Gregory Choplin
Encyclopedia
Gregory "Cheetah" Choplin (born 15 November 1980 Saint-Denis
) is a French
-Ivorian middleweight
-super middleweight
Muay Thai
kickboxer currently fighting out of DEREK boxing in Saint-Denis, Paris, France
. He is a two time Muay Thai world champion who has had several title fights within the It's Showtime
organization and is widely thought of as one of the top kickboxers in France
.
region of Paris
. A keen sportsman from an early age, Gregory played many sports including football where he played to a good standard. At thirteen he tried his hand at Thai-boxing
and fell in love with the sport, never looking back. After winning titles at youth and amateur level, Gregory would he would turn pro at twenty and won his first professional title, the French Class A championship, a few years later in 2004. The same year he was selected to represent France
at the amateur world Muaythai championships in Bangkok, Thailand, reaching the semi finals and claiming a bronze medal.
Between 2001 and 2006 Choplin would be virtually unbeatable at home, having defeated top domestic talent such as Frank Nadje and Yohan Lidon
. In order to seek greater challenges, Gregory started to compete outside of France where his growing reputation got him a world title shot against Vincent Vielvoye in 2006. Despite having beating Vielvoye a few months early (albeit with some controversy) Choplin was seen as the underdog in the battle for the W.P.K.L. belt. After four rounds, however, Gregory was the new champion, defeating the home fighter in front of a partisan Dutch crowd via technical knockout.
In 2007, Choplin would sign a professional contract with the It's Showtime
organization, becoming the first and (so far) only Frenchman to sign a contract with the Dutch kickboxing giants. Signing with the organization meant Gregory would face the best fighters in Europe on a regular basis. That year he also won a second world title, defeating Jan de Keyzer in Santander
to become the W.F.C.A. champion. In 2008 he would participate as a wildcard entry in the bi-annual It's Showtime 75MAX trophy, reaching the final where he lost to Dmitry Shakuta
. He was also selected as a contestant for the It's Showtime Reality Show, reaching the semi final stage only to lose to Brazilian Muay Thai supremo Cosmo Alexandre
via a devastating knee KO
after an extra round in what was an exciting fight.
Gregory bounced back from his recent setups by picking up a number of useful domestic wins against Cédric Muller and Yohan Lidon
as well as winning several fights within the It's Showtime
organization throughout 2008 and the start of 2009. These results got Choplin a rematch against previous conqueror Dmitry Shakuta
for Dmitry's It's Showtime 77MAX title. Choplin was unable to gain revenge for his earlier loss in his failed bid for the title in Budapest
, losing a hard five round contest. Throughout 2010 Gregory focused on the domestic scene picking up a good win against top local fighter Moussa Konate. In 2011 Choplin fought in America for the first time, being on the wrong end of an upset when he lost against Ky Hollenbeck - the winner getting a shot at Choplin's old foe Yohan Lidon
for the W.B.C. Muaythai
world title.
Amateur
Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
) is a French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
-Ivorian middleweight
Middleweight
Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
-super middleweight
Super middleweight
Super Middleweight is a boxing and Muay Thai weight division that has a weight limit of 168 pounds .- 1960s–1983 :There was interest in a division between Middleweight and Light Heavyweight in the late 1960s, the mid-1970s, and the early 1980s...
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 currently fighting out of DEREK boxing in Saint-Denis, Paris, France
Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
. He is a two time Muay Thai world champion who has had several title fights 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 and is widely thought of as one of the top kickboxers in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Career/Biography
Born to an Ivorian father and French mother the young Gregory grew up in the Saint-DenisSaint-Denis
Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
region of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. A keen sportsman from an early age, Gregory played many sports including football where he played to a good standard. At thirteen he tried his hand at Thai-boxing
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...
and fell in love with the sport, never looking back. After winning titles at youth and amateur level, Gregory would he would turn pro at twenty and won his first professional title, the French Class A championship, a few years later in 2004. The same year he was selected to represent France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
at the amateur world Muaythai championships in Bangkok, Thailand, reaching the semi finals and claiming a bronze medal.
Between 2001 and 2006 Choplin would be virtually unbeatable at home, having defeated top domestic talent such as Frank Nadje and Yohan Lidon
Yohan Lidon
Yohan Lidon , is a French Muay Thai kickboxer, famous for his aggressive fighting style and knockout power. He is a 3 time world champion in Muay Thai and kickboxing - including being the first ever It's Showtime 73MAX world champion.-Early life:Yohan Lidon was born on 28 March 1983. He started...
. In order to seek greater challenges, Gregory started to compete outside of France where his growing reputation got him a world title shot against Vincent Vielvoye in 2006. Despite having beating Vielvoye a few months early (albeit with some controversy) Choplin was seen as the underdog in the battle for the W.P.K.L. belt. After four rounds, however, Gregory was the new champion, defeating the home fighter in front of a partisan Dutch crowd via technical knockout.
In 2007, Choplin would sign a professional contract 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, becoming the first and (so far) only Frenchman to sign a contract with the Dutch kickboxing giants. Signing with the organization meant Gregory would face the best fighters in Europe on a regular basis. That year he also won a second world title, defeating Jan de Keyzer in Santander
Santander, Cantabria
The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
to become the W.F.C.A. champion. In 2008 he would participate as a wildcard entry in the bi-annual It's Showtime 75MAX trophy, reaching the final where he lost to Dmitry Shakuta
Dmitry Shakuta
Dmitry "Shok" Shakuta is a Belarusian Muay Thai super middleweight kickboxer fighting out of Minsk, Belarus for the SK-55 gym. He is an eight time amateur and professional world champion who is most well known for being the It's Showtime 77MAX world champion between 2008-09.-Biography/Career:Born...
. He was also selected as a contestant for the It's Showtime Reality Show, reaching the semi final stage only to lose to Brazilian Muay Thai supremo Cosmo Alexandre
Cosmo Alexandre
Cosmo "Good Boy" Alexandre is a Brazilian middleweight Muay Thai kickboxer. He is the former WMC Intercontinental and WPMF World champion. On December 5, 2009 he won WMC King's Cup Challenger tournament in Bangkok, Thailand.-Biography and career:Cosmo Alexandre Moreira da Rocha was born in Santos,...
via a devastating 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...
after an extra round in what was an exciting fight.
Gregory bounced back from his recent setups by picking up a number of useful domestic wins against Cédric Muller and Yohan Lidon
Yohan Lidon
Yohan Lidon , is a French Muay Thai kickboxer, famous for his aggressive fighting style and knockout power. He is a 3 time world champion in Muay Thai and kickboxing - including being the first ever It's Showtime 73MAX world champion.-Early life:Yohan Lidon was born on 28 March 1983. He started...
as well as winning several fights 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 throughout 2008 and the start of 2009. These results got Choplin a rematch against previous conqueror Dmitry Shakuta
Dmitry Shakuta
Dmitry "Shok" Shakuta is a Belarusian Muay Thai super middleweight kickboxer fighting out of Minsk, Belarus for the SK-55 gym. He is an eight time amateur and professional world champion who is most well known for being the It's Showtime 77MAX world champion between 2008-09.-Biography/Career:Born...
for Dmitry's It's Showtime 77MAX title. Choplin was unable to gain revenge for his earlier loss in his failed bid for the title in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, losing a hard five round contest. Throughout 2010 Gregory focused on the domestic scene picking up a good win against top local fighter Moussa Konate. In 2011 Choplin fought in America for the first time, being on the wrong end of an upset when he lost against Ky Hollenbeck - the winner getting a shot at Choplin's old foe Yohan Lidon
Yohan Lidon
Yohan Lidon , is a French Muay Thai kickboxer, famous for his aggressive fighting style and knockout power. He is a 3 time world champion in Muay Thai and kickboxing - including being the first ever It's Showtime 73MAX world champion.-Early life:Yohan Lidon was born on 28 March 1983. He started...
for the W.B.C. Muaythai
World Boxing Council Muaythai
World Boxing Council Muaythai or WBC Muaythai is commissioned under the jurisdiction of the World Boxing Council as a non-profit organization to regulate, control and supervise professional Muay Thai events and their respective jurisdictions worldwide...
world title.
Titles
Professional- 2011 IKF North American Middleweight champion
- 2008 It's Showtime 75MAX Trophy runner up
- 2007 W.F.C.A. Thai-boxing world champion -76.2 kg
- 2006 W.P.K.L. Muaythai world champion -76 kg
- 2004 French Muaythai Class A national champion
Amateur
- 2004 I.F.M.A. World Muaythai Championships in Bangkok, Thailand
-75 kg
Professional Kickboxing Record
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Amateur Kickboxing Record
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