Tokyo tournament kings, Glory belt holders and the full-contact pioneers of the 1970s all fought around the same weight. Technique, power or longevity — the order depends on which one you rate highest.
1Buakaw BanchamekThai superstar who won the K-1 World MAX tournament in 2004 and 2006 with relentless knees and kicks.1000pts
2Albert KrausDutch boxer-puncher who won the very first K-1 World MAX tournament in 2002.679pts
3Artur KyshenkoUkrainian who reached the 2008 K-1 World MAX final and was famed for his fierce knee strikes.555pts
4Jason WilnisDutch fighter who held the Glory middleweight title and traded wins with Simon Marcus in a long rivalry.555pts
5Giorgio PetrosyanArmenian-Italian technician nicknamed 'The Doctor', two-time K-1 World MAX champion and widely rated the best pound-for-pound kickboxer ever.555pts
6Bill WallaceAmerican 'Superfoot', the unbeaten PKA middleweight full-contact champion of the 1970s famed for his left leg.555pts
7Artem LevinRussian Glory middleweight champion of the mid-2010s, known for his awkward angles and slick footwork.0pts
8Israel AdesanyaNigerian-New Zealander who built a 75-5 kickboxing record and fought for Glory middleweight gold before UFC fame.0pts
9Andy SouwerDutch fighter who won K-1 World MAX in 2005 and 2007 and was famed for his durability and pressure.0pts
10Alex PereiraBrazilian Glory middleweight and light heavyweight champion, the only man to knock out Israel Adesanya in kickboxing.0pts
11Joe SchillingAmerican who won the 2013 Glory Last Man Standing middleweight tournament with a run of brutal knockouts.0pts
Photo credits
- Buakaw Banchamek — Teerawat yioyim, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Artur Kyshenko — Paulblank, CC BY 3.0
- Jason Wilnis — K.O, CC BY 3.0
- Bill Wallace — Claus Michelfelder, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Artem Levin — Vadim Mubasarov, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Israel Adesanya — MMMAnytt, CC BY 3.0
- Andy Souwer — Paulblank, CC BY 3.0
- Joe Schilling — Tai Lopez, CC BY 3.0
