Stan Longinidis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stan Longinidis
Born	Stan Longinidis (1965-06-25) 25 June 1965 (age 60) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Other names	The Man, The Greek Warrior
Nationality	Australian
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	95 kg (209 lb)
Division	Super Heavyweight Heavyweight Cruiserweight Light Heavyweight
Style	Kickboxing Muay Thai Bushido-Kai Karate
Team	Fitzroy Stars Gymnasium Jet Center
Years active	20 (1983–2003)
Kickboxing record
Total	103
Wins	88
By knockout	65
Losses	9
By knockout	4
Draws	5
No contests	1
last updated on: 12 September 2020

Stan "The Man" Longinidis (born 25 June 1965) is an Australian retired heavyweight kickboxer. He is famous for being an 8-time world kickboxing champion. Stan was born in Melbourne and has Greek family roots.

Longinidis is one of the few fighters to win world titles in four different kickboxing styles. These styles include international rules, Oriental rules, full contact, and Muay Thai. He has won important fights against famous kickboxers like Branko Cikatić, Adam Watt, Peter Graham, Musashi, and Dennis Alexio.

Today, he also works as an actor and a motivational speaker.

Biography

Becoming a Champion: Stan's Early Career (1983-1989)

Stan Longinidis started learning martial arts in 1982. He was inspired after seeing a martial artist win against five people in a night club fight. His kickboxing journey began in 1983. He quickly won two amateur titles.

In 1987, he challenged Santiago Garza for the WKA World Light Heavyweight Championship. The fight ended in a draw. However, Stan showed so much talent that he was asked to train full-time. This training was at the famous Jet Center kickboxing gym in Van Nuys.

Stan wanted to be Australia's first world champion in kickboxing. He quit his job as a computer programmer and moved to the United States. From his new home in California, he won 18 fights in a row. He also won the WKA North American and US Heavyweight Championships. He added the Australian National Heavyweight title to his collection.

Reaching the Top: World Champion Years (1990-1992)

In April 1990, Stan Longinidis achieved his big dream. He became the first Australian to win a world kickboxing title. He won the KICK World Super Heavyweight Championship. This was in a match against the well-known Anthony Elmore.

The next year, he fought WKA World Heavyweight Champion Maurice Smith. Stan knocked the American down early in the fight. But he eventually lost by a split decision. This was his first professional loss. Even so, he soon won more titles. He became the WKA World Junior Heavyweight (Cruiserweight) and Super Heavyweight Champion. He won the Super Heavyweight title with a super-fast 15-second knockout in Queensland.

In 1992, he successfully defended his titles. He fought against top heavyweights like Branko Cikatić and Grant Barker. He won against Cikatić after 12 rounds by unanimous decision. He knocked out Barker with low kicks. He also won against other strong fighters, Mitch O'Hello and Adam Watt.

The Famous Fight: Alexio vs. Longinidis

On 6 December 1992, Longinidis had one of his most talked-about fights. He faced kickboxing superstar Dennis Alexio. There was a lot of excitement and tension between the two fighters. It was a highly anticipated martial arts event. Longinidis and Alexio met in Melbourne for the ISKA World Oriental Rules Heavyweight Championship.

The fight lasted only 15 seconds. Alexio fell after a low kick from Stan. Longinidis was declared the winner by KO. He became the new champion.

However, there was some disagreement about the win. Alexio said he broke his leg by stepping into a hole in the ring floor. Because of this, the fight's result was reviewed. The ISKA in the US changed their decision to a no contest. But the ISKA in Australia and the WKA (who also approved the fight) kept the original decision. A rematch between Stan and Alexio never happened.

Later Career and Achievements (1993-2003)

Longinidis kept defending his titles. In 1993, he added the ISKA World Heavyweight Championship. In 1994, he won the WAKO PRO World Super Heavyweight Championship. He also started fighting for the K-1 kickboxing company in March 1993. He was one of the first big fighters to join K-1.

He won the TAIPAN 1 tournament in 1994. He defeated three opponents in one night. But in 1995, he lost his WKA, ISKA, and WAKO PRO World Super Heavyweight titles to Jeff Roufus in one match. He also qualified twice for the K-1 World Grand Prix. He was knocked out by Mike Bernardo in the 1995 quarterfinals. He couldn't compete in the 1996 tournament because of an injury.

In June 1996, Longinidis won the first WMTC World Super Heavyweight Muay Thai Championship in Pattaya. King Rama IX himself presented him with the title. He lost this championship in September of the same year to Andy Hug. A serious knee injury almost ended his career around this time. He had reconstructive surgery in 1997.

Stan Longinidis continued fighting until 2000. He retired after beating fellow Australian Peter Graham at K-1 Oceania Star Wars 2000. He came back for a few more fights before retiring for good in 2003. He finished his career with 88 wins (65 by knockout), 9 losses, 5 draws, and one no contest.

Life After Fighting and Awards (2004-Present)

In 2000, Longinidis received a lifetime achievement award at a France martial arts event. This award recognized his big impact on kickboxing. It also honored him as one of the most famous names in the sport's history. On 10 October 2013, he became the first martial artist to be included in the Australian Sports Hall of Fame.

Stan has always stayed close to the sport he loves. He trained his younger brother, George Longinidis. George went on to win the WOKA World Heavyweight Championship in 2009. Stan also managed the kickboxing star Mike Zambidis.

Today, Stan Longinidis works as a motivational speaker. He inspires others with his story and experiences.

Titles and Accomplishments

Stan Longinidis won many titles throughout his amazing career:

• World Kickboxing Federation
  • 1998 WKBF World Heavyweight Champion
• World Muaythai Council
  • 1996 WMC World Super Heavyweight Champion
• World Association of Kickboxing Organizations
  • 1994 WAKO PRO World Super Heavyweight Champion
• International Sport Karate Association
  • 1993 ISKA World Heavyweight Champion (Freestyle Rules)
  • 1992 ISKA World Heavyweight Champion (Oriental Rules)
• World Kickboxing Association
  • 1992 WKA World Super Heavyweight Champion
  • 1991 WKA World Cruiserweight Champion
  • 1989 WKA United States Heavyweight Champion
  • 1988 WKA North American Heavyweight Champion
  • 1984 WKA Amateur Australian Heavyweight Champion
• Karate International Council of Kickboxing
  • 1990 KICK World Super Heavyweight Champion
  • 1988 KICK North American Heavyweight Champion
• Other
  • 1994 Taipan 1 World Heavyweight Champion
  • 1990 Australian National Heavyweight Kickboxing Champion
  • 1989 Intercontinental Heavyweight Kickboxing Champion

Filmography

Stan Longinidis also appeared in some movies:

See also

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