| Jean-Claude Van Damme | |
|---|---|
Van Damme at Cannes Film Festival (2010) |
|
| Born | Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg 18 October 1960 |
| Other names | Muscles from Brussels, JCVD, Van Damage |
| Occupation | Actor, martial artist, director |
| Years active | 1984–present (acting) |
| Spouse | Maria Rodriguez (m. 1980–1984) Cynthia Derderian (m. 1985–1986) Darcy LaPier (m. 1994–1997) Gladys Portugues (m. 1987–1992) and (1999–present) |
| Children | Kristopher Van Varenberg Bianca Bree Nicholas Van Varenberg |
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (born 18 October 1960), professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme,[1] is a Belgian martial artist, actor and director[2] best known for his martial arts action films,[3] the most successful of which include Bloodsport (1988), Kickboxer (1989), Double Impact (1991), Universal Soldier (1992), Hard Target (1993), Timecop (1994), and JCVD (2008).[4] He is known as "The Muscles from Brussels".
After studying martial arts intensively from the age of ten, Van Damme achieved national success in Belgium as a martial artist and bodybuilder, earning the "Mr. Belgium" bodybuilding title.[5] He emigrated to the United States in 1982 to pursue a career in film, and achieved success with Bloodsport (1988), based on a story written by Frank Dux. He attained subsequent box office success with Timecop (1994), which grossed over $100 million worldwide and became his most financially successful film.
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Van Damme was born in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels, Belgium, the son of Eliana and Eugène Van Varenberg, who was an accountant.[6][7] He began martial arts at the age of ten, enrolled by his father in a Shotokan karate school.[8] His styles consist of kickboxing, Shotokan karate, Muay Thai and Taekwondo.[9] He eventually earned his black belt in karate.[10] He started lifting weights to improve his physique, which eventually led to a Mr. Belgium bodybuilding title.[5]
| Jean-Claude Van Damme | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg 18 October 1960 Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels, Belgium |
| Other names | The Muscles from Brussels JCVD Van Damage |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Height | 1.77 metres (5 ft 10 in)[11] |
| Weight | 80 kg (180 lb) (currently)[12] 73 kg (160 lb) (fighting weight) |
| Style | Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Shotokan Karate, Taekwondo |
| Trainer | Claude Goetz Dominique Valera |
| Rank | black belt in Shotokan |
| Years active | 1976–1982 (martial arts) |
| Kickboxing record | |
| Total | 19 |
| Wins | 18 |
| By knockout | 18 |
| Losses | 1 |
| Amateur career | |
| Total | 45 |
| Wins | 41 |
| Losses | 4 |
At the age of 11,[13] Van Damme joined the Centre National De Karaté (National Center of Karate) under the guidance of Claude Goetz in France. Van Damme trained for four years and he earned a spot on the Belgian Karate Team.[14]
In 1976, Jean-Claude is reported to have started his competitive career in Ingelmunster, Belgium in a semi-contact match which was sanctioned by the European Karate Union. He defeated fellow Belgium Roland Vedani.[15]
The following year, Van Damme remained undefeated with victories over Maurice Devos, Andre LeMaire and fellow team-mate Patrick Teugels in non-tournament matches sanctioned by the World All-Styles Karate Organization. In his first tournament competition, Van Damme placed second at the Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials). Jean-Claude defeated 25 opponents in the three day tournament before losing in the finals to fellow team-mate Angelo Spataro.[16]
In 1978, Van Damme fought Patrick Teugels in a bid for the Belguim Semi-Contact Lightweight Title. However, the more experienced Teugels won the decision in 2-rounds. Next, Van Damme failed to place at the WAKO World Championships, losing in the opening match.
Van Damme travelled with the Belgium Team to Tampa, Florida in the United States in November 1979. In Tampa, Van Damme lost his first semi-contact match and was eliminated from placing in the WAKO World Championships for the second consecutive year. Promoter Mike Anderson recalled Van Damme as a "flashy fighter" at the championships.[16]
Upon his return to Europe, Jean-Claude was a member of the Belgium Team when it won the European Championship on 26 December 1979 at La Coupe Francois Persoons Karate Tournament in Brussels, Belgium. His team won the championship.[16][17]
Jean-Claude Van Damme ended his semi-contact career on 8 March 1980 at the Forest National in Brussels. Van Damme knocked Patrick Teugels down and Teugels suffered a nose injury and was unable to continue.[16]
Van Damme's record consists mostly of semi-contact matches, but he compiled a kickboxing record of 18-1[18] in which boxing gloves were worn and knockouts were permitted.
In 1979 at the WAKO World Championships in Tampa,Florida Jean-Claude faced Sherman Bergman, a kickboxer from Miami Beach, Florida, USA. The match was fought under full-contact rules, but was not a tournament match. Van Damme was knocked to the canvas[19] after absorbing a powerful left hook.[20] However, Jean-Claude climbed off the canvas[21] and with an ax-kick, knocked Bergman out in 56 seconds of the first round.
According to FightingArts.com Van Damme knocked out Georges Verlugels in two rounds at a PKA promotion in 1980. His victory caught the attention of the European martial arts community. Professional Karate Magazine publisher and editor Mike Anderson, and multiple European champion Geet Lemmens, tabbed Van Damme as an upcoming prospect.[22]
In 1982 at the 1st Journée Des Arts Martiaux Van Damme knocked out Lenny Leikman in 3 rounds. A photo of the match shows both men wearing boxing gloves.
Van Damme will make a return to fighting and is scheduled to fight former boxing Olympic gold-medalist Somluck Kamsing in November 2011.[23] Early reports have named Las Vegas, USA, Moscow, Russia and Macau, China, Thailand as locations for the bout but it now fight will take place in Dubai, Moscow.[24] or Grozny[25] At the prospect of being the first man over the age of 50 to kickbox professionally, Van Damme stated that "it's kind of dangerous, but life is short."[26] The fight is postponed to May or June 2012.[24]
In an interview, former kickboxing team-mate Patrick Teugels claimed that Van Damme never fought in the 1979 WAKO World Championships in Tampa, Florida[27], and claimed to have a newspaper report on the tournament in which Van Damme is not mentioned. At the same time while Teugels is credited with defeating Van Damme, records show that Van Damme defeated Teugels in at least two matches, including one at the Forest National in which Van Damme broke Teugels nose[28]. At the STAR System World Kickboxing Ratings[29] newspaper results are posted from France's Karate Magazine and from WAKO promoter Mike Anderson showing that Van Damme was a top rated semi-contact fighter in Europe and that he did compete at the 1979 and the 1980 WAKO World Championships, but never placed.
When Jean-Claude Van Damme became an action film star, there were many fight records. Van Damme's office supplied a list of four European karate trophies that he earned under his real name, Van Varenberg, between 1978 and 1981: the Hope Cup; the Cup of Antwerp; World Championship, WAKO; and the Gala International. Van Damme's lawyer, Martin Singer, made a public statement defending his client: "There are records to document his martial-arts acclaim. He's the one who does those splits on chairs. He doesn't have a stunt man do that."[30]
Van Damme's record is posted on the net as 18-1 (18 knockouts). Paul Maslak of the STAR System World Kickboxing Ratings researched this record and came up with facts that showed that most likely these fights were amateur matches.[16]
In 1982, Van Damme and childhood friend, Michel Qissi, moved to America in the hope of becoming action stars. They both were cast as extras in the film, Breakin'. After a small part in Missing In Action, Van Damme was next cast in the film No Retreat, No Surrender, as the role of the villain, Ivan the Russian. Van Damme worked for director John McTiernan for the 1987 film Predator as the titular alien, before being removed and replaced by Kevin Peter Hall.[31] His breakout film was Bloodsport, based on the alleged true story of Frank Dux. Shot on a 1.5 million dollar budget, it became a U.S. box-office hit in the spring of 1988. He then starred in the smaller budgeted film Cyborg. His last role for 1989 was Kurt Sloane in the successful Kickboxer. In this film, his character fights to avenge his brother who has been paralyzed by a Thai kickboxing champion (Qissi).[32]
Double Impact featured Van Damme in the dual role of Alex and Chad Wagner, two brothers fighting to avenge the deaths of their parents. This film reunited him with his former Bloodsport co-star, Bolo Yeung. He then starred opposite Dolph Lundgren in the action film Universal Soldier. While it grossed $36,299,898 in the U.S., it was an even bigger success overseas, making over $65 million, well over its modest $23 million budget, making it Van Damme's highest grossing film at the time.
Van Damme followed Nowhere To Run and Hard Target with Timecop in 1994. The film was a huge success, grossing over $100 million worldwide. In the film, Van Damme played a time traveling cop, who tries to prevent the death of his wife. It remains his highest grossing film to date.
After his role in the poorly received Street Fighter, his projects started to fail at the box office. The Quest (1996), which he directed; Maximum Risk (1996) and Double Team (1997) were box-office flops.
The 1999 film Universal Soldier: The Return which was also a box-office flop, and Van Damme's last theatrically released film until 2008. In 2003, Van Damme employed his dancing training in the music video for Bob Sinclar's Kiss My Eyes.
He returned to mainstream with limited theatrical release of the critically acclaimed film JCVD in 2008. Time magazine named Van Damme's performance in the film the second best of the year (after Heath Ledger's The Joker in The Dark Knight),[33] having previously stated that Van Damme "deserves not a black belt, but an Oscar".[34] Van Damme indicated while promoting the film, he experienced a period of homelessness "sleeping on the street and starving in L.A."[35]
Van Damme reprised his role as Luc Deveraux in the 2009 film Universal Soldier: Regeneration.
Van Damme Voiced "Master Croc" in Kung Fu Panda 2 released worldwide on 26 May 2011 and would become Van Damme's most successful film to date with the movie grossing well over $600 million worldwide.
Also In 2011, Van Damme participated in various commercials for Coors Light beer, in which he is located on a snow-covered mountain, wearing a sleeveless denim jacket, and appeared in commercials for washing powder "Dash". He also took part in special birthday celebrations of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, which raised objections from human rights groups because of Kadyrov's human rights record.[36]
He was offered a lead role in Sylvester Stallone's latest film The Expendables. Stallone called Van Damme personally to offer him the role, but Van Damme turned it down. He has a series of film projects scheduled for 2011, including another Universal Soldier movie. On 30 June 2011, Van Damme confirmed his participation in The Expendables 2 as the lead villain.[37]
At the age of 16 he took up ballet, which he studied for five years. According to Van Damme, ballet "is an art, but it's also one of the most difficult sports. If you can survive a ballet workout, you can survive a workout in any other sport."[38] In the French-speaking world, Van Damme is well known for the picturesque aphorisms that he delivers on a wide range of topics (personal well-being, the environment, etc.) in a sort of Zen franglais.[39] Most famous and often quoted was his repeated use of the English word aware during an interview for a French channel, to convey the notion of self-awareness as a key to success.
He is training for his upcoming fight with cage fighters Chris 'Ball-Breaker' Banister, Jules 'Crown Jewels' Fox and the champion Paul 'Pistol-Fists' Shah in his home country Belgium.
Van Damme has been married five times, including twice with current wife, bodybuilder and fitness competitor Gladys Portugues. Van Damme is the father of three children: Kristopher Van Varenberg (born 1987), Bianca (born 1990), and Nicholas (born 1995).
Van Damme had troubles with cocaine that started during 1995.[40] He entered a month-long rehabilitation program in 1996 but left it after only one week.[40][41] In 1996, he spent up to $10,000 a week on cocaine.[42] He is also reported to have experienced bipolar disorder.[40] A turning point in his health issues came in late 1997, after having signed divorce papers charging him with spousal abuse, and drug addiction.[40]
After the filming of the 1998 film Knock Off, Van Damme was diagnosed with rapid cycling bipolar disorder after becoming suicidal and started treatment on the mood stabilizer, sodium valproate.[40]
The original video game Mortal Kombat was initially conceived as a fighting game based on the actor and martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme. Creators Ed Boon and John Tobias originally had desired to author the game starring Van Damme himself. That fell through as Van Damme had a prior deal for another game under auspices of Sega Genesis. Ed Boon and John Tobias eventually decided to create Mortal Kombat featuring a character named Johnny Cage, who is modeled after Jean-Claude Van Damme, especially from Van Damme's appearance and outfit in the martial arts film Bloodsport.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Breakin' | Guy dancing in the background | Uncredited |
| Monaco Forever | Karate Man | ||
| Missing in Action | Car Driver | Stunt man | |
| 1985 | No Retreat, No Surrender | Ivan Krushensky | |
| 1988 | Bloodsport | Frank Dux | Fight choreographer/Writer |
| Black Eagle | Andrei | ||
| 1989 | Cyborg | Gibson Rickenbacker | |
| Kickboxer | Kurt Sloane | Writer | |
| 1990 | Death Warrant | Louis Burke | |
| Lionheart | Lyon Gaultier | Fight choreographer | |
| 1991 | Double Impact | Alex Wagner/Chad Wagner | Double role
MTV Movie Awards nomination for Most Desirable Male |
| 1992 | Universal Soldier | Luc Deveraux/GR44 | |
| 1993 | Hard Target | Chance Boudreaux | MTV Movie Awards nomination for Most Desirable Male |
| Nowhere to Run | Sam Gillen | MTV Movie Awards nomination for Most Desirable Male | |
| Last Action Hero | Himself | Cameo | |
| Cyborg 2 | Gibson Rickenbacker | Archive footage | |
| 1994 | Street Fighter | Colonel William F. Guile | Based on same-titled video game |
| Timecop | Max Walker | Double role | |
| Kickboxer 4 | Kurt Sloane | Archive footage, uncredited | |
| 1995 | Sudden Death | Darren McCord | |
| 1996 | Maximum Risk | Alain Moreau/Mikhail Suverov | Double role |
| The Quest | Christopher Dubois | Directional debut
Writer |
|
| 1997 | Double Team | Jack Quinn | Razzie Award for Worst Screen Couple (with Dennis Rodman) |
| 1998 | Legionnaire | Alain Lefevre | Producer |
| Knock Off | Marcus Ray | ||
| 1999 | Universal Soldier: The Return | Luc Devereaux | Producer, last theatrical release until JCVD |
| Inferno | Eddie Lomax | Film is also known as "Desert Heat" | |
| 2001 | The Order | Rudy Cafmeyer/Charles Le Vaillant | Double role |
| Replicant | Edward "The Torch" Garrotte/Replicant | Double role | |
| 2002 | Derailed | Jacques Kristoff | |
| 2003 | In Hell | Kyle LeBlanc | |
| 2004 | Wake of Death | Ben Archer | |
| Narco | Jean's ghost by Lenny | ||
| 2006 | The Hard Corps | Phillip Sauvage | |
| Second in Command | Sam Keenan | ||
| The Exam | Charles | ||
| 2007 | Until Death | Anthony Stowe | |
| 2008 | The Shepherd: Border Patrol | Jack Robideaux | First work with Scott Adkins |
| JCVD | JCVD | Return to mainstream with limited theatrical release
2008: Toronto Film Critics Association Awards nomination for Best Actor 2009: Chlotrudis Awards nomination for Best Actor |
|
| 2009 | Universal Soldier: Regeneration | Luc Deveraux | Limited theatrical release in Israel, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Italy, Japan, Pakistan |
| 2011 | Kung Fu Panda 2 | Master Croc | First voice over in a theatrical release |
| Assassination Games | Vincent Brazil | Limited theatrical release in US, Wide theatrical release in Russia[43], Second work with Scott Adkins | |
| Beur sur la ville | Colonel Merot | Wide theatrical release in France | |
| 2012 | Rzhevskiy vs. Napoleon | Himself[44] | Wide theatrical release in Russia and Ukraine |
| Dragon Eyes | Jean-Luis Tiano | Post-production | |
| Universal Soldier: A New Dimension | Luc Deveraux | Post-production, Third work with Scott Adkins | |
| The Eagle Path | Frenchy | Producer, Director, Writer and Editor | |
| Six Bullets | Samson Gaul | Post-production, Theatrical release | |
| The Expendables 2 | Jean Vilain (leader of an opposing team of mercenaries)[45] | Filming, Wide theatrical release, Fourth work with Scott Adkins | |
| Dragon Eyes 2: Fist of the Dragon | Jean-Luis Tiano | Announced | |
| Welcome to the Jungle[46][47] | Storm Rotchild (ex-marine team building coach) | Pre-production | |
| 2013 | U.F.O. | George (retired military advisor) | Post-production |
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Date | Round | Time | Event | Location | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 41-4-0 | Jordy Claes | Decision | 1981 | 3 | Gala InternationalWAKO | Brussels, Belgium | |||
| Win | 40-4-0 | Patrick Teugels[16] | l'abandon | 8 March 1980 | 1 | Forest Nationals | Brussels, Belgium | Light-Contact (Match was billed for the EPKA Amateur Middleweight Title.Teugels suffers a broken nose and is unable to continue. Van Damme wins title) | ||
| Win | 39-4-0 | Andres Kovac | Decision | 1980 | 3 | WAKO | Brussels, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 38-4-0 | Bekim-Moussa Muhammad | Decision | 1980 | 3 | WAKO | Brussels, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 37-4-0 | Mustapha-Ahmad Benamou | Decision | 1980 | 3 | WAKO | Brussels, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 36-4-0 | Reinhard Krass | Foul | 26 December 1979 | 2 | Karate Tournament: Belgium Team vs. German Team | Woluwe, Brussels, Belgium | Semi Contact[16] | ||
| Win | 35-4-0 | Gilberto Dias | l'abandon | November 1979 | 1 | World-All Styles Karate Organization | Brussels, Belgium | Semi-Contact (Dias suffers ankle injury and is unable to continue.)[48] | ||
| Loss | 34-4-0 | Jimmie Barletta | Decision | 1979 | 3 | World-All Styles Karate Organization | Ingelmunster, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 34-3-0 | Hans Kohler | Decision | 1979 | 3 | World-All Styles Karate Organization | Ingelmunster, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 33-3-0 | Patrick Teugels | Decision | 1979 | 3 | Cup of AntwerpWorld-All Styles Karate Organization | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact: Van Damme decisions Teugels to win tournament. Video confirms match | ||
| Win | 32-3-0 | Matthias Evrard | Decision | 1979 | 3 | Cup of AntwerpWorld-All Styles Karate Organization | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 31-3-0 | Paul Sperati | Decision | 1979 | 3 | World-All Styles Karate Organization | Opprebais, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 30-3-0 | Lucus Reinfeld | Decision | 1979 | 3 | World-All Styles Karate Organization, Europe Interland Cup | Mulhouse, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 29-3-0 | Robbe Bogaerts | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Hope CupWorld-All Styles Karate Organization | Brussels, Belgium | Semi-Contact[49] | ||
| Win | 28-3-0 | Leonard Baptiste | Decision | 1978 | 3 | World-All Styles Karate Organization | Izegem, Belgium | Semi-Contact[50] | ||
| Win | 27-3-0 | Fernando Cabanela | Decision | 1978 | 3 | World-All Styles Karate Organization | Izegem, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Loss | 26-3-0 | Angelo Spataro[16] | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 26-2-0 | Gabriel Van Der Driessche | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 25-2-0 | Farid Muhammad Mousseau | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 24-2-0 | Jacques van Laere | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 23-2-0 | Christian Hedin | Decsion | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 22-2-0 | Gerard Charon | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 21-2-0 | David Arranz | Decsion | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 20-2-0 | Bernard Redden | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 19-2-0 | Antoine Redi | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 18-2-0 | Ben Salah Ellah | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 17-2-0 | Gaston Airey | Foul | 1978 | 1 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 16-2-0 | Abdembi Hassan Ali | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 15-2-0 | Jonas "Marcel" Cohen | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 14-2-0 | Christian Van Tieghem | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 13-2-0 | Max Roelandt | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 12-2-0 | Andre Verbon | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 11-2-0 | Michel Juvillier | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 10-2-0 | Joel Maoreau | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 9-2-0 | Ronald Duivenbode | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Challenge Coupe des Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials) | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Loss | 8-2-0 | Patrick Teugels | Decision | 1978 | 3 | Belgium Lightweight Championship | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 8-1-0 | Gris Lubbers | Decision | 1976 | 3 | European Karate Union | Ingelmunster, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 7-1-0 | Andre Lemaire | Decision | 1977 | 3 | World Association of Kickboxing Organizations Open International | Izegem, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Loss | 6-1-0 | Patrick Teugels | Decision | 1977 | 3 | 1977 International Open | Izegem, Belgium | Semi-Contact[51] | ||
| Win | 6-0-0 | Maurice Devos | Decision | 1977 | 3 | World Allstyles Kickboxing Organization | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 5-0-0 | Jacques Berri | Decision | 1976 | 3 | Antwerp Open WAKO | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 4-0-0 | Johannes Binding | Decision | 1976 | 3 | Antwerp Open WAKO | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 3-0-0 | Jean-Morin Devigne | Decision | 1976 | 3 | Antwerp Open WAKO | Antwerp, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 2-0-0 | Roland Vedani | Decision | 1976 | 3 | European Karate Union | Ingelmunster, Belgium | Semi-Contact | ||
| Win | 1-0-0 | Jean-Paul Gaston | Decision | 1976 | 3 | European Karate Union | Brussels, Belgium | Semi-Contact |
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Date | Round | Time | Event | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somluck Kamsing[52] | May or June 2012[24] | Dubai, Moscow[24] or Grozny[25] | Kickboxing |
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Date | Round | Time | Event | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 18-1-0 | Nedjad Gharbi | Knockout | 1982 | 1 | WAKO | Brussels, Belgium | Kickboxing[53] | |
| Win | 17-1-0 | Daniel Le Jaouen | Knockout | 1982 | 1 | 1:05 | WAKO | Brussels, Belgium | Kickboxing[54] |
| Win | 16-1-0 | Lenny Leikman[16][55] | Knockout | 1982 | 3 | 1st Journée Des Arts Martiaux | Brussels, Belgium | Kickboxing | |
| Win | 15-1-0 | Ajom Mahmud Uddin | Knockout | 1981 | 1 | 0:19 | WAKO | Brussels, Belgium | Kickboxing[56] |
| Win | 14-1-0 | Mustapha-Ahmad Benamou | Knockout | 1981 | 1 | WKO | Brussels, Belgium | Kickboxing | |
| Win | 13-1-0 | Henk Besselman | Knockout | 1981 | 1 | Brussels, Belgium | Kickboxing[57] | ||
| Win | 12-1-0 | Michael J. Heming | Knockout | 1980 | 1 | 0:46 | European Middleweight Championship | Brussels, Belgium | Kickboxing[58] |
| Win | 11-1-0 | Georges Verlugels | Knockout | 1980 | 2 | Brussels, Belgium | Kickboxing[22] | ||
| Win | 10-1-0 | Sherman Bergman[59][60] | Knockout (axe kick) | November 1979 | 1 | 0:56 | W.A.K.O. World Championships 1979 | Tampa, Florida, USA | Kickboxing (Match takes places at the WAKO World Championships, but is a non-tournament match.Van Damme climbs off floor to win.)[19][21] |
| Win | 9-1-0 | Rolf Risberg | Knockout | 1979 | 1 | Ingelmunster, Belgium | Kickboxing[61] | ||
| Win | 8-1-0 | Emile Leibman | Knockout | 1979 | 1 | Iseghem, Belgium | Kickboxing[62] | ||
| Win | 7-1-0 | Cyrille Nollet | Knockout | 1978 | 1 | Iseghem, Belgium | Kickboxing | ||
| Win | 6-1-0 | Orlando Lang | Knockout | 1978 | 1 | 0:26 | Antwerp, Belgium | Kickboxing[63] | |
| Win | 5-1-0 | Jacques Piniarski | Knockout | 1978 | 1 | Belgium | Kickboxing[64] | ||
| Win | 4-1-0 | Eric "Basel" Strauss | Knockout | 1978 | 1 | 0:18 | Antwerp, Belgium | Kickboxing[65] | |
| Win | 3-1-0 | Andre "Robar" Robaeys | Knockout | 1978 | 1 | European Karate Union | Mulhouse, Belgium | Kickboxing[66] | |
| Loss | 2-1-0 | Patrick Teugels | Decision | 1978 | 3 | WAKO | Mulhouse, Belgium | Full-Contact | |
| Win | 2-0-0 | Michel Juvillier | Knockout | 1978 | 1 | 0:39 | WAKO | Antwerp, Belgium | Kickboxing[67] |
| Win | 1-0-0 | Toon Van Oostrum | Knockout | 1976 | 1 | 0:46 | European Karate Union | Brussels, Belgium | Kickboxing[68] |
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