Advocate' Reis is a Portuguese Muay Thai kickboxer of Cape Verdean descent fighting out of Lisbon, Portugal for Olival Gym at either welterweight or super middleweight. He is the 2010 W.F.C.A. Full Contact world champion and a x2 K-1 MAX regional champion who has fought for both the K-1 MAX and SuperLeague organizations. His younger brother, Luis Reis, is also a successful kickboxer.
Luís "Dinga" Reis is a Portuguese Muay Thai kickboxer of Cape Verdian descent fighting out of Lisbon, Portugal for the Olival Gym. He is a K-1 MAX and It's Showtime regional champion who has also won medals for Portugal at amateur level. His older brother José Reis is also a respected kickboxer.
Ivan Stanić is a Croatian cruiserweight Muay Thai kickboxer, former W.B.C. Muaythai world champion and King of the Ring muay thai world champion.
Alexander Oleinik is a Ukrainian professional Kickboxing and Muay Thai fighter who competes in the middleweight, light heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions. He has begun practicing Kyokushin Karate in early childhood at the age of six. Shortly he became a Ukrainian champion in the youth division. At the age of 17 he started practicing Muay Thai.
Amy Pirnie is a Scottish Muay Thai fighter and kickboxer, who has most recently competed with Yokkao and Enfusion. She is the reigning Lion Fight super-flyweight champion, and the reigning ISKA strawweight world champion.
Silvia La Notte is an Italian kickboxer and Nak Muay, who has been professionally competing since 2002. She is the reigning WAKO World K1 Super Flyweight champion.
Lizzie Largillière is a French kickboxer. She is the current ISKA World Kickboxing Super Flyweight champion.
Angélique Pitiot is a French retired kickboxer and Nak Muay. She is the former ISKA Muay Thai and K-1 light-welterweight world champion, three time FFSCDA kickboxing and one time muay thai champion, and the WPMF European welterweight champion.
Darren Rolland is a French Muay Thai fighter who has been competing professionally since 2017. He is the current WMO Featherweight International Champion and former WBC Muaythai Featherweight World Champion
Cindy Silvestre is a French kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter who has been professionally competing since 2015.
Silviu Vitez is a Romanian-Spanish Muay Thai kickboxer. He is the current WAKO-Pro World K-1 Lightweight champion. As of December 2022, Vitez is ranked the #8 super bantamweight in the world by Beyond Kickboxing.
Miguel Trindade is a Portuguese kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter.
