Chris Ngimbi
Encyclopedia
Chris "The African Warrior" Ngimbi (born 18 April, 1984 in Kinshasa
) is a Congolese
-Dutch
Muay Thai
kickboxer
fighting out of the Siam Gym in Valkenswaard, Netherlands
for Black Label. He is the current It's Showtime 70MAX world champion fighting primarily within the It's Showtime
organization.
the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
. He was born with a weak heart which doctors felt would make it hard for him to survive his first year. He spent his childhood in the African country but his family was forced to leave when he was 11 years old due to the civil war and the fact that his father had served in the political party of the recently ousted president Mobutu Sese Seko
. Chris relocated to the Netherlands
and was a keen footballer in his teenage years and tipped to do well but decided to focus on kickboxing after making his debut at 18 in Eindhoven representing the Duran Gym. He would later switch to the Siam Gym in Valkenswaard
after his second B-Klass match.
After fighting on the local scene for several years, Chris was invited as a member of a Dutch
team that would participate in a W.K.A.
event in New York
. Due to an impressive knockout
of his opponent he would be invited back to the states the following year to contest against Atlanta based Thai
Khunpon Dechkampu for the W.K.A.
intercontinental title, in what would be the first of a number of title fights on American soil. Ngimbi was successful on his return visit to the United States, winning the belt via KO
and as winner of the intercontinental belt Chris would get a shot at the W.K.A.
world title in 2007, losing to Shane Campbell
in their first match in Richmond
, only to win the rematch six months later to claim his first world title.
In between trips across the Atlantic Ngimbi would have a number of fights in the Netherlands
, defeating useful fighters such as Ray Staring, Kit Sitpholek and William Diender
– the latter in the K-1 MAX Netherlands 2008 tournament in which he made the semi finals only to lose to eventual winner Warren Stevelmans
(who he had beaten back in 2006). He also made his debut with the It's Showtime
organization defeating English
fighter Rick Barnhill in Alkmaar. In 2009 Chris had another attempt to qualify for the K-1 MAX
via a regional event in Utrecht
but lost at the quarter final stage to Marco Piqué
. This decision was modified after protest from Chris´ corner.
In 2010, Chris' record with the It's Showtime
organization (4 wins, 2 losses) led to the organization inviting him to challenge two time It's Showtime
champion Murat Direkçi
for his world title belt in Athens
at the end of the year. As the underdog, few expected the African Warrior to triumph but he pulled off a fifth round upset decision win against Direkçi to become the new It's Showtime 70MAX world champion. Ngimbi retained his It's Showtime 70MAX world title at the It's Showtime 2011 Lyon
event, outclassing local fighter Willy Borrel on way to a trademark flying knee KO
victory.
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
) is a Congolese
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
-Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
kickboxer
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
fighting out of the Siam Gym in Valkenswaard, Netherlands
Valkenswaard
Valkenswaard is a municipality and a town in the southern Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. The municipality had 30,871 citizens and spans an area of 56,50 square kilometers ....
for Black Label. He is the current It's Showtime 70MAX world champion fighting primarily within the It's Showtime
It's Showtime
It's Showtime is a kickboxing and mixed martial arts promotion based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was founded by Simon Rutz in 1998 and held its first show in 1999. They are known to cross promote their events with K-1 and other European promotions from Italy, Belgium and England...
organization.
Biography and career
Chris was born in KinshasaKinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. He was born with a weak heart which doctors felt would make it hard for him to survive his first year. He spent his childhood in the African country but his family was forced to leave when he was 11 years old due to the civil war and the fact that his father had served in the political party of the recently ousted president Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga , commonly known as Mobutu or Mobutu Sese Seko , born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, was the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1965 to 1997...
. Chris relocated to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and was a keen footballer in his teenage years and tipped to do well but decided to focus on kickboxing after making his debut at 18 in Eindhoven representing the Duran Gym. He would later switch to the Siam Gym in Valkenswaard
Valkenswaard
Valkenswaard is a municipality and a town in the southern Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. The municipality had 30,871 citizens and spans an area of 56,50 square kilometers ....
after his second B-Klass match.
After fighting on the local scene for several years, Chris was invited as a member of a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
team that would participate in a W.K.A.
World Kickboxing Association
The World Kickboxing Association is one of the oldest and the largest amateur and professional sanctioning organizations of kickboxing in the world for the sport. Its official name is "World Kickboxing and Karate Association"....
event in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Due to an impressive knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
of his opponent he would be invited back to the states the following year to contest against Atlanta based Thai
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
Khunpon Dechkampu for the W.K.A.
World Kickboxing Association
The World Kickboxing Association is one of the oldest and the largest amateur and professional sanctioning organizations of kickboxing in the world for the sport. Its official name is "World Kickboxing and Karate Association"....
intercontinental title, in what would be the first of a number of title fights on American soil. Ngimbi was successful on his return visit to the United States, winning the belt via KO
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
and as winner of the intercontinental belt Chris would get a shot at the W.K.A.
World Kickboxing Association
The World Kickboxing Association is one of the oldest and the largest amateur and professional sanctioning organizations of kickboxing in the world for the sport. Its official name is "World Kickboxing and Karate Association"....
world title in 2007, losing to Shane Campbell
Shane Campbell
Shane "Shaolin" Campbell is a Canadian welterweight Muay Thai kickboxer, fighting out of Iron Muay Thai Gym in Stoney Creek, Ontario. He is a former W.K.A. Muaythai world champion and current W.M.A. Muaythai middleweight world champion...
in their first match in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, only to win the rematch six months later to claim his first world title.
In between trips across the Atlantic Ngimbi would have a number of fights in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, defeating useful fighters such as Ray Staring, Kit Sitpholek and William Diender
William Diender
William "The Machine" Diender is Dutch welterweight kickboxer, fighting out of Team Aerts in Amsterdam. He is Dutch and European Muay Thai champion currently competing in K-1 MAX.-Kickboxing record:-External links:...
– the latter in the K-1 MAX Netherlands 2008 tournament in which he made the semi finals only to lose to eventual winner Warren Stevelmans
Warren Stevelmans
Warren "Chaka Zulu" Stevelmans is a South African kickboxer, fighting out of Vos Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He is the K-1 MAX Netherlands 2008 tournament champion.-Biography and career:...
(who he had beaten back in 2006). He also made his debut with the It's Showtime
It's Showtime
It's Showtime is a kickboxing and mixed martial arts promotion based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was founded by Simon Rutz in 1998 and held its first show in 1999. They are known to cross promote their events with K-1 and other European promotions from Italy, Belgium and England...
organization defeating English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
fighter Rick Barnhill in Alkmaar. In 2009 Chris had another attempt to qualify for the K-1 MAX
K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
via a regional event in Utrecht
Utrecht
Utrecht is a city in the Netherlands.The name may also refer to:* Utrecht , of which Utrecht is the capital* Utrecht , including the city of Utrecht* Bishopric of Utrecht* Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht...
but lost at the quarter final stage to Marco Piqué
Marco Piqué
Marco "The Sniper" Piqué is a Dutch-Surinamese welterweight kickboxer, fighting out of Profighters Gym in Almere, Netherlands. He is the current W.F.C.A. Muay Thai middleweight world champion, W.M.C...
. This decision was modified after protest from Chris´ corner.
In 2010, Chris' record with the It's Showtime
It's Showtime
It's Showtime is a kickboxing and mixed martial arts promotion based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was founded by Simon Rutz in 1998 and held its first show in 1999. They are known to cross promote their events with K-1 and other European promotions from Italy, Belgium and England...
organization (4 wins, 2 losses) led to the organization inviting him to challenge two time It's Showtime
It's Showtime
It's Showtime is a kickboxing and mixed martial arts promotion based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was founded by Simon Rutz in 1998 and held its first show in 1999. They are known to cross promote their events with K-1 and other European promotions from Italy, Belgium and England...
champion Murat Direkçi
Murat Direkci
Murat Direkçi is a Turkish-Belgian welterweight kickboxer, fighting out of Universal Gym, Antwerp, Belgium. He is a former 2 time It's Showtime 70MAX Champion.-Early life:...
for his world title belt in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
at the end of the year. As the underdog, few expected the African Warrior to triumph but he pulled off a fifth round upset decision win against Direkçi to become the new It's Showtime 70MAX world champion. Ngimbi retained his It's Showtime 70MAX world title at the It's Showtime 2011 Lyon
It's Showtime 2011 Lyon
It's Showtime 2011 Lyon was a martial arts event promoted by the It's Showtime organization in association with Kader Marouf. The event was held at the Palais des Sports de Gerland in Lyon, France on Saturday, 14 May, 2011. It was the 48th event hosted by the organization and the first ever to be...
event, outclassing local fighter Willy Borrel on way to a trademark flying knee KO
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
victory.
Titles
- 2011 It's Showtime 70MAX world champion -70 kg (2nd title defence)
- 2010 It's Showtime 70MAX world champion -70 kg
- 2007 W.K.A.World Kickboxing AssociationThe World Kickboxing Association is one of the oldest and the largest amateur and professional sanctioning organizations of kickboxing in the world for the sport. Its official name is "World Kickboxing and Karate Association"....
Muay Thai super welterweight world champion -70 kg - 2005 W.K.A.World Kickboxing AssociationThe World Kickboxing Association is one of the oldest and the largest amateur and professional sanctioning organizations of kickboxing in the world for the sport. Its official name is "World Kickboxing and Karate Association"....
Muay Thai super welterweight intercontinental champion -70 kg - W.F.C.A. Dutch champion
Kickboxing record
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