Combat Press Kickboxing Rankings: December 2018

As kickboxing continues to grow on a global scale with promotions like GLORY, K-1, Kunlun Fight, and more, fighters are constantly jockeying for position in the eyes (and rankings) of the media.

Every month, Combat Press will rank each weight class from heavyweight to bantamweight, as well as the pound-for-pound rankings for both men and women.

The numbers in parentheses represent the fighter’s ranking from last month.

1. Rico Verhoeven (1)
2. Benjamin Adegbuyi (2)
3. Mladen Brestovac (3)
4. Roman Kryklia (4)
5. Badr Hari (5)
6. Jamal Ben Saddik (6)
7. Guto Inocente (7)
8. Zabit Samedov (8)
9. Iraj Azizpour (9)
10. Luis Tavares (10)

Ninth-ranked heavyweight Iraj Azizpour dispatched of Oli Thompson at MAS Fight on Nov. 10 in Macau. However, the rules for the promotion featured a single nine-minute round and no judges, so the rankings remain unchanged.

1. Artem Vakhitov (1)
2. Pavel Zhuravlev (2)
3. Saulo Cavalari (3)
4. Igor Bugaenko (4)
5. Ariel Machado (5)
6. Donegi Abena (6)
7. Felipe Micheletti (7)
8. Zinedine Hameur-Lain (8)
9. Sergej Maslobojev (9)
10. Danyo Ilunga (10)

After a busy October, the light heavyweight division experienced a slow November. Sergej Maslobojev defeated Brazilian Rafael De Souza Xavier by unanimous decision at KOK World Grand Prix 2018 in Lithuania. He stays put in the No. 9 slot in the rankings.

1. Alex Pereira (1)
2. Simon Marcus (2)
3. Yousri Belgaroui (3)
4. Jason Wilnis (4)
5. Artem Levin (5)
6. Loren Javier Jorge (6)
7. Joe Schilling (7)
8. Dustin Jacoby (8)
9. Hicham El Gaoui (9)
10. Ulrik Bokeme (10)

There were no fighters competing under kickboxing rules during the month, so the rankings remain unchanged.

1. Artur Kyshenko (1)
2. Harut Grigorian (2)
3. Murthel Groenhart (3)
4. Alim Nabiyev (4)
5. Cédric Doumbé (5)
6. Yohan Lidon (6)
7. Nieky Holzken (7)
8. Raymond Daniels (8)
9. Yoann Kongolo (9)
10. Alexander Stetsurenko (10)

Only one welterweight walked to the ring in November. Seventh-ranked Nieky Holzken knocked out Cosmo Alexandre with an uppercut in his promotional debut at ONE Championship: Warrior’s Dream.

1. Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong (1)
2. Giorgio Petrosyan (2)
3. Marat Grigorian (3)
4. Superbon Banchamek (4)
5. Yodsanklai Fairtex (5)
6. Chingiz Allazov (6)
7. Endy Semeleer (7)
8. Tayfun Ozcan (8)
9. Jonay Risco (9)
10. Buakaw Banchamek (10) / Mohamed Mezouari (10)

Top-ranked lightweight Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong defended his GLORY world title for the sixth time when he topped Josh Jauncey at GLORY 61: New York. Sitthichai has now won 10 straight, including victories over Marat Grigorian (twice), Dylan Salvador, Christian Baya, Enriko Kehl and Yi Long. No. 2-ranked Giorgio Petrosyan dominated former Lumpinee stadium champion Sorgraw Petchyindee Academy at ONE Championship: Heart of the Lion. Chingiz Allazov, the No. 6 lightweight, returned to the win column with a unanimous decision over Mohamed Hendouf at Nuit Des Champions 2018. Tenth-ranked Buakaw Banchamek defeated France’s Gaetan Dambo at All Star Fight 6 under Muay Thai rules.

1. Qiu Jianliang (1)
2. Masaaki Noiri (2)
3. Petchpanomrung Kiatmookao (3)
4. Ren Hiramoto (4)
5. Kaew Weerasakreck (6)
6. Robin van Roosmalen (5)
7. Abdellah Ezbiri (7)
8. Yang Zhuo (8)
9. Ilias Bulaid (9)
10. Serhiy Adamchuk (10)

Kaew Weerasakreck, the only ranked featherweight fighter in action in November, captured the 65-kilogram title vacated by Masaaki Noiri, who moved up to 67.5 kilograms. Kaew earned the belt by defeating Tetsuya Yamato via knockout in the first round, edging out former top-10 opponent Yasuomi Soda by extra-round split decision, and besting former Krush champ Daizo Sasaki at the K-1 World GP 2018 Super Lightweight Tournament. His march to the title also causes him to climb up one spot in our rankings to the fifth position.

1. Takeru (1)
2. Koya Urabe (2)
3. Wei Rui (3)
4. Yoshiki Takei (4)
5. Gonnapar Weerasakreck (5)
6. Tenshin Nasukawa (8)
7. Wang Wenfeng (6)
8. Taiga (7)
9. Lin Qiangbang (10)
10. Alex Rivas (-)

Dropped from the rankings: Yuta Murakoshi (9)

The biggest mover of the month, Japanese phenom Tenshin Nasukawa, jumps up to claim the sixth spot in the bantamweight rankings. Nasukawa, 20, defeated former RISE champion Taiki Naito by first-round knockout in the main event of RISE 129. Alex Rivas debuts in the rankings as a result of his unanimous-decision nod over K-1 champion Yuta Murakoshi at the K-1 World GP 2018 Super Lightweight Tournament. Murakoshi, meanwhile, falls outside of the top 10.

1. Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong (1)
2. Giorgio Petrosyan (2)
3. Artur Kyshenko (3)
4. Marat Grigorian (4)
5. Takeru (5)
6. Rico Verhoeven (6)
7. Artem Vakhitov (7)
8. Qiu Jianliang (8)
9. Alex Pereira (9)
10. Superbon Banchamek (10)

The top two fighters in the pound-for-pound rankings were in action in November. Sitthichai defeated Josh Jauncey, while Petrosyan bested Sorgraw Petchyindee Academy. Both fighters retain their spot in the poll.

1. Anissa Meksen (1)
2. Jorina Baars (2)
3. Denise Kielholtz (3)
4. Tiffany van Soest (4)
5. Iman Barlow (5)
6. Wang Kehan (6)
7. Gong Yanli (7)
8. Wang Cong (8)
9. Anissa Haddaoui (9)
10. KANA (10)

Anissa Meksen, the world’s top pound-for-pound female kickboxer, reclaimed her GLORY women’s super bantamweight title with a dominant second-round stoppage of former titleholder Jady Menezes at GLORY 61. Tenth-ranked Krush champion KANA defeated WFMA women’s flyweight champ Josefine Knutsson by unanimous decision at K-1 World GP 2018 Super Lightweight Tournament.

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Editor’s Note: Fighters are eligible to be ranked if they have competed in the last 18 months. Any fighter that chooses to switch weight classes will be ranked in their previous weight class until they have competed twice in their new division.