Kunlun Fight

Kunlun Fight
Company typePrivate
IndustryKickboxing promotion
FoundedJanuary 2014; 10 years ago (2014-01)
FounderJiang Hua Edit this on Wikidata
HeadquartersBeijing, China
Key people
Jiang Hua (founder)
OwnerKunsun Media

Kunlun Fight (KLF) (Chinese: 昆仑决; pinyin: Kūnlún Jué) is a kickboxing promotion headquartered in Beijing, China. It debuted in 2014 and is regarded as one of the top kickboxing promotions in the world.[1] Events are broadcast on Jiangsu Television[2] domestically and on various regional and international channels.

The first event was held in Pattaya, Thailand on January 25, 2014. The promotion has since held over 20 events each year.[3][4]

History

Inaugural event

The first event in Pattaya, Thailand on January 25, 2014 included super fights and a 4-man kickboxing tournament with Andrei Kulebin, Petsanguan Luktupfah, Guo Dongwang and Umar Semata.[5][6] After the inaugural event the promotion has held events in Thailand two more times.[7][8][9]

Signing Buakaw Banchamek

On June 7, 2015 it was announced that Kunlun Fight had signed one of the most successful and famous[10] 70 kg kickboxers in history, 2 time K-1 World Max Champion Buakaw Banchamek to an exclusive 6-fight contract.[11][12] Buakaw has continued fighting in the promotion beyond the original 6-fight contract.

Business

In March 2016, Kunlun Fight finished series B financing from Morningside Ventures, IDG Capital Partners and Northern Light Venture Capital. The round of financing valued the company at over 350 million USD, making Kunlun Fight the most valuable combat sports company in China.[13][14][15] Prior to B+ round of financing in Q1 2017 the company was reportedly valued at over 500 million USD.[16][17]

Multiple Kunlun Fight branded gyms and event venues exist like the Kunlun Fight World Combat Sports Center in Beijing and the Kunlun Fight Stadium in Tongling, Anhui, China.

70 kg tournaments

Kunlun Fight holds a yearly 70 kg world championship tournament.

In 2014 the inaugural 16-man tournament was won by Dzianis Zuev who defeated Victor Nagbe in the final.[18]

For 2015 the tournament was expanded to 64-man and Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong emerged as the champion from a field of fighters including multiple kickboxing champions and highly ranked fighters such as Marat Grigorian, Enriko Gogokhia, Enriko Kehl, Davit Kiria, Murthel Groenhart, Andy Souwer, Yodsanklai Fairtex, Dzhabar Askerov, Superbon Banchamek, Amancio Paraschiv, Chingiz Allazov, Aikpracha Meenayothin and the 2014 tournament winner Dzianis Zuev.[19]

The 2016 tournament was won by Superbon Banchamek, who also beat the winner of the previous tournament Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong in the quarterfinals.[20]

The 2017 tournament champion was Marat Grigorian who beat the 2016 tournament winner Superbon Banchamek in the final.[21]

The 2018 tournament was won by Davit Kiria.[22][23][24][25]

The 2019 tournament was intended to be held on 31 December 2019 in Wuzhishan City, Hainan, China,[26] but was postponed. The tournament was rescheduled for March, 8 in Wuzhishan City,[27][28] but the event had to be cancelled due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic ban on live sporting events.

The 70 kg tournament was announced to be coming back for 2024. It is scheduled to start April 27 on Kunlun Fight 97 in Beijing.

Kunlun Combat Professional League

On September 22, 2018, Kunlun Fight launched a new line of 2nd tier events called Kunlun Combat League.[29][30] The league has 16 teams and fights are fought in 6 different weight classes. The league events are held mostly at a Kunlun Fight venue in Tongling. 71 KCL events were held during the first qualification season between September 22 and December 31, 2018.

In its present format, the league begins in March with 16 teams split into 2 groups for a regular season. The highest scoring teams from both groups proceed to a knockout phase that culminates with the final event at the end of the year.

In 2019 the league was renamed to Kunlun Combat Professional League (KCPL) and started its first full season on March 16, 2019.[31] The first season was won by team Shenzhen,[32] who beat team Shenyang in the finals held on December 24, 2019 in Yiwu, China.[33]

For the 2020 season, the intended March start date for the league was disrupted by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.[34] The 2020 season was rescheduled to start in mid-May[35] without live audiences present at the events.[36]

Kunlun Fight City Hero

Started in 2016, a 3rd tier series of events with a mix of professional and amateur fights.[37][38]

Kunlun Fight Events

Main article: List of Kunlun Fight events

Broadcast coverage

Some current broadcasters include Jiangsu Television and ByteDance platforms Douyin and Xigua Video.

Some past broadcasters include Fox Sports Asia and Kix[39] in various countries in Asia, RMC Sport 4, Fight Network,[40][41] FightBox[42] in multiple countries internationally, Workpoint TV in Thailand, HKSTV in Hong Kong and Taiwan (2016),[43] Anhui Television in China (2017)[44] and Eurosport. In 2017 Kunlun Fight MMA events were broadcast monthly in China on CCTV-5.[45]

Rules

Kunlun Fight mostly holds fights under kickboxing rules, but also under MMA rules. Some Muay Thai, Boxing and Lethwei[46][47] fights have also been held on Kunlun Fight events.

◾Kickboxing rules: no clinch for survival, active clinch with knees, no throws, no elbows, a yellow card forfeits 25% of the fight purse and earns a 1-point deduction, a red card is a disqualification.

◾Mixed martial arts rules: Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts

◾Muay thai rules: knees are allowed to the body, legs and the head, throws and clinch are allowed, elbows are allowed to the body, legs and head, a yellow card forfeits 25% of the fight purse and earns a 1-point deduction, a red card is a disqualification.

Weight classes

Weight Classes Kilograms(kg) Pounds(lbs)
Strawweight 51 115
Flyweight 57 125
Bantamweight 61 135
Featherweight 66 145
Lightweight 70 155
Welterweight 77 170
Middleweight 84 185
Light Heavyweight 93 205
Heavyweight Unlimited Unlimited

[48]

Champions

Kickboxing champions

Tournament champions

Weight Class Champion Runner-up Event Date Tournament Bracket
2014 70 kg World Championship Tournament Belarus Dzianis Zuev Australia Victor Nagbe Kunlun Fight 13 November 16, 2014 70 kg World Max Tournament 2014 bracket
2015 100+ kg World Championship Tournament Netherlands Jahfarr Wilnis Egypt Hesdy Gerges Kunlun Fight 26 June 7, 2015 Super Heavyweight Tournament 2015 bracket
2016 Female 52 kg World Championship Tournament China E Meidie France Anissa Meksen Kunlun Fight 32 October 28, 2015 Female 52 kg Tournament 2015 bracket
2015 80 kg World Championship Tournament Ukraine Artur Kyshenko Belarus Dmitry Valent Kunlun Fight 35 December 19, 2015 80 kg Tournament 2015 bracket
2015 70 kg World Championship Tournament Thailand Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong Ukraine Enriko Gogokhia Kunlun Fight 37 January 23, 2016 70 kg World Max Tournament 2015 bracket
2016 75 kg World Championship Tournament China Zheng Zhaoyu China Zhang Yang Kunlun Fight 47 July 10, 2016 75 Kg Tournament 2016 bracket
2016 65 kg World Championship Tournament China Wei Ninghui France Abdellah Ezbiri Kunlun Fight 51 September 10, 2016 65 Kg Tournament 2016 bracket
2016 100+ kg World Championship Tournament Belarus Andrei Gerasimchuk Ukraine Tsotne Rogava Kunlun Fight 52 September 11, 2016
2016 80 kg World Championship Tournament Russia Alexander Stetsurenko Belarus Dmitry Valent Kunlun Fight 55 December 10, 2016
2016 70 kg World Championship Tournament Thailand Superbon Banchamek Thailand Jomthong Chuwattana Kunlun Fight 56 January 1, 2017 70 kg World Max Tournament 2016 bracket
2017 70 kg World Championship Tournament Armenia Marat Grigorian Thailand Superbon Banchamek Kunlun Fight 69 February 4, 2018 70 kg World Championship Tournament bracket

One night tournament champions

Weight Class Champion Runner-up Event Date Tournament Bracket
4-Man 67 kg tournament Thailand Petsangnuan Luktupfah Belarus Andrei Kulebin Kunlun Fight 1 January 25, 2014 67 kg tournament bracket
4-Man 80 kg tournament Canada Simon Marcus Thailand Vehas Topking Kunlun Fight 2 February 16, 2014 80kg tournament bracket
Female 52 kg tournament Netherlands Jemyma Betrian China E Meidie Kunlun Fight 3 March 30, 2014 Female 52 kg tournament bracket
4-Man 95 kg tournament France Massinissa Hamaili Slovenia Ivan Bartek Kunlun Fight 4 April 27, 2014 95 kg tournament bracket
4-Man 70 kg tournament Australia Victor Nagbe China Li Zikai Kunlun Fight 5 June 1, 2014 70 kg tournament bracket
4-Man 100 kg tournament Belarus Andrei Gerasimchuk Ukraine Dmitry Bezus Kunlun Fight 6 June 29, 2014 100 kg tournament bracket
4-Man 75 kg tournament China Xu Zhenguang Belarus Kiryl Chanka Kunlun Fight 8 August 24, 2014 75 kg tournament bracket
Female 60 kg tournament Kyrgyzstan Valentina Shevchenko Russia Irina Mazepa Kunlun Fight 9 August 31, 2014 Female 60 kg tournament bracket
4-Man 95 kg tournament Belarus Andrei Gerasimchuk China Wang Chongyang Kunlun Fight 10 September 13, 2014 95 kg tournament bracket
4-Man 65 kg tournament China Yang Zhuo Thailand Phosa Nopphorn Kunlun Fight 12 October 26, 2014 60 kg tournament bracket
4-Man 75 kg tournament China Nuerla Mulali China Wang Yuhu Kunlun Fight 34 November 21, 2015 75 kg tournament bracket
8-Man 61.5 kg tournament Thailand Saeksan Or. Kwanmuang China Wang Wenfeng Kunlun Fight 66 November 5, 2017
8-Man 100+ kg tournament Ukraine Roman Kryklia Iran Iraj Azizpour Kunlun Fight 80 February 24, 2019
8-Man 75 kg tournament Belarus Vitaly Gurkov Thailand Saiyok Pumpanmuang Kunlun Fight 81 July 27, 2019
8-Man 61 kg tournament Iran Ali Zarinfar China Jianglong Li Kunlun Fight 94 January 19, 2024

Women's lightweight champions

-60 kg (-132.3 lb)

No. Name Event Date Defenses
2 China Wang Cong
def. Valentina Shevchenko 		Kunlun Fight 33
Changde, China 		October 31, 2015
1 Kyrgyzstan Valentina Shevchenko
def. Irina Mazepa 		Kunlun Fight 9
Shangqiu, China 		August 31, 2014 1. def. Chali Bassinah at Kunlun Fight 11 on October 5, 2014

Muaythai champions

Middleweight championship

-70 kg (-154.3 lb)

No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 Thailand Buakaw Banchamek
def. Dylan Salvador 		Kunlun Fight 53
Beijing, China 		September 24, 2016

MMA champions

Middleweight championship

84 kg (185 lbs); division was formerly 79 kg (175 lbs) until 2017

No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 China Wang Sai
def. Sergey Proskuryakov 		Kunlun Fight 36
Shanghai, China 		January 9, 2016 1. def. Horiuchi Yasuhiro at Kunlun Fight - Cage Fight Series 6 on October 21, 2016

Welterweight championship

77 kg (170 lbs); division was formerly 75 kg (165 lbs) until 2017

No. Name Event Date Defenses
2 China Zhang Lipeng
def. Beibit Nazarov 		Kunlun Fight 37
Sanya, China 		January 23, 2016 1. def. Takashi Noto at Kunlun Fight 43 on April 26, 2016
1 Kazakhstan Beibit Nazarov
def. Bruno Amorim 		Kunlun Fight - Cage Fight Series 2
Almaty, Kazakhstan 		April 4, 2015 1. def. Wu Haotian at Kunlun Fight - Cage Fight Series 3 on June 7, 2015
2. def. Massimo Capusella at Kunlun Fight - Cage Fight Series 4 on October 4, 2015

Flyweight championship

No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 Spain Oscar Suarez Fleitas
def. Zhang Meixuan 		Kunlun Fight MMA 14
 August 28, 2017

Female strawweight championship

No. Name Event Date Defenses
1 China Weili Zhang
def. Maira De Souza 		Kunlun Fight 53
Shanghai, China 		September 24, 2016 1. def. Karla Benitez at Kunlun Fight MMA 7 on December 15, 2016

Notable fighters

Kickboxing

67 kg (143.3 lb) and under

70 kg (154.3 lb)

75 - 85 kg (165.3 - 187.4 lb)

95 kg (209.4 lb) and over

Women

MMA

See also

References

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