Gökhan Saki facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gökhan Saki
Born	(1983-10-18) 18 October 1983 (age 41) Schiedam, Netherlands
Other names	The Rebel
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	239 lb (108 kg; 17 st 1 lb)
Division	Heavyweight Light heavyweight
Reach	73 in (185 cm)
Style	Kickboxing, Muay Thai
Fighting out of	Kars, Turkey
Team	Mike's Gym (2012–present) Golden Glory (2001–2012) Pasztjerik (1993–2001)
Trainer	Mike Passenier Cor Hemmers Jan Pasztjerik
Years active	2000–2015, 2021–present (Kickboxing) 2004, 2017–2018 (MMA)
Kickboxing record
Total	99
Wins	82
By knockout	59
Losses	16
By knockout	10
Draws	0
No contests	1
Mixed martial arts record
Total	3
Wins	1
By knockout	1
Losses	2
By knockout	2
last updated on: 13 August 2015

Gökhan Saki (born October 18, 1983) is a Turkish-Dutch fighter who competes in kickboxing and mixed martial arts (MMA). He is known for his powerful fighting style and has won many championships.

Saki has been a Dutch, European, and World Muay Thai champion. He also won the K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Hawaii tournament and was the first Glory Light Heavyweight Champion. He has also fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Early Life and Training

Gökhan Saki was born in Schiedam, a city in the Netherlands. His parents were immigrants from Kars, Turkey. He holds both Dutch and Turkish citizenship.

Saki started kickboxing when he was 10 years old. At the same time, he also played football. By the time he was 16, he decided to quit football to focus completely on kickboxing.

His first trainer was Jan Pasztjerik. Under Pasztjerik, Saki quickly became a champion, winning Dutch, European, and World titles in Muay Thai. Later, he trained with other famous gyms like Golden Glory and Mike's Gym.

Kickboxing Career

Saki became a famous fighter by competing in major kickboxing events around the world. He is known for his aggressive style and powerful punches and kicks.

Rise in K-1

Saki facing Ruslan Karaev at the K-1 World GP 2008 Final

Saki made his name in the famous K-1 organization. In 2006, he reached the finals of the K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Amsterdam.

In 2008, he had a great year. He won the K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Hawaii, which earned him a spot in the K-1 World Grand Prix Final tournament. In the finals, he made it to the semi-finals, where he fought Remy Bonjasky.

The next year, in 2009, he competed in a tournament to become the first K-1 Heavyweight Champion. He made it to the final but lost a close decision.

Glory World Champion

Saki later joined the Glory kickboxing promotion. He moved down to the light heavyweight division.

On April 12, 2014, Saki entered the Glory 15: Istanbul – Light Heavyweight World Championship Tournament. He won his semi-final fight against Nathan Corbett. In the final, he faced his rival, Tyrone Spong. Early in the fight, Spong broke his leg after Saki blocked one of his kicks. The fight was stopped, and Saki was crowned the first-ever Glory Light Heavyweight Champion. Saki showed great sportsmanship by immediately checking on Spong after the injury.

Due to a long period of not fighting in Glory, he was later stripped of the title in 2015.

Return to Fighting

After a break of several years, Saki returned to kickboxing in 2021. He fought for Glory again on October 23, 2021, and won his comeback fight against James McSweeney by knockout.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Career

Besides kickboxing, Saki has also competed in mixed martial arts, a sport that combines striking and grappling.

He had one MMA fight early in his career in 2004. He returned to the sport in 2017 when he signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the world's largest MMA promotion.

Saki made his UFC debut on September 23, 2017. He won the fight by knockout against Henrique da Silva in the first round. This impressive win earned him a Performance of the Night award.

He fought again in the UFC in July 2018 but lost the match. After dealing with some injuries, Saki and the UFC decided to part ways in 2021.

Championships and Awards

Saki has won many titles throughout his career.

Kickboxing

• Glory
  • 2014 Glory Light Heavyweight Champion (First ever)
  • 2014 Glory Light Heavyweight World Championship Tournament Winner
  • 2011 United Glory World Series Heavyweight Tournament Winner
• K-1
  • 2008 K-1 World GP in Hawaii Champion
  • 2006 K-1 World Grand Prix in Amsterdam Runner-up
• World Full Contact Association
  • 2008 WFCA World Thaiboxing Super Heavyweight Champion
• Muay Thai
  • 2003 World Muay Thai Champion
  • 2002 European Muay Thai Champion
  • 2001 Dutch Muay Thai Champion

Mixed Martial Arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Performance of the Night (One time)

See also

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