Xhavit Bajrami is a two-time Muay Thai world champion, having won the ISKA World Super Heavyweight title in 2004 and the WKN World Super Heavyweight strap in 2010.
22 Facts About Xhavit Bajrami
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Xhavit Bajrami relocated to Switzerland where he began practicing Seido karate and eventually kickboxing.
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Xhavit Bajrami transitioned from full contact karate to kickboxing under the tutelage of fellow karateka-turned-kickboxers Andy Hug and Michael Thompson, and amassed an undefeated record fighting domestically before being recruited by the world's premier kickboxing promotion, K-1 in 1998.
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Xhavit Bajrami needed an extension round to get past Matteo Minonzie in the quarter-finals, and was then eliminated from the tournament in the semis when his bout with Rob van Esdonk was stopped by the doctor in the first round.
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Xhavit Bajrami was back in action just over a month later when he fought to a five-round draw with Kirkwood Walker at K-1 Dream '98 in Nagoya, Japan on July 17,1998.
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Just fifteen days later in Fukuoka, Japan, Xhavit Bajrami was among the eight fighters battling it out to win the tournament at K-1 Braves '99.
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Xhavit Bajrami defeated Sinisa Andrijasevic by technical knockout in the quarter-finals when his opponent was not allowed continue on the advice of the doctor, and then faced Mirko Cro Cop at the semi-final stage.
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The bout was ruled a draw at the end of the regulation three rounds and so an extension round was added to decide the winner, after which Xhavit Bajrami was given the nod by all three judges.
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At the K-1 World Grand Prix '99 opening round in Osaka, Japan on October 5,1999, Xhavit Bajrami had his first of three meetings with Dutch legend Ernesto Hoost, losing by unanimous decision.
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Xhavit Bajrami was able to go past Belgian duo Peter Bamoshi and Marc de Wit, respectively, before being stopped with a devastating high kick by Jorgen Kruth in the final.
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Xhavit Bajrami returned to tournament action on May 30,2003 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 in Basel.
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Xhavit Bajrami avenged his loss to Jorgen Kruth by taking an extension round split decision over the Swede at the first round but was then eliminated by the eventual tournament winner Jerrel Venetiaan in the semis.
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Xhavit Bajrami bounced back with a decision win over familiar foe Sinisa Pulyak in Croatia on September 12,2003.
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On March 6,2004, Xhavit Bajrami was crowned the ISKA World Super Heavyweight Muay Thai Champion when he beat Australia's Peter Graham by decision in his birth city of Pristina, Kosovo.
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Xhavit Bajrami dropped a decision to Polish-Australian Muay Thai stylist Paul Slowinski in Switzerland on May 26,2006, but followed it up with a third-round KO win over Tumelo Maphutha in South Africa five months later to set up a rematch with Slowinski on November 11,2006 in Macau with the vacant WMC World Super Heavyweight Championship on the line this time.
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Xhavit Bajrami fought Petar Majstorovic for the second time on February 9,2008 in Switzerland and got his own back on the Croatian, winning the decision after three rounds.
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Xhavit Bajrami ended the year with a controversial defence of his ISKA world title on November 21,2009 in Pristina, Kosovo against fellow K-1 veteran Freddy Kemayo.
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On December 18,2010, Xhavit Bajrami became a world champion for the second time with a third round low kick stoppage of Dawid Trolka in Zurich to take the WKN World Super Heavyweight Muay Thai belt.
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In what is generally considered to be a biased hometown decision, Xhavit Bajrami defended his ISKA strap against Indian challenger Singh Jaideep in Lucerne on July 2,2011.
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Xhavit Bajrami was floored by Jaideep in round one but received a long count and was able to recover.
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Xhavit Bajrami was then expected to make a return to K-1 and fight Daniel Ghita at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2011 in Nanjing Final 16 on October 29,2011.
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Xhavit Bajrami made the third defence of his ISKA world title by knocking out Takenori Onda with a high kick in the fourth round of their contest in Lucerne on June 2,2012.