As kickboxing continues to grow on a global scale with promotions like GLORY, K-1, ONE Championship, and more, fighters are constantly jockeying for position in the eyes (and rankings) of the media. Every month, Combat Press will compile kickboxing rankings for each weight class from heavyweight to strawweight, as well as the pound-for-pound rankings for both men and women.
Note: the numbers in parentheses represent the fighter’s ranking from the previous month.
- Rico Verhoeven (1)
- Sofian Laidouni (8)
- Levi Rigters (2)
- Mory Kromah (3)
- Kevin Tariq Osaro (4)
- Ariel Machado (6)
- Nico Pereira Horta (7)
- Miloš Cvjetićanin (-)
- Anis Bouzid (9)
- Rade Opačić (10)
Dropped from the rankings: Bahram Rajabzadeh (5)
Before getting to the heavyweight results for October, No. 5 Bahram Rajabzadeh lost a challenge for the vacant light heavyweight title at GLORY 104 on Oct. 11, which will be discussed below. This was his second loss in a row, with the last one being his failed qualification for the Last Heavyweight Standing tournament, so he has been removed from the heavyweight rankings.
Also at GLORY 104, the Last Heavyweight Standing qualification round saw several semifinal and final bouts, across two brackets, that shook up the heavyweight rankings. In the four semifinals, No. 2 Levi Rigters knocked out Asadulla Nasipov, No. 8 Sofian Laidouni won a decision over Nabil Khachab, No. 10 Rade Opačić beat Mike Kena by decision, and unranked Miloš Cvjetićanin beat Alin Nechita. In the two finals matches, Laidouni eliminated Rigters with a unanimous decision, and Cvjetićanin edged Opačić with a split decision.
Laidouni makes a big leap to the No. 2 spot, and the few men below him move dow to fill in Rajabzadeh’s vacated position. Cvjetićanin enters at the No. 8 slot.
- Sergej Maslobojev (1)
- Tarik Khbabez (2)
- Donegi Abena (3)
- Bahram Rajabzadeh (4)
- Cem Cáceres (5)
- Thian de Vries (6)
- Michael Boapeah (7)
- Ștefan Lătescu (8)
- Ibrahim El Bouni (9)
- Mory Kromah (10)
On Oct. 5, No. 3 Donegi Abena won a first-round TKO over Tarik Cherkaoui after three knockdowns at World Fighting League. Six days later, at GLORY 104, No. 2 Tarik Khababez defeated No. 4 Bahram Rajabzadeh by majority decision for the vacant GLORY light heavyweight title. Then, on Oct. 24, No. 8 Ștefan Lătescu defeated Frank Kanaté by knockout with a right hook in Round 1 at Dynamite Fighting Show 28. The rankings remain unchanged.
- Donovan Wisse (1)
- Sergey Ponomarev (2)
- Michael Boapeah (3)
- Ulric Bokeme (4)
- Mohamed Touchassie (5)
- Serkan Özçağlayan (6)
- Sergej Braun (7)
- Eduard Aleksanyan (8)
- Bilal Bakhouche-Chareuf (9)
- Max Weekers (10)
October saw four ranked middleweights in action, and all four were victorious. First, on Oct. 5, No. 5 Mohamed Touchassie won a TKO over Mbamba Cauwenbergh at World Fighting League, and, six days later, No. 7 Sergej Braun defeated Iliass Hammouche at GLORY 104 by disqualification after Hammouche freaked out on the referee after getting knocked down by Braun in Round 2. Then, on Oct. 16, at Ural FC 8, No. 2 Sergey Ponomarev won a split decision over Jayden Eynaud for the vacant Ural FC K-1 -85 kg title. Two days later, No. 10 Max Weekers defeated Bo Fufan by unanimous decision at Road to Legend 8. The rankings remain unchanged.
- Regian Eersel (1)
- Alexis Nicolas (2)
- Chico Kwasi (3)
- Tyjani Beztati (4)
- Endy Semeleer (5)
- Dmitry Menshikov (6)
- Teodor Hristov (7)
- Jay Overmeer (8)
- Jamie Bates (9)
- “Hamicha” Mohamed Mezouari (10)
No top-10 fighters were in action, so the rankings remain unchanged.
- Superbon Singha Mawynn (1)
- Marat Grigorian (2)
- Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong (3)
- Ouyang Feng (4)
- Mohammad Siasarani (5)
- Kacper Muszyński (6)
- Don Sno (7)
- Younes Smaili (8)
- Enriko Kehl (10)
- Kaito Ono (-)
Dropped from the rankings: Luo Chao (9)
On Oct. 7, at EM Legend 50, No. 9 Luo Chao lost a first-round TKO to Yodwicha Por.Boonsit for the EM-Legend 70kg Intercontinental title. Four days later, previously ranked Kaito Ono defeated Petchmai Siadammooplara by unanimous decision at SHOOT BOXING 2025 act.5. Ono re-enters the rankings in the tenth spot, Enriko Kehl moves to No. 9, and Chao falls out of the rankings.
- Bobo Sacko (1)
- David Mejia (2)
- Riki Matsuoka (3)
- Han Wenbao (4)
- Zhou Jiaqiang (5)
- Meison Hide Usami (6)
- Hiromi Wajima (7)
- Darryl Verdonk (8)
- Singpayak Payaklamphong (9)
- Takumi Sanekata (10)
No top-10 fighters were in action, so the rankings remain unchanged.
- Petchpanomrung Kiatmoo9 (1)
- Miguel Trindade (2)
- Chadd Collins (3)
- Jonathan Haggerty (4)
- Ilias Ennahachi (5)
- Wei Rui (6)
- Hiroki Akimoto (7)
- Tetsuya Yamato (8)
- Kento Haraguchi (9)
- Kiamran Nabati (10)
At GLORY 104 on Oct. 11, No. 2 Miguel Trindade won a unanimous decision over Khalil Kütükcü. The rankings remain unchanged.
- Yuki Yoza (1)
- Giorgi Malania (2)
- Hirotaka Asahisa (3)
- Zhu Shuai (4)
- Chadd Collins (5)
- Zhao Chongyang (6)
- Jin Ying (7)
- Kan Nakamura (8)
- Wei Weiyang (9)
- Yuzuki Satomi (10)
At ONE Friday Fights 131 on Oct. 31, No. 4 Zhu Shuai lost a split decision to Arthur Klopp fighting up at 66kg. This does not affect the super bantamweight rankings, which remain unchanged.
- Superlek Kiatmoo9 (1)
- Rodtang Jitmuangnon (2)
- Takeru Segawa (3)
- Hirotaka Asahisa (4)
- Achraf Aasila (5)
- Rémi Parra (6)
- Leona Pettas (7)
- Taiga Kawabe (8)
- Yuki Kasahara (9)
- Tomoya Yokoyama (10)
No top-10 fighters were in action, so the rankings remain unchanged.
- Takumi Terada (1)
- Taito Gunji (2)
- Koyata Yamada (3)
- Kaito Sakaguchi (4)
- Haruto Yasumoto (6)
- Shoki Kaneda (7)
- Shuhei Kumura (8)
- Tatsuya Tsubakihara (9)
- Keisuke Monguchi (10)
- Rysei Kumagai (-)
Dropped from the rankings: Akif Guluzada (5)
At ONE Fight Night 36 on Oct. 3, No. 5 Akif Guluzada won a unanimous decision over Jaosuayai Sor.Dechaphan in Muay Thai. Since this is fifth Muay Thai fight in a row, dating back to Jul. 2024, he is being removed from the kickboxing rankings. Everyone below him moves up one spot. Into the No. 10 slot, Ryusei Kumagai re-enters the rankings after winning a unanimous decision over Lom-Isan ReonGym at Kickboxing Fes. GOAT on Oct. 30.
- Shiro Matsumoto (1)
- Koki Osaki (2)
- Akihiro Kaneko (3)
- Koji Ikeda (4)
- Rui Okubo (5)
- Masashi Kumura (6)
- Ryunosuke Omori (7)
- Masahiko Suzuki (8)
- Jonathan Di Bella (10)
- Prajanchai PK.Saenchai (9)
On Oct. 3, at ONE Fight Night 36, tenth-ranked Jonathan Di Bella won a unanimous decision over No. 9 Prajanchai PK.Saenchai to regain the ONE strawweight kickboxing title. The two swap spots in the rankings. Also in action was No. 7 Ryunosuke Omori on Oct. 19 at RISE 192, when he defeated Kakeru by unanimous decision to maintain his position.
- Toki Tamaru (1)
- Kazuki Osaki (2)
- Ryujin Nasukawa (3)
- Kumandoi Petchyindee (4)
- Ryu Hanaoka (5)
- Jin Mandokoro (6)
- Adam Sor.Dechapan (7)
- Toma Kuroda (8)
- Issei Ishii (9)
- Rui Okubo (10)
On Oct. 30 at Kickboxing Fes. GOAT, No. 3 Ryujin Nasukawa delivered a spinning back kick to the body of Chalamdam Nayokathasala to score a knockout in Round 1 to maintain his slot in the rankings.
- Superbon Singha Mawynn (1)
- Petchpanomrung Kiatmoo9 (2)
- Marat Grigorian (3)
- Rico Verhoeven (4)
- Superlek Kiatmoo9 (5)
- Shiro Matsumoto (6)
- Toki Tamaru (7)
- Kazuki Osaki (8)
- Donovan Wisse (9)
- Takumi Terada (10)
No top-10 fighters were in action, so the rankings remain unchanged.
- Phetjeeja Or.Meekun (1)
- Koyuki Miyazaki (2)
- Débora Évora (3)
- Martine Michieletto (4)
- Saho Yoshino (5)
- Antonia Prifti (6)
- Tessa de Kom (7)
- Jackie Buntan (8)
- Kira Matsutani (9)
- Mei Miyamoto (10)
On Oct. 19 at RISE 192, No. 10 Mei Miyamoto defeated Ko Yuna by unanimous decision. The rankings remain unchanged.
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.