Manson Gibson facts for kids

Manson Howard Gibson (born May 5, 1963) is a famous American kickboxer who has now retired. He won 12 world championships in kickboxing and Muay Thai. People knew him for his amazing spinning moves and a fighting style that was hard to predict. He mixed different martial arts like kickboxing, Taekwondo, and Northern Praying Mantis.

Some people called him "The Thai Killer" or the "Black Bruce Lee". Gibson is one of America's best kickboxers ever. He won over 100 fights, with more than 80 of those by knockout (KO). About 40 of his KOs came from powerful head kicks.

Manson Gibson's Fighting Journey

After winning many early fights and titles, Manson Gibson felt that the competition in the United States was not challenging enough. He had only two losses to Rick Roufus during this time.

So, in the late 1980s and through the 1990s, Gibson traveled to Japan. While many American fighters were competing for "world titles" at home, Gibson fought and beat top fighters in Japan. These included famous names like Caesar Takeshi, Tosca Petridis, and Changpuek Kiatsongrit. He often fought under different rules, such as Shoot Boxing, K-1, and Muay Thai.

Competing in the K-2 Grand Prix

During his time fighting in Japan, Gibson joined the first K-2 Grand Prix in 1993. This tournament was for Light Heavyweight fighters and took place in Tokyo. In the quarter-finals, he faced Ernesto Hoost, a very famous fighter who was expected to win.

Gibson showed everyone he could compete with the best. He knocked Hoost down with his special spinning backfist. Even though he knocked Hoost down twice, once with a sidekick in an extra round, Gibson lost the fight by a close decision. This fight proved he was a top-level fighter.

Return to the United States

In 1996, Gibson had a mixed martial arts fight against Yoji Anjo that ended in a draw. Around 1998, Gibson came back to the United States. He defeated a legendary fighter named Coban Lookchaomaesaitong in Compton, California. During this fight, Gibson had the announcer call him "The Thai Killer." After winning, he did backflips next to Coban, which some people found a bit controversial.

That same year, Gibson also won the I.K.K.C. Muaythai world title. He beat Maurice Travis in Los Angeles for this title. Over the next two years, he defended his I.K.K.C. world title four more times. A big highlight was his second win against the seven-time World Champion Changpuek Kiatsongrit.

On April 7, 2000, Gibson won the I.K.F. Pro Muay Thai Rules Light Cruiserweight North American title. He won this title in Green Bay, Wisconsin, by knocking out Phil Petit with a spinning backfist in the first round. Gibson gave up this title in 2005 when he moved to a heavier weight class.

Later Career and Retirement

Around 2002, as Gibson got closer to his forties, he started to face more challenges. He lost his I.K.K.C. world title to Manu N'toh from France. In 2004, he won against Heath Harris for the I.K.K.C. title, showing he could still compete. However, Harris had only a few professional fights before this.

Gibson always liked to try different fighting styles. He briefly competed in MMA again in 2006. By the end of 2009, after losing several title fights, Manson Gibson decided to retire from fighting.

Championship Titles

Manson Gibson won many important titles throughout his career:

• 2004 I.K.K.C. Pro Muay Thai Light Heavyweight World Champion −81.3 kg
• 1999 I.K.F. Pro Muay Thai Light Cruiserweight North American Champion −84.5 kg
• 1998–02 I.K.K.C. Muay Thai Light Heavyweight World Champion (He defended this title four times)
• 1989 Shoot boxing Hawk Class World Champion −75 kg
• Ring Fighting Arts World Champion
• U.K.F. Super Middleweight World Champion
• K.I.C.K. Light Heavyweight Champion
• K.I.C.K. Super Middleweight World Champion
• W.A.K.O. (PRO) Super Middleweight World Champion
• W.K.A. Super Middleweight World Champion
• I.K.L. Middleweight Champion

Kickboxing Record

Manson Gibson had an impressive kickboxing record. Here are some of his notable fights:

Kickboxing Record

115 Wins (80 (T)KO's), 14 Losses, 2 Draws
Date	Result	Opponent	Event	Location	Method	Round	Time
2009-12-05	Loss	Shawn Yarborough	WCK Muay Thai @ Buffalo Bill's	Primm, NV, USA	TKO (Quit)	2	3:00
Fight was for vacant W.B.C. Muaythai light heavyweight United States title -79.4 kg.
2008-06-18	Loss	Edwin Aguilar	Muay Thai Fight Night	Montego Bay, Jamaica	TKO (Quit)	3	3:00
Fight was for vacant I.K.F. Pro Muaythai Cruiserweight World Title -88.6 kg.
2007-07-07	Loss	Denis Grachev	Hot Summer Fights	Inglewood, CA, USA	TKO (Corner Stop/Knees)	3	0:27
Fight was for vacant I.K.F. Pro Muaythai Light Cruiserweight World Title -84.5 kg.
2004-11-20	Loss	Clifton Brown	Matter of Pride 8	Los Angeles, CA, USA	TKO (Leg Kicks)	4
Fight was for I.K.K.C. cruiserweight world title -82 kg.
2004-10-21	Win	Heath Harris	Guts and Glory	San Bernardino, CA, USA	Decision (Unanimous)	5	3:00
Wins vacant I.K.K.C. Pro Muaythai light heavyweight world title -81.3 kg.
0000-00-00	Win	Bill Rastafar		United States	KO (Left Hook)	1
2003-00-00	Win	Wrath White		United States	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2002-11-15	Loss	Manu N'toh	W.C.K. "A Matter of Pride VI"	Victorville, CA, USA	Decision (Unanimous)	5	3:00
Loses I.K.K.C. Muaythai light heavyweight world title.
2002-03-23	Loss	Nick Karagiannidis	Master Toddy Show @ Stardust Casino	Las Vegas, NV, USA	Decision	5	3:00
2001-12-14	Win	Changpuek Kiatsongrit	W.C.K. @ Palms Casino Resort	Las Vegas, NV, USA	KO (Spinning Heel Kick)	2
Retains I.K.K.C. Muaythai light heavyweight world title (4th title defence).
2000-12-02	Loss	Robert Sarkozi	10th World Shidokan Invitational, Quarter Finals	Chicago, IL, USA	DQ (Constant Fouling)	4
2000-07-04	Win	Phil Petit	Stadium View Sports Bar	Green Bay, WI, USA	KO (Spinning Back Fist)	1
Wins vacant I.K.F. Pro Muaythai Light Cruiserweight North American title -84.5 kg. When Gibson won this title it was called the Light Cruiserweight title but the weightclass was different: 175.1 lbs. - 182 lbs. The weightclass range was later changed but Gibson's title remained Light Cruiserweight.
1999-09-11	Loss	Richard Stellwagen	Summer Brawl	Franklin Park, IL, USA	Decision (Split)	8	2:00
Fight was for vacant I.K.F. Pro Full-Contact Light Heavyweight United States title -81.3 kg.
1998-07-07	Win	Coban Lookchaomaesaitong	Crystal Park Casino Outdoor Show	Los Angeles, CA, USA	TKO (Right Back Kick)	5	1:59
1998-06-27	Win	Maurice Travis		Los Angeles, CA, USA	Decision	5	3:00
Wins vacant I.K.K.C. Muaythai light heavyweight world title.
1998-04-26	Win	Changpuek Kiatsongrit	Shooto "Shoot the Shooto XX"	Tokyo, Japan	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
1996-07-14	Draw	Yarsin Loogklongtan	Shoot Boxing - S-Cup 1996, Super Fight	Tokyo, Japan	2 Ext.R Decision Draw	5	3:00
1995-10-15	Win	Luc Verheye	MA Japan Kickboxing Federation	Tokyo, Japan	Decision	5	3:00
1995-03-25	Win	Bartolomeo Danbrosio	World Cup Of Martial arts	Ledyard, CT, USA	KO	1	0:31
1994-06-10	Win	Taro Minato		Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA	KO	3	2:34
Wins Minato U.K.F Super middle weight world title
1994-00-00	Win	Sergei Mayfat	HardKnock 4	Atlantic City, NJ, USA	Decision	10	2:00
1993-12-29	Loss	Ernesto Hoost	K-2 Grand Prix '93, Quarter Final	Tokyo, Japan	Ext.R Decision (Majority)	4	3:00
1993-01-30	Win	Taro Minato	MA Japan Kickboxing Federation	Tokyo, Japan	Decision	5	3:00
1992-07-30	Loss	Taiei Kin	Seidokaikan Kakutogi Olympic II	Tokyo, Japan	DQ (Illegal Punch)	4
1992-03-21	Win	Sayidkhan Kiatpathan	Martial Arts Japan Kickboxing Association	Japan	TKO (Spinning High Kick)	2
0000-00-00	Win	Luc Verheye		Tokyo, Japan	Decision	5	3:00
1990-07-06	Win	Hideo Suzuki	'90 Kakutougi no saiten	Tokyo, Japan	KO	2	1:58
1990-07-01	Win	Naoyuki Taira	Shoot boxing BATTLE GAME	Tokyo, Japan	KO	4	4:01
Wins Taira Shoot boxing Hawk Class world title -75 kg.
1990-01-03	Win	Koichi Koide	Dojo 20th Anniversary kick	Tokyo, Japan	KO	1
0000-00-00	Win	Johnny Davis		United States	KO	9
Wins Davis PKA middleweight USA title
1989-05-26	Win	Caesar Takeshi	Tokyo Korakuen Hall Shoot Boxing	Tokyo, Japan	KO (Spinning Mid Kick)	1	4:28
Wins Caesar Shoot boxing Hawk Class world title -75 kg.
1989-04-01	Loss	Rick Roufus		United States	Decision
1987-00-00	Loss	Rick Roufus		United States	Decision
Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest       Notes

Mixed Martial Arts Record

Manson Gibson also had a short career in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Here is his record:

See also

• List of male kickboxers
• List of K-1 Events