Branko Cikatić Explained

Branko Cikatić
Birth Name:Branimir Cikatić
Other Names:The Croatian Tiger
Nationality:Croatian
Birth Date:4 October 1955
Birth Place:Split, PR Croatia, Yugoslavia
Fighting Out Of:Amsterdam, Netherlands
Death Place:Solin, Croatia
Height:1.89 m (6 ft 2.5 in)
Weight:98kg (216lb)
Weight Class:Cruiserweight
Heavyweight
Style:Kickboxing
Rank:black belt in Shotokan
black belt in Taekwondo
blue belt in Judo
Reach:73inches
Team:Tigar Gym
Chakuriki Gym (1984–1998)
Trainer:Thom Harinck
Years Active:1972–1999
Kickbox Win:87
Kickbox Kowin:82
Kickbox Loss:11
Kickbox Koloss:2
Kickbox Draw:1
Kickbox Nc:1
Mma Subloss:1
Mma Dqloss:1
Am Win:152
Am Kowin:138
Am Loss:15
Am Draw:3
Occupation:Gym owner/Trainer
Students:Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović, Antonio Plazibat
Sherdog:297
Updated:February 12, 2010

Branko Cikatić (4 October 1955 – 22 March 2020) was a Croatian heavyweight kickboxer, the first Croatian-born fighter to achieve international success. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers of all time.[1] He was the first K-1 World Grand Prix Champion. The tournament was held on April 30, 1993 in Japan.

Biography and career

Cikatić began his martial arts training at the age of 12 when he took up Taekwondo, and later Shotokan Karate at 16. He eventually earned a black belt in both of these disciplines, as well as a blue belt in Judo. When he was 18 years old, he took up boxing before switching to kickboxing.[2]

He surprised the martial arts world by taking the 1993 K-1 Grand Prix tournament by storm, knocking out all three of his opponents in one evening, including Ernesto Hoost in the final match. To date Cikatić is the oldest winner of the K-1 Grand Prix at 38 years and 208 days.

He extended his athletic resume to include mixed martial arts in 1998, fighting in the Pride Fighting Championships. His PRIDE debut was fought against Ralph White under K-1 rules format. Cikatić lost via disqualification after kicking the head of the downed White. Cikatić returned at Pride 2, fighting under MMA rules and facing Mark Kerr. He was again disqualified after holding the ring ropes when Kerr attempted a takedown, refusing to let go when directed by the referee, running away through the ring ropes, and delivering several illegal elbows to the back of Kerr's head. His next fight at Pride 7 ended in a submission loss to Maurice Smith by forearm choke.

Towards the end of his sports career, Cikatić tried his hand at acting, playing a villain in a 1997 B-movie Skyscraper, starring Anna Nicole Smith. In 2018, Cikatić had a pulmonary embolism and whilst in hospital acquired an infection causing sepsis and was later diagnosed as suffering from Parkinson's disease.[3] [4] He died on 22 March 2020.

Titles

Professional Career:

Amateur Career:

Kickboxing record (incomplete)

87 Wins (82 knockouts), 9 Losses, 1 Draw
DateResultOpponentEventMethodRoundTimeLocation
July 11, 1999Win Benkai SatoKakidamishi IKO (Liver Punch)10:23 Naha, Okinawa, Japan
December 13, 1998Win Big Mo TMuay Thai WMTA World Title Fight HeavyweightKO (right punch)N/AN/A Dvorana Dražen Petrović, Zagreb, Croatia
October 11, 1997No contest Ralph WhitePride 1NC (Cikatić kicked White while he was on the ground)11:52 Tokyo, Japan
September 7, 1997Loss Mike BernardoK-1 Grand Prix '97 1st roundTKO (doctor stoppage)10:38 Osaka, Japan
July 20, 1997Loss Sam GrecoK-1 Dream '97KO (right Hooks)12:58 Nagoya, Japan
March 16, 1997Win MusashiK-1 Kings '97KO (right punch)41:38 Yokohama, Japan
December 12, 1994Win Ernesto HoostK-1 LegendKO (right hook)21:18 Nagoya, Japan
September 18, 1994Loss Stan LonginidisK-1 RevengeDecision (unanimous)53:00 Yokohama, Japan
April 30, 1994Loss Masaaki SatakeK-1 Grand Prix '94Decision (unanimous)33:00 Tokyo, Japan
April 30, 1994Win Andre MannaartK-1 Grand Prix '94KO (right punch)20:16 Tokyo, Japan
March 4, 1994Loss Andy HugK-1 ChallengeDecision (unanimous)53:00 Tokyo, Japan
April 30, 1993Win Ernesto HoostK-1 Grand Prix '93KO (right hook)12:49 Tokyo, Japan
style=background:white colspan=9
April 30, 1993Win Masaaki SatakeK-1 Grand Prix '93KO (left hook)30:45 Tokyo, Japan
April 30, 1993Win Changpuek KiatsongritK-1 Grand Prix '93KO (punch)12:35 Tokyo, Japan
April 8, 1993Win Mahmoud BabachiMuay Thai World Title Fight KO (Babachi injured shoulder after throw in clinch)11:42 Zagreb, Croatia
1992Win Novica BogdanovicKO (left punch)10:38 Zagreb, Croatia
June, 1992Loss Stan LonginidisWorld Kickboxing AssociationDecision (unanimous) 122:00 Melbourne, Australia
March 16, 1992Draw Dennis AlexioWorld Martial Arts ChallengeTechnical Draw (Alexio hit Cikatić during a stoppage)31:25 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
October 19, 1991Win Jean AtongaMuay Thai WMTA World Title Fight, -86 kgDecision (split) 53:00 Deutschlandhalle, Berlin Germany
May 28, 1991Win Charlie LieuwfeldIKBF World Title Fight, -86 kgKO (Body Shot)5N/A Zagreb, Croatia
March 23, 1991Win Andre MannaartWorld Kickboxing Association World Title Fight, -86 kgDecision (unanimous) 122:00 Rhein-Main-Hallen, Wiesbaden, Germany
January, 1991Win Stephane LahousseSavate RulesKO2N/A Zagreb, Croatia
October, 1990Draw Samir UsenagićKickboxing Prestige FightDecision 52:00 Belgrade, SFR Yugoslavia
December 16, 1989Win Carl ThompsonMuay Thai WMTA World Title Fight, -86 kgDecision (unanimous) 53:00 Philipshalle, Düsseldorf, Germany
October 8, 1989Loss Ernesto HoostMuay Thai WMTA World Title FightDQ40:15 Amsterdam, Netherlands, NED
December 12, 1987Loss Don WilsonKICK Association: Lightheavyweight World Title FightTKO71:24 Orlando, Florida, U.S.
May 30, 1987Win Radomir BozovicKickboxing Prestige FightTKO5N/A Sportski Centar Gripe, Split, Croatia
April 26, 1987Win Carl ThompsonMuay Thai WMTA World Title FightTKO32:18 Amsterdam, Netherlands
October 17, 1986Win Radomir BozovicKickboxing Prestige FightKO7N/A Ivangrad, Montenegro, Socialist Republic of Montenegro
1986Loss Dragan OgnjenovicKickboxing Prestige FightDQ (Cikatic KO`ed Ognjenovic after break)3N/A Niksic, Montenegro, Socialist Republic of Montenegro
1986Win Kirk WalkerMuay Thai EMTA European Title FightKO2N/A Paris, France
December 19, 1985Win Tony BristowKickboxing European Title Fight TKO21:05 Sportski Centar Gripe, Split, Croatia
May 26, 1985Win Jan OosterbaanMuay Thai EMTA European Title FightTKO (Oosterbaans corner retired after round 3)33:00 Amsterdam, Netherlands
March 29, 1985Win Bruno Campiglia KickboxingKO (Body Shot)5N/A Sportski Centar Gripe, Split, Croatia
1984Win KrstulovicKickboxingKON/AN/A, Split, Croatia
1984Win Kenneth PlakMuay Thai Eliminator for European TitleKO1N/A Amsterdam, Netherlands
1983Loss Vjekoslav ŠafranićKickboxing Prestige FightDecision 7N/A Dom Sportova, Zagreb, Croatia
August 18, 1983Win Pascal DucrosKO2N/A Stadium Poljud, Split, Croatia
1983Loss Maurizio CallegariWAKO World Championship, 80 kg, Title DefenceN/AN/AN/A Palermo, Italy
March 20, 1982Win Jean Marc TonusWAKO World Championship, 80 kg, Title DefenceDecision (unanimous)62:00 Sportski Centar Gripe, Split, Croatia
November, 1981Win Ray McCallumWAKO World ChampionshipTechnical Decision(after headbutt: 38:38, 40:38, 38:37)4N/A Miami, United States

Mixed martial arts record

|-| Loss| align=center| 0–2| Maurice Smith| Submission (forearm choke)| Pride 7| | align=center| 1| align=center| 7:33|||-| Loss| align=center| 0–1| Mark Kerr| DQ (grabbing the ropes)| Pride 2| | align=center| 1| align=center| 2:14||

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Top 10 K-1 Fighters of All-Time. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130826220242/http://www.profighting-fans.com/rankings/all-time-best/k-1-rankings.html. 2013-08-26.
  2. Web site: Biography at official site . 2010-12-29 . 2019-09-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190907033755/http://www.bcikatic.htnet.hr/about-eng.htm . dead .
  3. News: Šnidarić . Marko . 'Došao sam mu u bolnicu, kad sam ga vidio, pretrnuo sam...' . 25 October 2019 . 24sata . 16 April 2019 . Croatian.
  4. News: Gattin Zebic . Tanya . Branko Cikatić nakon životne bitke opet može hodati, a iz obiteljskog doma u Solinu poručuje da je pun planova: 'Brunu ću odvesti do naslova prvaka' . 25 October 2019 . Jutarnji List . 27 April 2019 . Croatian.