# The 19 Greatest K-1 Kickboxing Champions

> Heavyweight sluggers who packed the Tokyo Dome share this list with the slick technicians of the 70 kg division. Knockout power or ring craft: pick your side.

*By YPB Team · Published October 31, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-19-greatest-k-1-kickboxing-champions*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Ernesto Hoost** — score 1000/1000
   Dutch technician who won the K-1 World Grand Prix a record four times (1997, 1999, 2000, 2002).
2. **Mark Hunt** — score 682/1000
   New Zealand slugger with a legendary chin who won the 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix.
3. **Alistair Overeem** — score 622/1000
   Dutch fighter who won the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix, the last under the original FEG organisation.
4. **Peter Aerts** — score 551/1000
   Dutch heavyweight nicknamed 'Mr. K-1' who won the K-1 World Grand Prix in 1994, 1995 and 1998.
5. **Masato** — score 551/1000
   Japanese superstar of K-1 World MAX who won the 70 kg tournament in 2003 and 2008.
6. **Gökhan Saki** — score 551/1000
   Turkish-Dutch knockout puncher who won K-1 tournaments and became a fan favourite at the World Grand Prix.
7. **Semmy Schilt** — score 466/1000
   Towering Dutch fighter who won four K-1 World Grand Prix titles (2005-2007, 2009) and was the first K-1 Super Heavyweight champion.
8. **Buakaw Banchamek** — score 466/1000
   Thai Muay Thai star who won the K-1 World MAX tournament in 2004 and 2006 as Buakaw Por. Pramuk.
9. **Remy Bonjasky** — score 466/1000
   Dutch 'Flying Gentleman' famed for flying knees and kicks, K-1 World Grand Prix champion in 2003, 2004 and 2008.
10. **Badr Hari** — score 363/1000
   Moroccan-Dutch knockout artist who was the first K-1 Heavyweight champion (2007) and a two-time World Grand Prix finalist.
11. **Mirko Cro Cop** — score 363/1000
   Croatian striker who was runner-up at the 1999 K-1 Grand Prix and won the K-1 World Grand Prix 2012 Final in Zagreb.
12. **Stefan Leko** — score 363/1000
   German kickboxer who won several K-1 Grand Prix tournaments and was a regular at the World Grand Prix finals.
13. **Giorgio Petrosyan** — score 363/1000
   Italian-Armenian 'Doctor' who won back-to-back K-1 World MAX titles in 2009 and 2010.
14. **Jérôme Le Banner** — score 0/1000
   French heavyweight power-puncher, twice a K-1 World Grand Prix runner-up (1995, 2002) and winner of several K-1 GP tournaments.
15. **Albert Kraus** — score 0/1000
   Dutch kickboxer who won the inaugural K-1 World MAX tournament in 2002.
16. **Kyotaro Fujimoto** — score 0/1000
   Japanese heavyweight who held the K-1 Heavyweight title during the original K-1 era.
17. **Takeru Segawa** — score 0/1000
   Japanese star of the relaunched K-1 who won K-1 world titles in three weight classes.
18. **Masaaki Satake** — score 0/1000
   Japanese karateka who was K-1's first home-grown star, runner-up at the 1994 Grand Prix and two-time K-1 Japan GP winner.
19. **Andy Souwer** — score 0/1000
   Dutch fighter who won the K-1 World MAX tournament in 2005 and 2007.

Tags: japan, fighters, kickboxing, k-1