# 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 was the first K-1 World Grand Prix Champion. The tournament was held on April 30, 1993 in Japan.

## Biography and career

Cikatić began his martial arts training at the age of 12 when he took up Taekwondo, and later Shotokan Karate at 16. He eventually earned a black belt in both of these disciplines, as well as a blue belt in Judo. When he was 18 years old, he took up boxing before switching to kickboxing.
He surprised the martial arts world by taking the 1993 K-1 Grand Prix tournament by storm, knocking out all three of his opponents in one evening, including Ernesto Hoost in the final match. To date Cikatić is the oldest winner of the K-1 Grand Prix at 38 years and 208 days.
He extended his athletic resume to include mixed martial arts in 1998, fighting in the Pride Fighting Championships. His PRIDE debut was fought against Ralph White under K-1 rules format. Cikatić lost via disqualification after kicking the head of the downed White. Cikatić returned at Pride 2, fighting under MMA rules and facing Mark Kerr. He was again disqualified after holding the ring ropes when Kerr attempted a takedown, refusing to let go when directed by the referee, running away through the ring ropes, and delivering several illegal elbows to the back of Kerr's head. His next fight at Pride 7 ended in a submission loss to Maurice Smith by forearm choke.
Towards the end of his sports career, Cikatić tried his hand at acting, playing a villain in a 1997 B-movie Skyscraper, starring Anna Nicole Smith. In 2018, Cikatić had a pulmonary embolism and whilst in hospital acquired an infection causing sepsis and was later diagnosed as suffering from Parkinson's disease. He died on 22 March 2020.

## Titles

Professional Career:
* 1998 WMTA World Champion in Thai boxing (Zagreb)
* 1994 K-1 Grand Prix 3rd Place (Tokyo)
* 1993 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion (Tokyo)
* 1991 World Champion in Thai boxing 86 kg (Berlin)
* 1991 IKBF World Champion in kick-boxing 86 kg (Zagreb)
* 1991 WKA World Champion in kick-boxing 86 kg (Wiesbaden)
* 1989 WMTA World champion in Thai boxing 86 kg (Düsseldorf)
* 1987 WMTA World champion in Thai boxing 82.5 kg (Amsterdam)
* 1986 European champion in Thai boxing (Paris)
* 1985 European champion in Thai boxing (Amsterdam)
Amateur Career:
* 1983 European Championships in Caen (Full-Contact)
* 1982 European Championships in Berlin (Full-Contact)
* 1981 W.A.K.O. European Championships in Dublin -79 kg (Full-Contact)
* 1981 W.K.K.A. World Championships in Miami 79 kg (Full-Contact)
* 1980 W.A.K.O. European Championships in London -79 kg (Full-Contact)
* 1979 W.A.K.O. European Championships in Milan -79 kg (Full-Contact)

## Kickboxing record (incomplete)

87 Wins (82 knockouts), 11 Losses, 1 Draw :
| Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Method | Round | Time | Location |
| July 11, 1999 | Win | Benkai Sato | Kakidamishi I | KO (Liver Punch) | 1 | 0:23 | Naha, Okinawa, Japan |
| December 13, 1998 | Win | Big Mo T | Muay Thai WMTA World Title Fight Heavyweight | KO (right punch) | N/A | N/A | Dvorana Dražen Petrović, Zagreb, Croatia |
| October 11, 1997 | No contest | Ralph White | Pride 1 | NC (Cikatić kicked White while he was on the ground) | 1 | 1:52 | Tokyo, Japan |
| September 7, 1997 | Loss | Mike Bernardo | K-1 Grand Prix '97 1st round | TKO (doctor stoppage) | 1 | 0:38 | Osaka, Japan |
| July 20, 1997 | Loss | Sam Greco | K-1 Dream '97 | KO (right Hooks) | 1 | 2:58 | Nagoya, Japan |
| March 16, 1997 | Win | Musashi | K-1 Kings '97 | KO (right punch) | 4 | 1:38 | Yokohama, Japan |
| December 12, 1994 | Win | Ernesto Hoost | K-1 Legend | KO (right hook) | 2 | 1:18 | Nagoya, Japan |
| September 18, 1994 | Loss | Stan Longinidis | K-1 Revenge | Decision (unanimous) | 5 | 3:00 | Yokohama, Japan |
| April 30, 1994 | Loss | Masaaki Satake | K-1 Grand Prix '94 | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | Tokyo, Japan |
| April 30, 1994 | Win | Andre Mannaart | K-1 Grand Prix '94 | KO (right punch) | 2 | 0:16 | Tokyo, Japan |
| March 4, 1994 | Loss | Andy Hug | K-1 Challenge | Decision (unanimous) | 5 | 3:00 | Tokyo, Japan |
| April 30, 1993 | Win | Ernesto Hoost | K-1 Grand Prix '93 | KO (right hook) | 1 | 2:49 | Tokyo, Japan |
| Wins K-1 Grand Prix '93. ||||||||
| April 30, 1993 | Win | Masaaki Satake | K-1 Grand Prix '93 | KO (left hook) | 3 | 0:45 | Tokyo, Japan |
| April 30, 1993 | Win | Changpuek Kiatsongrit | K-1 Grand Prix '93 | KO (punch) | 1 | 2:35 | Tokyo, Japan |
| April 8, 1993 | Win | Mahmoud Babachi | Muay Thai World Title Fight | KO (Babachi injured shoulder after throw in clinch) | 1 | 1:42 | Zagreb, Croatia |
| 1992 | Win | Novica Bogdanovic | | KO (left punch) | 1 | 0:38 | Zagreb, Croatia |
| June, 1992 | Loss | Stan Longinidis | World Kickboxing Association | Decision (unanimous) | 12 | 2:00 | Melbourne, Australia |
| March 16, 1992 | Draw | Dennis Alexio | World Martial Arts Challenge | Technical Draw (Alexio hit Cikatić during a stoppage) | 3 | 1:25 | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| October 19, 1991 | Win | Jean Atonga | Muay Thai WMTA World Title Fight, -86 kg | Decision (split) | 5 | 3:00 | Deutschlandhalle, Berlin Germany |
| May 28, 1991 | Win | Charlie Lieuwfeld | IKBF World Title Fight, -86 kg | KO (Body Shot) | 5 | N/A | Zagreb, Croatia |
| March 23, 1991 | Win | Andre Mannaart | World Kickboxing Association World Title Fight, -86 kg | Decision (unanimous) | 12 | 2:00 | Rhein-Main-Hallen, Wiesbaden, Germany |
| January, 1991 | Win | Stephane Lahousse | Savate Rules | KO | 2 | N/A | Zagreb, Croatia |
| October, 1990 | Draw | Samir Usenagić | Kickboxing Prestige Fight | Decision | 5 | 2:00 | Belgrade, SFR Yugoslavia |
| December 16, 1989 | Win | Carl Thompson | Muay Thai WMTA World Title Fight, -86 kg | Decision (unanimous) | 5 | 3:00 | Philipshalle, Düsseldorf, Germany |
| October 8, 1989 | Loss | Ernesto Hoost | Muay Thai WMTA World Title Fight | DQ | 4 | 0:15 | Amsterdam, Netherlands, NED |
| December 12, 1987 | Loss | Don Wilson | KICK Association: Lightheavyweight World Title Fight | TKO | 7 | 1:24 | Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
| May 30, 1987 | Win | Radomir Bozovic | Kickboxing Prestige Fight | TKO | 5 | N/A | Sportski Centar Gripe, Split, Croatia |
| April 26, 1987 | Win | Carl Thompson | Muay Thai WMTA World Title Fight | TKO | 3 | 2:18 | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| October 17, 1986 | Win | Radomir Bozovic | Kickboxing Prestige Fight | KO | 7 | N/A | Ivangrad, Montenegro, Socialist Republic of Montenegro |
| 1986 | Loss | Dragan Ognjenovic | Kickboxing Prestige Fight | DQ (Cikatic KO`ed Ognjenovic after break) | 3 | N/A | Niksic, Montenegro, Socialist Republic of Montenegro |
| 1986 | Win | Kirk Walker | Muay Thai EMTA European Title Fight | KO | 2 | N/A | Paris, France |
| December 19, 1985 | Win | Tony Bristow | Kickboxing European Title Fight | TKO | 2 | 1:05 | Sportski Centar Gripe, Split, Croatia |
| May 26, 1985 | Win | Jan Oosterbaan | Muay Thai EMTA European Title Fight | TKO (Oosterbaans corner retired after round 3) | 3 | 3:00 | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| March 29, 1985 | Win | Bruno Campiglia | Kickboxing | KO (Body Shot) | 5 | N/A | Sportski Centar Gripe, Split, Croatia |
| 1984 | Win | Krstulovic | Kickboxing | KO | N/A | N/A | , Split, Croatia |
| 1984 | Win | Kenneth Plak | Muay Thai Eliminator for European Title | KO | 1 | N/A | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| 1983 | Loss | Vjekoslav Šafranić | Kickboxing Prestige Fight | Decision | 7 | N/A | Dom Sportova, Zagreb, Croatia |
| August 18, 1983 | Win | Pascal Ducros | | KO | 2 | N/A | Stadium Poljud, Split, Croatia |
| 1983 | Loss | Maurizio Callegari | WAKO World Championship, 80 kg, Title Defence | N/A | N/A | N/A | Palermo, Italy |
| March 20, 1982 | Win | Jean Marc Tonus | WAKO World Championship, 80 kg, Title Defence | Decision (unanimous) | 6 | 2:00 | Sportski Centar Gripe, Split, Croatia |
| November, 1981 | Win | Ray McCallum | WAKO World Championship | Technical Decision(after headbutt: 38:38, 40:38, 38:37) | 4 | N/A | Miami, United States |

## Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown :
| 2 matches | 0 wins | 2 losses |
| By submission | 0 | 1 |
| By disqualification | 0 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
| Loss | 0–2 | Maurice Smith | Submission (forearm choke) | Pride 7 | September 12, 1999 | 1 | 7:33 | | |
| Loss | 0–1 | Mark Kerr | DQ (grabbing the ropes) | Pride 2 | March 15, 1998 | 1 | 2:14 | | |