Remy Bonjasky
Encyclopedia
Remy "The Flying Gentleman" Bonjasky (born January 10, 1976) is a Dutch
super heavyweight
kickboxer of Surinamese descent. He is a three-time K-1 World Grand Prix
champion, who has won the title in 2003, 2004, and 2008. He has been known for his flying kicks and knee attacks, hence the nickname of "The Flying Gentleman".
, Suriname
and moved to Tilburg
, the Netherlands
when he was 5 years old.
He was involved in football (soccer)
during his teens, but when he broke his leg he chose to stop playing. At the age of 18, when a friend brought him to the Mejiro kickboxing gym
to "see who is the best", Bonjasky decided to stay and train and eventually fell in love with kickboxing, although he declared Muay Thai to be his style.
Bonjasky had his first fight at the age of 19 against an established Dutch mixed martial arts
(MMA) fighter named Valentijn Overeem
. Bonjasky won by TKO. From this moment on he quit his job as a network operator and focused on training full time. Despite losing his first K-1
fight by split decision he made his second fight against an established K-1 fighter, Ray Sefo
. Despite the odds he won the fight by TKO.
After graduating from university, Bonjasky worked as a banker at ABN Amro
for a time.
in 2002.
On December 6, 2003 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2003
quarter-finals in Tokyo
, Japan
, Bonjasky was matched up against Australia
n fighter Peter "The Chief" Graham
. Remy won the fight by a TKO in the first round. In semi-finals Cyril Abidi
fell victim of The Flying Gentleman's flying knee attacks, and after defeating Musashi
in the tournament finals by unanimous decision Bonjasky was crowned the K-1 World champion.
In 2004 he accumulated wins over Tsuyoshi Nakasako
, Francois Botha
, Aziz Khattou and ex-sumo
champion Chad "Akebono" Rowan
. If it hadn't been for his one loss in 2004 against Francisco Filho
he would have beaten Semmy Schilt
's record of the longest winning streak in K-1 history.
On December 4, 2004 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2004
, with three decision wins over Ernesto Hoost
, Francois Botha
and Musashi
, Bonjasky successfully defended his K-1 WGP title.
He presented himself on November 19, 2005 for the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005
finals in Tokyo, to keep his title for a third consecutive year, but was stopped by Semmy Schilt's
knee strikes in the tournament's semi-finals.
, who'd beaten him in 2002, and it turned into a grudge match. When Bonjasky was champion, Leko was taking a hiatus away from K-1, and his career rise had thus stalled. Prior to his rematch with Remy, he pledged that the 2006 Grand Prix would be his year to finally become the undisputed champion, at the expense of Bonjasky whom he'd beaten before. Bonjasky stated that Leko was 'limited'. In the fight, Bonjasky got hit in the groin twice in the first round and the fight was postponed for 30 minutes. When the bout resumed, Bonjasky still managed to win the fight by a unanimous decision, after scoring a knockdown in the final minute of the fight. However, because of a persisting injury to the groin, he was not able to continue the tournament and was replaced by Peter Aerts
.
In 2007 Bonjasky's mother died. Because Remy was badly hurt by this he pulled of scheduled fights with Badr Hari
and Peter Aerts
. His only fight before the Final 16 was against Glaube Feitosa
in Hawaii. Remy won by decision and remained open for the Final 16 event.
On September 29, 2007 Bonjasky was booked in a rubber match with Stefan Leko
at the K-1 World GP 2007 in Seoul Final 16 event. The pair went in with bad blood, as Remy claimed that simply hearing the name of Leko 'made his blood boil' after their second fight, and he claimed that the groin shots he delivered were deliberate. He further lit the fuse by claiming Leko was a limited fighter, who 'only had a couple of punches and a spinning back kick, nothing else'. Leko for his part said he would be glad to prove once and for all that he was the superior fighter, which he claimed was clear from their first fight, and that Remy was 'an actor', and had been 'lucky' the second fight, and had 'the heart of a chicken'.
Bonjasky won the grudge fight by TKO when the ref stopped it in the first round after landing his trademark flying knee strike. Leko beat the count, but the referee waved off the bout. Some have criticised the stoppage as K-1 protecting the by-then bigger name superstar, as Remy had been their World Grand Prix champion, and that K-1 wanted him through to the later stages. Others said that Leko did not display that he still had his faculties. Regardless, the fight marked the end (as of 2011) of the feud between the two, and the win qualified Bonjasky for the K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 Finals which were held on December 8, 2007 at the Yokohama Arena
in Japan.
At the K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 Finals, Remy Bonjasky faced fellow Dutch Muay Thai fighter Badr Hari
. He won the fight by decision. In the semi-finals he faced Dutch legend Peter Aerts
, who he lost to, leaving him as eliminated.
in Amsterdam, Bazigit Atajev
in Tapei and majority decision over Paul Slowinski
in the K-1 16 to qualify for his 6th Grand Prix appearance.
In the quarter finals he defeated Jerome Lebanner by TKO, Gokhan Saki
by KO in the semi-finals, sending him to the K-1 World Grand Prix Finals for the third time against Badr Hari
. After a slow start he knocked Hari down with a left hook and then went on defensive for the rest of the round. Remy was hit after the bell at the end of the round by an angry Hari. In the second round Hari took Remy to ground, then punched him twice and then gave an unsportsmanlike foot stomp to Remy when he was down. Remy seemed unable to get up and was inspected by the ringside doctors. Meanwhile Hari screamed at Remy, telling him to get up and quarrelled with his trainer, Ivan Hippolyte
. After 5 minutes the doctors announced Remy had double vision and could not continue. Hari was therefore disqualified and Bonjasky was declared the K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 Champion. Remy was disappointed by the outcome, evident from his unhappy expression after the decision was announced.
Bonjasky stated in a post-fight interview that he still had double vision and a headache the next morning. Hari however claimed that "Remy was acting", and that, "his corner was screaming at him to stay down".
After he won his 3rd GP title, he faced Alistair Overeem
. Overeem was aggressive in the 1st and dominant in the 2nd round, knocking Bonjasky down in the end of the 2nd round with a right cross, but referee Nobuaki Kakuda
did not count it. In the 3rd round Remy knocked Alistair down with a flying knee and right punch combo to secure a unanimous decision win. All three judges scored the bout 30-28. It was latter confirmed that Remy had badly twisted his left knee 2 days before the fight (reason for his inactivity). Remy went on medical recovery after the fight and did not fight again for months.
Remy returned to training to train for the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final 16. At the event he defeated Melvin Manhoef
, for the third time, by unanimous decision.
At the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final
Remy was won his third consecutive unanimous decision against Errol Zimmerman
. In the Semi Finals he met his nemesis Semmy Schilt
. In the first round Remy landed a left hook to knock Semmy down. Semmy however landed a low kick to Remy's left leg that was damaged in his earlier fight with Zimmerman, Remy was therefore knocked out of the tournament, losing to Semmy for the third time.
Bonjasky was absent from the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Yokohama tournament, and did not fight at all in 2010, and has pondered retirement after having eye surgery in August of the year. He opened his own kickboxing / muaythai gym, Bonjasky Academy, in the Almere
city in that year.
, and model
. One of his latest modeling acts is to be the face for the men's line of Dutch lingerie brand Sapph. He has worked for the brand since 2010 along with former swimmer Inge de Bruijn
, the face for the women's line of the brand.
In early 2011 Bonjasky appeared on Season 4 of the Sterren Dansen op het IJs show, the Dutch version of Skating with Celebrities
(Dancing on Ice
), performing a figure skating routine with his Sapph fellow Inge de Bruijn. It has been expected since then that he will become a TV presenter.
since 2007.
Near the end of July 2007 in Amsterdam
, he helped Dutch police in the arrest of two British
criminals. The two men had shot darts
at passers-by with a rifle while they were on the move in a van. Bonjasky was their last victim, and after having been hit by the dart he pursued the van in a cab and proceeded to call the police who managed to arrest the criminals. Following the arrest, Bonjasky received a medal from the Amsterdam Police Department for this courageous and honorable act.
In 2009 he was awarded the medal of honor by the city of Almere
, becoming an honorary citizen of the city, after being chosen by the city's politician Arno Visser, for his accomplishments in the sport.
, a kickboxing gym named "Bonjasky Academy", officially opened on September 6, 2010 in Almere
. The opening ceremony was attended by two TV presenters and four athletes, Quinty Trustfull, Humberto Tan, Kew Jaliens
, Peter Aerts
, Jerome Le Banner
, and Ernesto Hoost
.
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...
super heavyweight
Super heavyweight
In amateur boxing, the super heavyweight division is a weight class division for fighters weighing in excess of 91 kilograms . Introduced for the 1984 Summer Olympics, the division, despite its grandiose name, is merely the amateur equivalent of the professional heavyweight division...
kickboxer of Surinamese descent. He is a three-time K-1 World Grand Prix
K-1 World Grand Prix
K-1 World Grand Prix, also known as the K-1 World GP, is an elimination kickboxing tournament that has been held annually since 1993 by the K-1 organization. Each year, K-1 holds various 16-men, 8-match grand prix style tournaments throughout the world to determine which 16 fighters will compete in...
champion, who has won the title in 2003, 2004, and 2008. He has been known for his flying kicks and knee attacks, hence the nickname of "The Flying Gentleman".
Early life
Bonjasky was born in ParamariboParamaribo
Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...
, Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
and moved to Tilburg
Tilburg
Tilburg is a landlocked municipality and a city in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of Noord-Brabant.Tilburg municipality also includes the villages of Berkel-Enschot and Udenhout....
, 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...
when he was 5 years old.
He was involved in football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
during his teens, but when he broke his leg he chose to stop playing. At the age of 18, when a friend brought him to the Mejiro kickboxing gym
Mejiro Gym
Mejiro Gym is a kickboxing gym headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The gym is considered the "birthplace" of Dutch kickboxing.-History:...
to "see who is the best", Bonjasky decided to stay and train and eventually fell in love with kickboxing, although he declared Muay Thai to be his style.
Bonjasky had his first fight at the age of 19 against an established Dutch mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
(MMA) fighter named Valentijn Overeem
Valentijn Overeem
Valentijn Overeem is a Dutch mixed martial artist who competes as a heavyweight. He has previously competed for the PRIDE Fighting Championships, RINGS and Strikeforce...
. Bonjasky won by TKO. From this moment on he quit his job as a network operator and focused on training full time. Despite losing his first K-1
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...
fight by split decision he made his second fight against an established K-1 fighter, Ray Sefo
Ray Sefo
"Sugar" Ray Sefo is a New Zealand kickboxer, boxer and mixed martial artist. He is five time Muay Thai World champion and eight time K-1 World Grand Prix Finals tournament participant, currently living in Las Vegas, Nevada and training with Xtreme Couture.He holds notable wins in the K-1 over...
. Despite the odds he won the fight by TKO.
After graduating from university, Bonjasky worked as a banker at ABN Amro
ABN AMRO
ABN AMRO Bank N.V. is a Dutch state-owned bank with headquarters in Amsterdam. It was re-established, in its current form, in 2009 following the acquisition and break up of ABN AMRO Group by a banking consortium consisting of Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Santander and Fortis...
for a time.
Early K-1 career, World GP wins in 2003 and 2004
Bonjasky lost against K-1 and kickboxing superstar Stefan LekoStefan Leko
Stefan "Blitz" Leko is a German-Croatian heavyweight kickboxer. He is former Muay Thai world heavyweight champion and Kickboxing world super-heavyweight champion, K-1 European Grand Prix 1998 champion, 1999 K-1 Dream champion and two time K-1 World Grand Prix in Las Vegas tournament champion...
in 2002.
On December 6, 2003 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2003
K-1 World Grand Prix 2003
K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 Final was a kickboxing event promoted by the K-1 organization. The event was held at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday,December 6, 2003 in front of 67,320 spectators. It was the eleventh K-1 World Grand Prix final involving ten of the world's best fighters...
quarter-finals in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Bonjasky was matched up against Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n fighter Peter "The Chief" Graham
Peter Graham (kickboxer)
Peter "The Chief" Graham is an Australian kickboxer, boxer and mixed martial artist. His enterance music is AC/DC's Thunderstruck andhe has trademarked his special moves like his somersault kick, The Rolling Thunder.-Kickboxing:...
. Remy won the fight by a TKO in the first round. In semi-finals Cyril Abidi
Cyril Abidi
Cyril "Marseille Bad Boy" Abidi is a French former super heavyweight kickboxer. His road to fame started in 2000 when he entered K-1 and created a huge upset with a first round knockout win over legendary Peter Aerts....
fell victim of The Flying Gentleman's flying knee attacks, and after defeating Musashi
Musashi (kickboxer)
is a retired professional Japanese Heavyweight karateka and kickboxer. He is 4 time K-1 Japan tournament champion, a former WAKO Heavyweight Muay Thai champion and two time K-1 World Grand Prix finalist...
in the tournament finals by unanimous decision Bonjasky was crowned the K-1 World champion.
In 2004 he accumulated wins over Tsuyoshi Nakasako
Tsuyoshi Nakasako
Tsuyoshi Nakasako is a Japanese heavyweight kickboxer competing in K-1.-Titles:*2002 K-1 Japan GP runner up*2001 K-1 Japan GP 3rd Place*1999 K-1 Japan GP 3rd Place*1998 K-1 Japan GP runner up- See also :*List of kickboxing organizations...
, Francois Botha
Francois Botha
Francois Botha , also known as Frans Botha, is a South African boxer, nicknamed the "White Buffalo". Botha won the vacant IBF heavyweight title in 1995 when he outpointed Axel Schulz in Germany...
, Aziz Khattou and ex-sumo
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
champion Chad "Akebono" Rowan
Akebono Taro
is a retired American born-Japanese sumo wrestler from Waimānalo, Hawaii. Joining the professional sport in Japan in 1988, he was trained by pioneering Hawaiian sumo wrestler Takamiyama and rose swiftly up the rankings, reaching the top division in 1990...
. If it hadn't been for his one loss in 2004 against Francisco Filho
Francisco Filho
Francisco Filho may refer to:* Francisco Filho , martial artist born in Bahia* Francisco Filho , football coach born in São Paulo...
he would have beaten Semmy Schilt
Semmy Schilt
Semmy Schilt , also known as Sem Schilt, is a Dutch Ashihara karateka, kickboxer, mixed martial artist and four time K-1 World GP champion. He is the first and only fighter in K-1 history to win the championship three times in a row, and also shares the record with Ernesto Hoost for most GPs won,...
's record of the longest winning streak in K-1 history.
On December 4, 2004 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2004
K-1 World Grand Prix 2004
K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 Final was a kickboxing event promoted by the K-1 organization. It was the twelfth K-1 World Grand Prix final, involving twelve of the world's best K-1 fighters from eight countries, with all bouts fought under K-1 Rules...
, with three decision wins over Ernesto Hoost
Ernesto Hoost
Ernesto Fritz "Mr. Perfect" Hoost is a Dutch former kickboxer and four-time K-1 World Champion. He made his debut in 1993 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 1993, where he came just one win short of the world title...
, Francois Botha
Francois Botha
Francois Botha , also known as Frans Botha, is a South African boxer, nicknamed the "White Buffalo". Botha won the vacant IBF heavyweight title in 1995 when he outpointed Axel Schulz in Germany...
and Musashi
Musashi (kickboxer)
is a retired professional Japanese Heavyweight karateka and kickboxer. He is 4 time K-1 Japan tournament champion, a former WAKO Heavyweight Muay Thai champion and two time K-1 World Grand Prix finalist...
, Bonjasky successfully defended his K-1 WGP title.
He presented himself on November 19, 2005 for the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005
K-1 World Grand Prix 2005
K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Tokyo Final was a kickboxing event promoted by the K-1. The event was held at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday, November 19, 2005 in front of 58,213 spectators. It was the thirteenth K-1 World Grand Prix final, involving twelve of the world's best K-1 fighters...
finals in Tokyo, to keep his title for a third consecutive year, but was stopped by Semmy Schilt's
Semmy Schilt
Semmy Schilt , also known as Sem Schilt, is a Dutch Ashihara karateka, kickboxer, mixed martial artist and four time K-1 World GP champion. He is the first and only fighter in K-1 history to win the championship three times in a row, and also shares the record with Ernesto Hoost for most GPs won,...
knee strikes in the tournament's semi-finals.
2006-2007: Feud with Leko, World GP misfortunes
In 2006, after his divorce and change of trainers, he came back to the K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 finals. In his quarter-final match, he got a rematch against former foe Stefan LekoStefan Leko
Stefan "Blitz" Leko is a German-Croatian heavyweight kickboxer. He is former Muay Thai world heavyweight champion and Kickboxing world super-heavyweight champion, K-1 European Grand Prix 1998 champion, 1999 K-1 Dream champion and two time K-1 World Grand Prix in Las Vegas tournament champion...
, who'd beaten him in 2002, and it turned into a grudge match. When Bonjasky was champion, Leko was taking a hiatus away from K-1, and his career rise had thus stalled. Prior to his rematch with Remy, he pledged that the 2006 Grand Prix would be his year to finally become the undisputed champion, at the expense of Bonjasky whom he'd beaten before. Bonjasky stated that Leko was 'limited'. In the fight, Bonjasky got hit in the groin twice in the first round and the fight was postponed for 30 minutes. When the bout resumed, Bonjasky still managed to win the fight by a unanimous decision, after scoring a knockdown in the final minute of the fight. However, because of a persisting injury to the groin, he was not able to continue the tournament and was replaced by Peter Aerts
Peter Aerts
Peter "The Dutch Lumberjack" Aerts is a Dutch super heavyweight kickboxer. He is a three-time K-1 World Grand Prix and Muay Thai World Champion. Aerts is best known for his powerful strikes and high kicks.- Biography :...
.
In 2007 Bonjasky's mother died. Because Remy was badly hurt by this he pulled of scheduled fights with Badr Hari
Badr Hari
Badr "The Golden Boy" Hari is a Moroccan-Dutch super heavyweight kickboxer, fighting out of Mike's Gym in Amsterdam. He is a former K-1 Heavyweight champion and K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 finalist. As of May 2011, Hari is ranked the #2 heavyweight in the world by LiverKick.com...
and Peter Aerts
Peter Aerts
Peter "The Dutch Lumberjack" Aerts is a Dutch super heavyweight kickboxer. He is a three-time K-1 World Grand Prix and Muay Thai World Champion. Aerts is best known for his powerful strikes and high kicks.- Biography :...
. His only fight before the Final 16 was against Glaube Feitosa
Glaube Feitosa
Glaube "Brazilian Warrior" Feitosa is a Brazilian former kickboxer and a kyokushin full contact karate practitioner who was competing in K-1. In 2005 Feitosa won K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Las Vegas tournament and was the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 finalist...
in Hawaii. Remy won by decision and remained open for the Final 16 event.
On September 29, 2007 Bonjasky was booked in a rubber match with Stefan Leko
Stefan Leko
Stefan "Blitz" Leko is a German-Croatian heavyweight kickboxer. He is former Muay Thai world heavyweight champion and Kickboxing world super-heavyweight champion, K-1 European Grand Prix 1998 champion, 1999 K-1 Dream champion and two time K-1 World Grand Prix in Las Vegas tournament champion...
at the K-1 World GP 2007 in Seoul Final 16 event. The pair went in with bad blood, as Remy claimed that simply hearing the name of Leko 'made his blood boil' after their second fight, and he claimed that the groin shots he delivered were deliberate. He further lit the fuse by claiming Leko was a limited fighter, who 'only had a couple of punches and a spinning back kick, nothing else'. Leko for his part said he would be glad to prove once and for all that he was the superior fighter, which he claimed was clear from their first fight, and that Remy was 'an actor', and had been 'lucky' the second fight, and had 'the heart of a chicken'.
Bonjasky won the grudge fight by TKO when the ref stopped it in the first round after landing his trademark flying knee strike. Leko beat the count, but the referee waved off the bout. Some have criticised the stoppage as K-1 protecting the by-then bigger name superstar, as Remy had been their World Grand Prix champion, and that K-1 wanted him through to the later stages. Others said that Leko did not display that he still had his faculties. Regardless, the fight marked the end (as of 2011) of the feud between the two, and the win qualified Bonjasky for the K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 Finals which were held on December 8, 2007 at the Yokohama Arena
Yokohama Arena
is an indoor sporting arena located in Yokohama, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. The arena was modeled after US sports venue Madison Square Garden in New York City. It is a five minute walk from the closest subway station, Shin-Yokohama Station on the JR/Yokohama...
in Japan.
At the K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 Finals, Remy Bonjasky faced fellow Dutch Muay Thai fighter Badr Hari
Badr Hari
Badr "The Golden Boy" Hari is a Moroccan-Dutch super heavyweight kickboxer, fighting out of Mike's Gym in Amsterdam. He is a former K-1 Heavyweight champion and K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 finalist. As of May 2011, Hari is ranked the #2 heavyweight in the world by LiverKick.com...
. He won the fight by decision. In the semi-finals he faced Dutch legend Peter Aerts
Peter Aerts
Peter "The Dutch Lumberjack" Aerts is a Dutch super heavyweight kickboxer. He is a three-time K-1 World Grand Prix and Muay Thai World Champion. Aerts is best known for his powerful strikes and high kicks.- Biography :...
, who he lost to, leaving him as eliminated.
Return to the top, World GP 2008 champion, later career
Bonjasky started off 2008 by knocking out Melvin ManhoefMelvin Manhoef
Melvin Manhoef is a Dutch-Surinamese Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist, trained by Mike Passenier and fighting out of Mike's Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In kickboxing, he is the current It's Showtime 85MAX World Champion, and in MMA he was the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight World champion...
in Amsterdam, Bazigit Atajev
Bazigit Atajev
Bazigit Atajev is a Russian mixed martial artist and kickboxer, who represented Russia in RINGS, fought in Pride Fighting Championships, and also competed in K-1 kickboxing. He is known for a fierce spinning heel kick, and Sambo style grappling...
in Tapei and majority decision over Paul Slowinski
Paul Slowinski
Paul "The Sting" Slowinski is a Polish-Australian kickboxer, a four-time WMC Muay Thai World champion and two-time K-1 World GP 2006 in Auckland and K-1 World GP 2007 in Amsterdam champion...
in the K-1 16 to qualify for his 6th Grand Prix appearance.
In the quarter finals he defeated Jerome Lebanner by TKO, Gokhan Saki
Gökhan Saki
Gökhan Saki is a Turkish-Dutch heavyweight kickboxer, fighting out of Golden Glory Gym in Breda, Netherlands...
by KO in the semi-finals, sending him to the K-1 World Grand Prix Finals for the third time against Badr Hari
Badr Hari
Badr "The Golden Boy" Hari is a Moroccan-Dutch super heavyweight kickboxer, fighting out of Mike's Gym in Amsterdam. He is a former K-1 Heavyweight champion and K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 finalist. As of May 2011, Hari is ranked the #2 heavyweight in the world by LiverKick.com...
. After a slow start he knocked Hari down with a left hook and then went on defensive for the rest of the round. Remy was hit after the bell at the end of the round by an angry Hari. In the second round Hari took Remy to ground, then punched him twice and then gave an unsportsmanlike foot stomp to Remy when he was down. Remy seemed unable to get up and was inspected by the ringside doctors. Meanwhile Hari screamed at Remy, telling him to get up and quarrelled with his trainer, Ivan Hippolyte
Ivan Hippolyte
Ivan "The Hydro" Hippolyte is a Dutch-Surinamese former kickboxer and Muay Thai World champion. He is currently a martial arts coach at the Vos Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands, the same gym he used to fight out of during his active career...
. After 5 minutes the doctors announced Remy had double vision and could not continue. Hari was therefore disqualified and Bonjasky was declared the K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 Champion. Remy was disappointed by the outcome, evident from his unhappy expression after the decision was announced.
Bonjasky stated in a post-fight interview that he still had double vision and a headache the next morning. Hari however claimed that "Remy was acting", and that, "his corner was screaming at him to stay down".
After he won his 3rd GP title, he faced Alistair Overeem
Alistair Overeem
Alistair Cees Overeem is a British born Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer, signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Dream Interim Heavyweight Champion, K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, and made history by being the only fighter in combat...
. Overeem was aggressive in the 1st and dominant in the 2nd round, knocking Bonjasky down in the end of the 2nd round with a right cross, but referee Nobuaki Kakuda
Nobuaki Kakuda
is a Japanese Seidokaikan Karateka.-Career:Kakuda is famous for his first punch knockout win over German mixed martial artist Mavrick at 0:56 seconds in the K-1 Fields Europe GP 2005 as well as being the only K-1 fighter to lose to Akebono, a former Sumo wrestler whose long losing streak has made...
did not count it. In the 3rd round Remy knocked Alistair down with a flying knee and right punch combo to secure a unanimous decision win. All three judges scored the bout 30-28. It was latter confirmed that Remy had badly twisted his left knee 2 days before the fight (reason for his inactivity). Remy went on medical recovery after the fight and did not fight again for months.
Remy returned to training to train for the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final 16. At the event he defeated Melvin Manhoef
Melvin Manhoef
Melvin Manhoef is a Dutch-Surinamese Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist, trained by Mike Passenier and fighting out of Mike's Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In kickboxing, he is the current It's Showtime 85MAX World Champion, and in MMA he was the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight World champion...
, for the third time, by unanimous decision.
At the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final
K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final
K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final was a martial arts event held by the K-1 on Saturday December 5, 2009 at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. It was the 17th K-1 World GP Final, the culmination of a year full of regional elimination tournaments...
Remy was won his third consecutive unanimous decision against Errol Zimmerman
Errol Zimmerman
Errol Zimmerman is a Surinamese-Curaçaoan kickboxer, fighting out of Golden Glory Gym in Breda, Netherlands. He is three time Dutch Muay Thai champion and K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Amsterdam tournament champion....
. In the Semi Finals he met his nemesis Semmy Schilt
Semmy Schilt
Semmy Schilt , also known as Sem Schilt, is a Dutch Ashihara karateka, kickboxer, mixed martial artist and four time K-1 World GP champion. He is the first and only fighter in K-1 history to win the championship three times in a row, and also shares the record with Ernesto Hoost for most GPs won,...
. In the first round Remy landed a left hook to knock Semmy down. Semmy however landed a low kick to Remy's left leg that was damaged in his earlier fight with Zimmerman, Remy was therefore knocked out of the tournament, losing to Semmy for the third time.
Bonjasky was absent from the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Yokohama tournament, and did not fight at all in 2010, and has pondered retirement after having eye surgery in August of the year. He opened his own kickboxing / muaythai gym, Bonjasky Academy, in the Almere
Almere
Almere is a planned city and municipality in the province of Flevoland, the Netherlands, bordering Lelystad and Zeewolde. The municipality of Almere comprises the districts Almere Stad, Almere Haven, Almere Buiten, Almere Hout, Almere Poort and Almere Pampus .Almere is the youngest city in the...
city in that year.
Titles
- 2008 K-1 World Grand Prix champion
- 2004 K-1 World Grand Prix championK-1 World Grand Prix 2004K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 Final was a kickboxing event promoted by the K-1 organization. It was the twelfth K-1 World Grand Prix final, involving twelve of the world's best K-1 fighters from eight countries, with all bouts fought under K-1 Rules...
- 2003 K-1 World Grand Prix championK-1 World Grand Prix 2003K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 Final was a kickboxing event promoted by the K-1 organization. The event was held at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday,December 6, 2003 in front of 67,320 spectators. It was the eleventh K-1 World Grand Prix final involving ten of the world's best fighters...
- 2003 K-1 World Grand Prix in Las Vegas II champion
- 1999 WPKA World Super Heavyweight Muay Thai champion
- 1998 KO Power Tournament runner-up
- 1998 IPMTF European Super Heavyweight champion
- Black Belt MagazineBlack Belt MagazineBlack Belt is an American magazine covering martial arts and combat sports founded in 1961 by Mitoshi Uyehara. During the early years of the publication, Uyehara was a hands-on owner and publisher...
- 2009 Full-Contact Fighter of the Year
Outside the ring
Aside from the sport, Bonjasky has worked as a banker, network administratorNetwork administrator
A network administrator, network analyst or network engineer is a person responsible for the maintenance of computer hardware and software that comprises a computer network...
, and model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
. One of his latest modeling acts is to be the face for the men's line of Dutch lingerie brand Sapph. He has worked for the brand since 2010 along with former swimmer Inge de Bruijn
Inge de Bruijn
Inge de Bruijn is a Dutch former swimmer. She was a four-time Olympic champion and a former world record holder.-Biography:De Bruijn was born in Barendrecht, South Holland, and tried several sports before settling with swimming....
, the face for the women's line of the brand.
Skating with Celebrities
Skating with Celebrities is a celebrity reality television show that began airing on the Fox network on January 18, 2006. The show also aired in Australia on Network Ten in early 2006 and in New Zealand in October 2008. The show was the U.S. version of Dancing on Ice, which also aired in the U.K....
(Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice is a British television show co-hosted by Christine Bleakley and Philip Schofield, in which celebrities and their professional partners figure skate in front of a panel of judges. The format, devised by LWT and Granada Television, has been a prime-time hit in eight different...
), performing a figure skating routine with his Sapph fellow Inge de Bruijn. It has been expected since then that he will become a TV presenter.
Medal of honor
Bonjasky has been awarded two medals of honorMedal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
since 2007.
Near the end of July 2007 in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, he helped Dutch police in the arrest of two British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
criminals. The two men had shot darts
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
at passers-by with a rifle while they were on the move in a van. Bonjasky was their last victim, and after having been hit by the dart he pursued the van in a cab and proceeded to call the police who managed to arrest the criminals. Following the arrest, Bonjasky received a medal from the Amsterdam Police Department for this courageous and honorable act.
In 2009 he was awarded the medal of honor by the city of Almere
Almere
Almere is a planned city and municipality in the province of Flevoland, the Netherlands, bordering Lelystad and Zeewolde. The municipality of Almere comprises the districts Almere Stad, Almere Haven, Almere Buiten, Almere Hout, Almere Poort and Almere Pampus .Almere is the youngest city in the...
, becoming an honorary citizen of the city, after being chosen by the city's politician Arno Visser, for his accomplishments in the sport.
Bonjasky Academy
Remy Bonjasky's own gymGym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
, a kickboxing gym named "Bonjasky Academy", officially opened on September 6, 2010 in Almere
Almere
Almere is a planned city and municipality in the province of Flevoland, the Netherlands, bordering Lelystad and Zeewolde. The municipality of Almere comprises the districts Almere Stad, Almere Haven, Almere Buiten, Almere Hout, Almere Poort and Almere Pampus .Almere is the youngest city in the...
. The opening ceremony was attended by two TV presenters and four athletes, Quinty Trustfull, Humberto Tan, Kew Jaliens
Kew Jaliens
Kew Raffique Jaliens is a Dutch footballer, who plays as a defender for Wisła Kraków.-Sparta:Kew Jaliens started his career at Sparta and made his league debut against FC Groningen at age of 18. Jaliens became a regular in the starting 11...
, Peter Aerts
Peter Aerts
Peter "The Dutch Lumberjack" Aerts is a Dutch super heavyweight kickboxer. He is a three-time K-1 World Grand Prix and Muay Thai World Champion. Aerts is best known for his powerful strikes and high kicks.- Biography :...
, Jerome Le Banner
Jérôme Le Banner
Jérôme "Geronimo" Le Banner , is a French kickboxer and K-1 superstar, famous for his aggressive fighting style and knockout power....
, and Ernesto Hoost
Ernesto Hoost
Ernesto Fritz "Mr. Perfect" Hoost is a Dutch former kickboxer and four-time K-1 World Champion. He made his debut in 1993 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 1993, where he came just one win short of the world title...
.
Kickboxing record
| Kickboxing Record | |
|---|---|
Legend: |
|
External links
- Remy Bonjasky's official website
- Profile at K-1K-1K-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...