 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Martial arts promotion |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Simon Rutz & Edwin van Os |
| Fate | Acquired by GLORY |
| Headquarters | |
Key people | Simon Rutz and Edwin van Os CEO |
| Parent | European Fighting Network |
| Website | http://www.itsshowtime.nl/ |
It's Showtime was a kickboxing and mixed martial arts promotion based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was founded by Simon Rutz in 1998 and held its first show in 1999 and its last near the end of 2012. [1]
It's Showtime events were cross-promoted with K-1 [2] and other European promotions from Italy, Belgium and England. [3] In December 2007, the first season of It’s Showtime Reality Show was broadcast on Eurosport, featuring 19 fighters from all over the world. [4] K-1 partnership continued until K-1's deepening financial problems and Simon Rutz claimed in January 2011 that some fighters from It's Showtime had not been paid for fights in K-1. [5]
In March 2012, It's Showtime announced that EMCOM Entertainment established the new company K-1 Global Holdings Ltd. in Hong Kong. EMCOM/K-1 Global's agreement with It's Showtime made many fighters under It's Showtime promotion sign contracts to appear in upcoming K-1 Global events. [6]
However, it was announced in June 2012 that It's Showtime was purchased by Glory Sports International, eventually to be merged in their new promotion GLORY. [7]
It's Showtime events were usually broadcast live on Setanta Sports, JSports, TV Esporte Interativo and many others and aired on The Fight Network in Canada. [8]
Showtime had also signed a deal with AXS TV (formerly known as HDNet) to air shows. [9]
Kickboxing fights were conducted under K-1 rules 3 X 3 rounds and title fights 5 X 3. It's Showtime had eight different weight classes MAX 61 kg, MAX 65 kg, MAX 69 kg, MAX 73 kg, MAX 77 kg, MAX 85 kg, MAX 95 kg and Heavyweight. [10]
K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii.
Andy Souwer is a Dutch former welterweight kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He is a two-time K-1 World MAX champion and four-time Shootboxing World tournament champion as well as former It's Showtime 70MAX world champion, fighting out of Mejiro Gym in Amsterdam.
Badr Hari is a Moroccan-Dutch kickboxer. He is a former K-1 Heavyweight World Champion (2007–2008), It's Showtime Heavyweight World Champion (2009–2010) and K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 and 2009 finalist. He is widely considered one of the greatest kickboxers of all time.
Tyrone Clinton Spong is a Surinamese-Dutch professional boxer and mixed martial artist and former kickboxer. As a boxer, he held the WBC and WBO Latino heavyweight titles in 2018. In kickboxing, he is the former WFCA cruiserweight champion, Glory 95kg Slam Champion and It's Showtime 95MAX World champion.
Gevorg "Giorgio" Petrosyan is a retired Armenian-born Italian kickboxer who competes in the middleweight division. He is nicknamed "The Doctor" and noted for his supreme technical skills, ringsmanship and defensive prowess which has seen him defeat some of the best strikers in the world while taking little-to-no damage. As of September 2022, he is ranked the #5 lightweight and #6 pound-for-pound kickboxer in the world by Combat Press, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest kickboxers of all time. As of October 12, 2023, he is ranked #5 in the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing rankings.
Daniel Florin Ghiță is a Romanian politician and former kickboxer, who serves as a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania since December 2020.
Hesdy Gerges is a Dutch kickboxer and mixed martial artist, fighting out of the Vos Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He held the It's Showtime World Heavyweight title between 2010 and 2012. Gerges has competed in the K-1, It's Showtime, SUPERKOMBAT and Glory promotions.
Shemsi Beqiri is a Swiss Albanian kickboxer who competes in the middleweight division.
Brice Guidon, also known as "Nectar", is a French Muay Thai kickboxer. He is the W.P.M.F. European Heavyweight and World Super Heavyweight Muaythai Champion, and the 2011 United Glory World Series runner-up. He has competed in the GLORY, K-1, It's Showtime and SUPERKOMBAT promotions.
Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong is a Thai Muay Thai kickboxer who is currently signed to ONE Championship. Sitthichai is a former Lumpinee Stadium Welterweight Champion and Glory Lightweight Champion. Combat Press ranks him as the #3 lightweight kickboxer in the world. As of October 27, 2022, he is ranked #3 in the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing rankings and As of March 6, 2023, he is ranked #2 in the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai rankings.
Marat Grigorian is an Armenian-Belgian kickboxer currently signed to ONE Championship, where he competes in the featherweight division. Grigorian has previously competed for Glory and is a former Glory Lightweight Champion. He is famous for his technical aggressive fighting style and knockout power. Combat Press ranks him as the #2 lightweight and #4 pound-for-pound kickboxer in the world. As of October 12, 2023, he is ranked #2 in the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing rankings.
Chris "The African Warrior" Ngimbi is a Congolese-Dutch Muay Thai kickboxer fighting out of Ngimbi Sports Academy in Pelt, Belgium. He is the two times It's Showtime 70MAX world champion fighting primarily within the It's Showtime and the K-1 Global Holding organizations. He also held the SUPERKOMBAT Middleweight Championship in 2016.
Danyo "Dibuba" Ilunga is a Congolese-German Muay Thai kickboxer currently competing in GLORY. Ilunga is a four-time kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion - most notably being the former It's Showtime 95MAX World Champion. As of November 2021, Combat Press ranks him as the #9 light heavyweight kickboxer in the world.
Glory, formerly ‘Glory World Series’ is an international combat sports league based in the United Kingdom. It is owned by Pierre Andurand, Yao Capital, Scott Rudmann and other investors.
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.
Enfusion is a Dutch kickboxing promotion company based in Alkmaar, Netherlands. It produces events worldwide, which showcase twelve kickboxing weight classes. Enfusion held its first event in 2013 in the Zwembad Sporthal in Zwevegem, Belgium. Aside from producing kickboxing events inside of a ring, Enfusion operates three other brands of events: Enfusion Talents, which showcases up and coming kickboxing prospects, Enfusion Rookies where amateurs are allowed to demonstrate their skills for the talent scouts and Enfusion Reality, a tournament with behind the scenes perspectives into each athlete, produced over 12–14 episodes.
This is a list of events held in 2012 by K-1, a kickboxing promotion based in Hong Kong.
Masahiro Yamamoto is a Japanese kickboxer who competes in the lightweight division. After beginning his career as a featherweight in 2002, Yamamoto became a mainstay in the All Japan Kickboxing Federation and first challenged for the AJKF Featherweight Championship in December 2004 when he fought to a draw with Genki Yamamoto. He then went on a hot streak in 2005, winning the IKUSA 2005 –60 kg Grand Prix in the process, and was given another chance at the AJKF Featherweight title in January 2006 when he beat Genki Yamamoto in a rematch to take the belt. The following years saw Yamamoto move up to lightweight and have more domestic success as he took the AJKF's Best of 60 kg Tournament 2007 and the Krush Lightweight Grand Prix 2009 before he emerged internationally with the It's Showtime promotion. He lost to Sergio Wielzen in his first attempt at the It's Showtime 61MAX Championship in December 2010 but came back to win the belt in July 2012 by defeating Javier Hernandez.
Andy Ristie is a Surinamese-Dutch kickboxer who competes in the lightweight division. After an unremarkable beginning to his career, he came to prominence with a lengthy and entertaining winning streak in the It's Showtime promotion in 2011 and 2012. This earned him an invite to fight amongst the 70 kg/154 lb division's elite, competing in the K-1 World MAX 2012 Tournament and debuting in Glory shortly after.
Abdellah Ezbiri is a French kickboxer. He is the former I.S.K.A. K-1 Rules World Champion and W.K.N.Archived 2022-03-09 at the Wayback Machine K-1 Rules European Super Lightweight Champion. As of 1 November 2018, he is ranked the #7 featherweight in the world by Combat Press.
Professional mixed martial arts organizations | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia |
| ||||
| Australia |
| ||||
| Brazil |
| ||||
| Canada |
| ||||
| Europe |
| ||||
| Japan |
| ||||
| Latin America |
| ||||
| Middle East |
| ||||
| Russia |
| ||||
| South Africa |
| ||||
| United Kingdom |
| ||||
| United States |
| ||||
