Branko Cikatić

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Branko "The Tiger" Cikatić (born October 3, 1954 in Split , † March 23, 2020 in Solin ) was a Croatian kickboxer .

On April 3, 1993, Cikatić made sports history when he won the very first K-1 World Grand Prix Final. He won three fights against the Thai Changpuek Kiatsongrit, the Japanese Masaaki Satake and the Dutch Ernesto Hoost each by knockout. Branko Cikatić played a total of eleven K-1 fights with six wins and five losses. His last fight, which was also his last fight in the K-1, took place on September 7, 1997 at the K-1 World GP Opening. He met the South African Mike Bernardo, who defeated him by technical knockout in the first round after just 38 seconds. In 1997, however, Cikatić could record another great success - the 1.90 m tall boxer became heavyweight world champion of the IKBF (International Kick Boxing Federation).

Combat record (K-1): 6 wins: 5 × knockout, 1 × TKO --- 5 defeats: 1 × knockout, 1 × TKO, 3 × points He was in karate, taekwondo, boxing, judo involved ... He was a well known professional in kickboxing and Thai boxing. In amateur kickboxing he was world champion in 1981 and European champion in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983. As a professional he was world champion in 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1992 and European champion in 1986. He was world champion thirteen times in various disciplines. He was the first winner of the K-1 Grand Prix in Japan in 1993. He defeated the great Dutchman Ernest Hoost in the final. He has been a member of the Split Sports Hall of Fame since 2015.

Towards the end of his career, Cikatić took part in the film Skyscraper (1996).

K-1 fights

  • April 3, 1993 (K-1 World Grand Prix Final): vs. Changpuek Kiatsongrit → knockout win in the first round after 2 minutes 35 seconds
  • April 3, 1993 (K-1 World Grand Prix Final): vs. Masaaki Satake → knockout win in the third round after 45 seconds
  • April 3, 1993 (K-1 World Grand Prix Final): vs. Ernesto Hoost → knockout win in the first round after 2 minutes and 49 seconds
  • March 4, 1994 (K-1 Challenge): vs. Andy Hug → 3-0 defeat after five rounds
  • April 30, 1994 (K-1 World Grand Prix Final): vs. Andre Mannaart → knockout victory in the second round after 16 seconds
  • April 30, 1994 (K-1 World Grand Prix Final): vs. Masaaki Satake → 2-0 defeat after three rounds
  • September 18, 1994 (K-1 Revenge): vs. Stan 'The Man' Longinidis → 3-0 point defeat after five rounds
  • December 10, 1994 (K-1 Legend): vs. Ernesto Hoost → knockout win in the second round after 1 minute and 18 seconds
  • March 16, 1997 (K-1 Kings): vs. Akio 'Musashi' Mori → TKO win in the fourth round after 1 minute and 38 seconds
  • July 20, 1997 (K-1 Dreams): vs. Sam Greco → knockout loss in the first round after 2 minutes and 58 seconds
  • September 7, 1997 (K-1 World GP Opening): vs. Mike Bernardo → TKO defeat in the first round after 38 seconds

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. K-1 legend Branko Cikatic is dead