Stefan Leko

Stefan Leko
Born	(1974-06-03) June 3, 1974 Buna, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia[1]
Other names	Blitz
Nationality	German
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 1 1⁄2 in)
Weight	100 kg (220 lb; 15 st 10 lb)
Division	Heavyweight
Style	Kickboxing
Fighting out of	Duisburg, Germany
Team	Golden Glory Masters Gym Team Leko
Trainer	Tom Trautsch Cor Hemmers Klaus Waschkewitz
Years active	1996 – present (Kickboxing)
Kickboxing record
Total	103
Wins	69
By knockout	38
Losses	32
By knockout	13
Draws	1
No contests	1
Other information
Notable relatives	Daniel Leko, brother
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
last updated on: August 4, 2013

Stefan "Blitz" Leko (born June 3, 1974) is a Croatian-German heavyweight kickboxer. He is the current WKA Super-Heavyweight world champion in kickboxing, and former Muay Thai world heavyweight champion and Kickboxing world super-heavyweight champion, WMTA, WKN, IKBO, IKBF and WKA world champion, K-1 European Grand Prix 1998 champion, 1999 K-1 Dream champion and two time K-1 World Grand Prix in Las Vegas tournament champion. He fights out of Team Golden Glory in Breda, Netherlands under Cor Hemmers. Since 2011 Stefan Leko is coached and managed by Tom Trautsch and won two Heavyweight World Champion Titles.

Biography and career

Backstory and summary

Leko was discovered by Klaus Waschkewitz of Masters Gym when he was 17. While being instructed by Waschkewitz, Leko won several World titles and four K-1 tournaments. His nickname "Blitz" means lightning in German. Stefan left Masters Gym in 2005 and currently belongs to the Team Golden Glory. Besides his kickboxing career Leko is also running a gym in Duisburg named Versus Gym.

He was the first person to beat Badr Hari in K-1 by first round knockout, though it was later avenged by Hari. Leko holds notable wins over 3x K-1 World Grand Prix champion Remy Bonjasky, K-1 Heavyweight champion Badr Hari, world Muay Thai champion Mike Bernardo, 3x K-1 World Grand Prix champion Peter Aerts (x2), K-1 legend Ray Sefo, world Muay Thai champion Alexey Ignashov (x2), and K-1 Grand Prix finalist Francisco Filho.

Leko was successful in both Muay Thai/kickboxing and K-1 during the late 90's and early '00s, despite often conceding height and weight to some of the larger men in K-1. He won various K-1 tournaments and Muay Thai titles. His fortunes varied in the later stages of the '00s, though he did win various more trophies and titles after his 2005 return to the kickboxing and Muay Thai world.

Early success in K-1: European Grand Prix & Dream tournament champion

Leko first fought in K-1 in 1997, age 22. He won the K-1 European Grand Prix tournament in 1998, and after two losses to big names Andy Hug and Ray Sefo, he rebounded to win the K-1 Dream '99 tournament. By 2000, he had an 11-4 win/loss record in the world's premier stand-up fighting promotion, and was a 2x K-1 tournament champion.

Mixed fortunes in 2000-2002 - K-1 World Grand Prix USA title

A period of huge wins and bad losses followed. Over a three-year period, Leko would win the K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 in Las Vegas, and beat such champions as Remy Bonjasky and - stunningly - Peter Aerts, with a huge right cross that knocked the former 3x K-1 World Grand Prix champion out. In the same period, Leko also lost to Ernesto Hoost, Jorgen Kruth, Jerome LeBanner, Francisco Filho, and Mark Hunt.

The following year, Leko eradicated this inconsistency, and by the end of 2003 was considered to be in the top 5 ranked K-1 fighters.

Rise to the top in 2003 - exit from K-1, MMA debut with Pride

After a six-fight win streak in 2003 (5-0 in K-1) that included wins over multiple time K-1 champion Peter Aerts, heavyweight kickboxing champion Mike Bernardo, and K-1 World Grand Prix finalist Francisco Filho, the now top-ranked Leko was a favourite leading into the K-1 World Grand Prix 2003. With previous champion Ernesto Hoost out, Leko was considered a favourite leading in. However, he would leave K-1 prior to the finals, after contract negotiations broke down. Former Leko opponent Remy Bonjasky, whom Leko had beaten the previous year, would win the Grand Prix tournament.

Leko thus left the K-1 and kickboxing worlds, with a K-1 record of 23-11-1-1, and a total fight record of 50-12-1-1 (win/loss/draw/nc), and he decided to try his hand at another combat sport. He signed for Pride Fighting Championships, then the world's premier Mixed Martial Arts organisation. However, the striker was unable to find his place there, losing three successive fights to grapplers, and in 2005 he returned to the Muay Thai and kickboxing worlds.

Return to K-1 and kickboxing, initial success

Leko returned to the stand-up fighting world in early 2005, becoming the WKN World Super-Heavyweight champion.

Prior to his hiatus from standup fighting, he had joined Team Golden Glory, a Dutch fight camp known for such fighters as Semmy Schilt, Alistair Overeem and Sergei Kharitonov. He made his return to top level kickboxing with Golden Glory for Dutch major league promotion It's Showtime, in 2005. He was booked in a grudge match with rising star Badr Hari.

Fighting at It's Showtime in Amsterdam, Leko beat Badr Hari by spinning back kick in a grudge fight. Hari had trash talked Leko prior to the bout, and there was bad blood going in. Leko finished him in round 1, via spinning back kick to the liver. The fight had lasted little more than 100 seconds, with Badr throwing Leko across the ring from a clinch. Leko got to his feet calmly, and after a teep, landed his trademark spin-kick and it finished the fight. Hari stayed down for several minutes after the fight was waved off, in considerable pain.

A rematch was booked in K-1, and Hari returned the favour - bizarrely, winning via spectacular spinning back kick, the move noted for being Leko's trademark. This marks the duology as a fairly unique rivalry, in that both men finished the other with the same move, a spinning back kick no less.

Last major success in K-1, later K-1 career

Leko's last major success to date came when he won his second K-1 World Grand Prix in Las Vegas tournament, beating Scott Lighty, Carter Williams and then Michael McDonald in the final. He won all three fights that night by KO.

He drew old foe Remy Bonjasky in the first round of the World Grand Prix finals5, and lost on points in a controversial fight in which Leko landed two shots to Bonjasky's groin. Leko claims these shots were unintentional; however, Remy took a considerable time out period during the fight, one that Leko had been performing well in to that point, and after which, Bonjasky managed to win a points decision from.

A rubber match with Bonjasky occurred in 2007, but by now it was clear Leko was passing his physical prime, and he lost in round 1, after Bonjasky landed his trademark flying knee. Golden Glory claimed the stoppage was too quick, but nevertheless, Leko was out of another World Grand Prix - his last appearance in the Final 16.

By early 2009 he was considered a fading force, despite going 4-1 the previous year, with two wins in K-1. However, he had not competed in the World Grand Prix 2008, and ended the year with a loss to Freddy Kemayo. Dropped out of almost every top 10 heavyweight rankings, Leko began to compete almost exclusively in Holland and Germany, with varying results. He returned to fight for It's Showtime in May 2009, facing another smaller but popular big name heavyweight in Melvin Manhoef. On the back of two consecutive losses in K-1, Leko went into the fight as an underdog, but he ended up dominating Manhoef for two rounds, picking him apart with boxing and leg kicks. Unfortunately, in the final round he broke his foot, and the fight was called off. Manhoef magnanimously admitted that Leko had outclassed him, and offered a rematch to the Golden Glory fighter.

Despite this impressive display, Leko remained inconsistent, slipping into decline. He won his final K-1 fight to date in Sarajevo, and then lost twice in a row, in Holland and Germany respectively.

2010

Leko strung together a three fight win streak, taking him to an overall K-1 and Muay Thai/kickboxing record of 64-22-1 win/loss/draw. After beating Volkan Duzgun on Fightingstars presents: It's Showtime 2010, Leko entered the Ultimate Glory heavyweight tournament, where he drew Wendell Roche in the quarter-finals. Halfway through round 2, Leko retired from the fight, with the reason given that he suffered "a dizzy spell", and lost his equilibrium. However, in the corner he seemed to be in considerable pain, and it emerged on Dutch fight forum mixfight.nl that Leko had a punctured lung.

In 2011, no bouts had been confirmed for Leko as of February 20, either by the fighter or Golden Glory. Mike Passenier, owner of Mike's Gym and trainer of fighters such as Badr Hari and Melvin Manhoef, stated in an interview with Daniel Fletcher on February 25, 2011 that Stefan Leko has retired.^[2]

Return to the ring

The retirement talk was officially put aside as Golden Glory confirmed that Leko would be returning to face old foe Jerome LeBanner on June 11, 2011, in Geneva.^[3] Leko was said to be serious about a return, and that the short-lived "retirement" was no longer relevant. He was even said to be intent on securing a rubber match with old foe Badr Hari, if he could string together some wins to get ranked and merit a final grudge encounter with the Moroccan.

WKA World title win

Leko won his first world title since 2005, when he beat Marinko Neimarević for the WKA World Super-Heavyweight kickboxing title by KO in round 2.

He was knocked out in round four by Nicolas Wamba at Fight Night Saint Tropez in Saint-Tropez, France on August 4, 2013.^[4][5]

He will fight Dževad Poturak in Poturak's retirement fight at Final Fight Championship 7 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina on September 6, 2013.^[6]

Titles

• International Kick Boxing Federation
  • 1996 IKBF Full Contact World Championship
  • 1997 IKBF Kickboxing Championship

• International Kick Boxing Organization
  • 2000 International Kick Boxing Organization Muay Thai World Championship

• K-1
  • K-1 European Grand Prix 1998 champion
  • K-1 Dream 1999 champion
  • K-1 World Grand Prix in Las Vegas 2001 champion
  • K-1 World Grand Prix in Las Vegas 2006 champion
  • K-1 World Grand Prix 2001: 3rd place

• World Muay Thai Association
  • 1997 WMTA Muay Thai World Championship

• World Kickboxing Network
  • 2005 WKN Super Heavyweight Kickboxing World Championship

• World Kickboxing Association
  • 2012 WKA Super Heavyweight Kickboxing World Championship

Kickboxing record

Kickboxing Record

69 Wins (38 (T) KO's, 29 decisions), 32 Losses, 1 Draw Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time 2013-08-04 Loss Nicolas Wamba Fight Night Saint-Tropez Saint-Tropez, France KO (High KIck) 4 2013-06-14 Loss Ondřej Hutník Time of Gladiator Brno, Czech Republic KO (Round Kick) 2 For King of the Ring (-95kg) World title. 2013-04-14 Loss Damian Garcia K-1 MNL Mallorca[7] Mallorca, Spain Decision 3 3:00 2012-03-17 Win Marinko Neimarević WKA World Championships Kassel, Germany KO (Right hook) 2 Won WKA Super Heavyweight title in Thai Boxing class. 2011-11-23 Loss Makoto Uehara RISE 85: Heavyweight Tournament 2011, Quarter Finals Tokyo, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 2011-11-17 Loss Errol Zimmerman SuperKombat: Fight Club, Semi Finals Oradea, Romania TKO (Referee Stoppage) 1 0:58 2011-11-17 Win Tsotne Rogava SuperKombat: Fight Club, Quarter Finals Oradea, Romania Ext. R Decision (Split) 4 3:00 2011-10-01 Loss Sebastien van Thielen SuperKombat World Grand Prix III 2011, Semi Finals Brăila, Romania Ext. R Decision (Unanimous) 4 3:00 2011-07-16 Loss Cătălin Moroşanu SuperKombat World Grand Prix II 2011 Constanța, Romania Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 2011-06-11 Loss Jérôme Le Banner 8ème Nuit des Sports de Combat[8] Geneva, Switzerland Decision (Unanimous) 5 2:00 Fight was for I.S.K.A. Kickboxing World Super Heavyweight title. 2010-11-27 Loss Frederic Sinistra La Nuit du Kick-Boxing 2010 Liege, Belgium TKO (Doctor stoppage) 2010-10-16 Loss Wendell Roche United Glory 12: 2010-2011 World Series Quarter Finals Amsterdam, Netherlands TKO (Retirement) 2 1:44 2010-09-12 Win Volkan Düzgün Fightingstars presents: It's Showtime 2010 Amsterdam, Netherlands Decision 3 3:00 2010-05-01 Win Nikolaj Falin Cologne Fight Night 2010 Cologne, Germany Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 2010-03-20 Win Moussa Sissoko Kickboxing Superstar XIX Edition Milan, Italy TKO 3 2009-11-15 Loss Karl Glyschinsky German King Cup Germany Decision 3 3:00 2009-10-17 Loss Anderson Silva Ultimate Glory 11: A Decade of Fights Amsterdam, Netherlands KO (Punches) 2 2009-07-03 Win Sanid Imamovic K-1 ColliZion 2009 Sarajevo Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina TKO (Corner stoppage) 2 3:00 2009-05-16 Loss Melvin Manhoef It's Showtime 2009 Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands TKO (Leg injury) 3 2009-03-21 Loss Raul Cătinaş K-1 ColliZion 2009 Croatia Split, Croatia KO (Left hook) 1 2:35 2008-12-20 Loss Freddy Kemayo K-1 Fighting Network Prague 2008 Prague, Czech Republic Ext. R Decision (Unanimous) 4 3:00 2008-11-22 Win Daniel Sołtysiak K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Riga Riga, Latvia Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 2008-11-09 Win Rodney Glunder Ultimate Glory 10 "The Battle of Arnhem" Arnhem, Netherlands Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 2008-08-09 Win Junior Sua K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii KO (Knee strike) 1 2:36 2008-01-12 Win Michel Andrade Lord of the Ring Belgrade, Serbia KO (Left body shot) 2 0:40 2007-10-14 Win Bahadir Sari Kickboks Gala Istanbul Istanbul, Turkey Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 2007-09-27 Loss Remy Bonjasky K-1 World GP 2007 in Seoul Final 16 Seoul, Korea TKO (Referee Stoppage) 1 2:50 2007-08-11 Win Mighty Mo K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 2007-05-04 Win Cătălin Moroşanu K-1 Fighting Network Romania 2007 Bucharest, Romania Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 2007-03-10 Loss Magomed Magomedov K-1 Fighting Network Croatia 2007 Split, Croatia Ext. R Decision (Unanimous) 4 3:00 2006-12-02 Loss Remy Bonjasky K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 Tokyo, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 2006-09-30 Win Ray Sefo K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Osaka Opening Round Osaka, Japan Ext. R Decision (Unanimous) 4 3:00 2006-08-12 Win Michael McDonald K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Las Vegas II Las Vegas, Nevada TKO (Referee stoppage) 2 2:28 Wins K-1 World GP 2006 in Las Vegas II tournament title. 2006-08-12 Win Carter Williams K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Las Vegas II Las Vegas, Nevada KO (Right spinning liver kick) 1 2:40 2006-08-12 Win Scott Lighty K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Las Vegas II Las Vegas, Nevada TKO (Referee stoppage, 2 knockdowns) 3 0:58 2006-04-29 Loss Ruslan Karaev K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 2005-11-19 Loss Badr Hari K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 Tokyo, Japan KO (Spinning back left high kick) 2 1:30 2005-06-12 Win Badr Hari It's Showtime 2005 Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands KO (Spinning back mid kick) 1 1:44 2005-05-14 Win Florian Ogunade Local Kombat 14 "Lupta capitală" Bucharest, Romania TKO (Referee stoppage) 3 Wins the vacant title of WKN Kickboxing World Super heavyweight (-96.6kg). 2003-12-31 Win Kazunari Murakami Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 Kobe, Japan KO (right high kick) 1 1:08 2003-10-31 Win Sebastiaan van de Muysenberg K-1 Final Fight Stars War in Zagreb Zagreb, Croatia KO (Punches) 2 2003-10-11 Win Francisco Filho K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 Final Elimination Osaka, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 2003-05-30 Win Mike Bernardo K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 in Basel Basel, Switzerland Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00 2003-05-02 Win Great Kusatsu K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 in Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada, USA TKO 2 2:24 2003-03-30 Win Peter Aerts K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 in Saitama Saitama, Japan TKO (Doctor stoppage) 3 1:44 2002-12-07 Loss Mark Hunt K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 Final Tokyo, Japan KO (Left hook) 3 1:16 2002-10-05 Win Alexey Ignashov K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 Final Elimination Saitama, Japan Ext. R Decision (Unanimous) 4 3:00 2002-08-17 Win Remy Bonjasky K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 in Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 2002-05-25 Loss Ernesto Hoost K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 in Paris Paris France KO (Punches) 1 1:48 2001-12-08 Loss Mark Hunt K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 Final Tokyo, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 2001-12-08 Loss Ernesto Hoost K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 Final Tokyo, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 2001-08-11 Win Peter Aerts K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 in Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada KO (Right cross) 3 2:05 Wins K-1 World GP 2001 in Las Vegas tournament title. 2001-08-11 Win Sergei Ivanovich K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 in Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada TKO (Corner stoppage) 3 3:00 2001-08-11 Win Jeff Roufus K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 in Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada TKO 2 2:34 2001-06-24 Loss Jérôme Le Banner K-1 Survival 2001 Sendai, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00 2001-05-20 NC Marc de Wit K-1 Germany Grand Prix 2001 Oberhausen, Germany NC (de Wit suffers leg injury) 1 2001-03-17 Loss Jörgen Kruth K-1 Gladiators 2001 Yokohama, Japan KO (Right hook) 2 2:19 2001-02-04 Win Alexey Ignashov K-1 Holland GP 2001 in Arnhem Arnhem, Netherlands Disqualification 5 3:00 2000-12-10 Loss Francisco Filho K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 Tokyo, Japan Ext. R Decision (Unanimous) 4 3:00 2000-10-09 Win Andrew Thomson K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 in Fukuoka Fukuoka, Japan KO (Right low kick) 2 1:50 2000-09-03 Win Andrei Zuravkov Battle of Arnhem II Arnhem, Netherlands KO 2 Wins IKBO Muaythai world title. 2000-06-03 Win Ricky Nicholson K-1 Fight Night 2000 Zurich, Switzerland Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00 2000-04-23 Win Xhavit Bajrami K-1 The Millennium Osaka, Japan Decision (Majority) 3 3:00 1999-12-05 Win Harry Hooft K-1 World Grand Prix 1999 Tokyo, Japan KO (Right back kick) 1 2:37 1999-10-05 Loss Sam Greco K-1 World Grand Prix '99 Opening Round Osaka, Japan Decision (Majority) 3 2:35 Fails to qualify for K-1 Grand Prix '99 Final. 1999-07-18 Win Samir Benazzouz K-1 Dream '99 Final Nagoya, Japan KO (Right low kick) 1 2:45 Wins K-1 Dream 1999 tournament title. 1999-07-18 Win Cyril Abidi K-1 Dream '99 Semi Finals Nagoya, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 1999-07-18 Win Philippe Gomis K-1 Dream '99 Quarter Finals Nagoya, Japan KO (Right cross) 1 2:56 1999-06-05 Loss Andy Hug K-1 Fight Night '99 Zurich, Switzerland Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00 Fight was for Andy's W.K.A. World Muay Thai Super Heavyweight title. 1998-09-27 Loss Ray Sefo K-1 World Grand Prix '98 Opening Round Osaka, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00 Fails to qualify for K-1 Grand Prix '98 Final. 1998-07-18 Win Nicholas Pettas K-1 Dream '98 Nagoya, Japan KO (Punch) 2 1:09 1998-06-06 Win Rob Van Esdonk K-1 Fight Night '98 Final Zurich, Switzerland KO (Punch) 3 1:57 Wins K-1 Fight Night 1998 tournament title. 1998-06-06 Win Ray Hoffman K-1 Fight Night '98 Semi Finals Zurich, Switzerland KO (Punch) 2 2:07 1998-06-06 Win Petar Majstorovic K-1 Fight Night '98 Quarter Finals Zurich, Switzerland Ext. R Decision (Unanimous) 4 3:00 1998-03-08 Win Cengiz Koc Night of the Masters Duisburg, Germany TKO (Corner stoppage) 4 3:00 1997-09-07 Loss Ernesto Hoost K-1 Grand Prix '97 1st Round Osaka, Japan KO (Right Cross) 2 0:34 Fails to qualify for K-1 Grand Prix '97 Final. 1997-04-29 Win Sadau Kiatsongrit K-1 Braves '97 Fukuoka, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00 1996-03-16 Loss Jan Lomulder Thai/Kickboxing Nijmegen Nijmegen, Netherlands Decision 5 3:00 Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest       Notes

Mixed martial arts record

Res.	Record	Opponent	Method	Event	Date	Round	Time	Location	Notes
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	0-3	Kazuhiro Nakamura	Pride 29	TKO(Punches)	02005-02-20February 20, 2005	1	0:54	Saitama, Japan
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	0-2	Ikuhisa Minowa	Pride Shockwave 2004	Submission(Heel hook)	02004-12-31December 31, 2004	1	0:27	Saitama, Japan
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss	0-1	Naoya Ogawa	Pride Total Elimination 2004	Submission(side choke)	02004-04-25April 25, 2004	1	1:34	Saitama, Japan

See also

• List of K-1 events
• List of K-1 champions
• List of male kickboxers

References

External links

• Professional MMA record for Stefan Leko from Sherdog
• Profile at K-1
• Golden Glory Official Site

Persondata
Name	Leko, Stefan
Alternative names
Short description	German kickboxer
Date of birth	June 3, 1974
Place of birth	Buna, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Date of death
Place of death