1. Michalis "Iron Mike" Zambidis is a professional Greek kickboxer and martial artist.
18 Facts About Mike Zambidis
1. 2.
Mike Zambidis is an 18-time World Champion, including former World version W5, SUPERKOMBAT and in a series of K-1 Tournaments and Grand Prix Champion.
3.
Mike Zambidis mostly competed in the K-1 MAX where he scored mostly knockouts.
4.
Mike Zambidis started training in martial arts before he was nine years old with his brother Spiros Zambidis and his best friend Lazaros Filipas.
5.
Mike Zambidis has trained in Shotokan Karate, Boxing, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai.
6.
Mike Zambidis started competing professionally in 2000, scoring a string of victories over notable opponents.
7.
Mike Zambidis was given the nickname Turkofagos after his 11th win over Turkish fighters due to the fact that he never lost to a Turk.
8.
Mike Zambidis has been technically knocked out twice himself early in his career due to cuts, but after 2002, his next technical knock-out defeat came in 2008 against Andy Souwer in an extra round.
9.
However, Mike Zambidis did not make it to the final as he lost to Giorgio Petrosyan by unanimous decision.
10.
Mike Zambidis knocked down Petrosyan in the fight, but it was controversially ruled a slip by the referee.
11.
Mike Zambidis fought a rubber match with Australian Muay Thai champion John Wayne Parr in May 2011.
12.
Mike Zambidis defeated Reece McAllister by unanimous decision in the quarter-finals of the K-1 World MAX 2012 World Championship Tournament Final in Athens, Greece on 15 December 2012.
13.
Mike Zambidis then lost by the eventual champion Murthel Groenhart in the semis.
14.
Mike Zambidis was expected to compete in a four-man tournament in Russia on 25 May 2013, facing Dzhabar Askerov in the semi-finals.
15.
Mike Zambidis beat Harun Kina by unanimous decision for the vacant SUPERKOMBAT Middleweight Championship at SUPERKOMBAT VIP Edition in Bucharest, Romania on 31 August 2013.
16.
Mike Zambidis was scheduled to fight Elam Ngor at the K-1 World MAX 2013 World Championship Tournament Final 16 in Majorca, Spain on 14 September 2013.
17.
Mike Zambidis lost to Xu Yan by unanimous decision, suffering controversial knockdowns in rounds one and two as he received below blows in both occasions, at Hero Legends in Jinan, China on 3 January 2014.
18.
Mike Zambidis won his first defence of his SUPERKOMBAT middleweight title against Harun Kina on 17 January at Iron Challenge 2015 from Athens, Greece.