''K-1 Grand Prix '93'' was a

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...

event held by the

K-1 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the worl ...

organization on April 30, 1993, at the

Yoyogi National Gymnasium Yoyogi National Gymnasium, officially is an indoor arena located at Yoyogi Park in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, which is famous for its Suspended structure, suspension roof design. The arena holds 13,291 people (9,079 stand seats, 4,124 arena sea ...

Tokyo, Japan Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. It was the inaugural K-1 World Grand Prix, featuring an eight-man tournament fought under K-1 rules (3 min. × 3 rounds + 1 extra round). The eight tournament qualifiers were all invited on the basis of their achievements in the kickboxing world (for more information on this see the bulleted list below). As well as tournament matches there was also a

full contact karate Full contact karate is any format of karate where competitors spar (also called Kumite) full-contact and allow a knockout as winning criterion. History Full contact karate competition comes in several different formats developed for the art o ...

bout between

Andy Hug Andreas "Andy" Hug (7 September 1964 – 24 August 2000) was a Swiss karateka and kickboxer who competed in the heavyweight division. Considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers of all time, Hug was renowned for his ability to ex ...

and

Nobuaki Kakuda is a retired karateka and kickboxer and former K-1 Head referee. Early life After attending university, Kakuda opened a karate dojo in Kobe but was forced to shut it down after two years. He subsequently worked as a dishwasher, ramen chef, and ...

. The event featured ten fights with fighters representing seven countries. The winner was

Branko Cikatić Branko Cikatić (4 October 1955 – 22 March 2020) was a Croatian heavyweight kickboxer, the first Croatian-born fighter to achieve international success. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers of all time. He ...

who defeated

Ernesto Hoost Ernesto Frits Hoost (born 11 July 1965) is a Dutch retired professional kickboxer. A four-time K-1 World Champion, Hoost is considered to be one of the greatest kickboxers of all time. Debuting in 1993 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 1993, where h ...

in the final by first-round knockout, becoming the first K-1 World champion. Tournament Qualifiers *

Peter Aerts Peter Aerts (born 25 October 1970) is a Dutch retired kickboxer. Known for his devastating high kicks, which earned him the nickname "The Dutch Lumberjack", he is widely considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers of all time. B ...

- W.M.T.A. Muay Thai Heavyweight World champion, I.K.B.F. World Heavyweight champion *Toshiyuki Atokawa - Karate World Cup '91 champion, All Japan Open Karate Championships champion *

- I.K.B.F. Kickboxing World Cruiserweight champion, W.K.A. Kickboxing World Cruiserweight champion, Muay Thai World Light Heavyweight Champion *

Todd Hays Todd Dennys Hays (born May 21, 1969) is a former American bobsledder who competed from 1994 to 2006. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won the silver medal in the four-man event at Salt Lake City in 2002, breaking a 46-year medal drought for ...

- US National Kickboxing Heavyweight champion *

- W.K.A. Kickboxing World champion, W.M.T.A. Muay Thai World Light Heavyweight champion, Savate World champion *

Changpuek Kiatsongrit Somchai Ropkwaen (; born October 13, 1966), known professionally as Changpuek Kiatsongrit () is a Thai former professional Muay Thai fighter and kickboxer. He is credited as being one of the first Muay Thai fighters to go abroad and fight other ...

- I.M.T.F Muay Thai World Light Heavyweight champion, W.M.K. World Heavyweight champion *

Masaaki Satake is a Japanese former heavyweight karateka, kickboxer, professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is one of the pioneering heavyweight fighters in K-1, having been a member of Kazuyoshi Ishii's Seidokaikan school ...

- Karate Japan Open champion * Maurice Smith - W.K.C. Light-Heavyweight World champion, W.K.A. Kickboxing Heavyweight World champion

K-1 Grand Prix '93 Tournament

Results

References

{{reflist

External links

K-1 Official WebsiteK-1 Grand Prix '93 on K-1 Channel
K-1 events 1993 in kickboxing 1993 in Japanese sport Sports competitions in Tokyo Kickboxing in Japan

K-1 Grand Prix '93 Tournament

Results

See also

References

External links