Biography
Mike Zambidis nicknamed Iron Mike - The legendary Greek fighter, distinguished by aggressive attacking tactics, European champion, multiple world champion, winner of international mixed martial arts tournaments, was the semifinalist of the Grand Prix of K-1 MAH, but never won the trophy.Childhood and youth
Mikhalis (Mike) Zambidis was born in the capital of Greece, Athens, July 15, 1980. The future champion from 5 years of age was engaged in sports. At first he spent 2 years in the Sport Gymnastics section, then he became interested in martial arts. The first passion of the T-shirt was karate-netogen. He mastered the battleship with the elder brother Spear and other Lazaros Filipos.
The next stage of the formation of a young fighter has become kickboxing and other types of martial arts: Sanshow's hand-to-hand fight, pancration, walking roots in ancient Greece, the struggle of Muay Thai and Boxing.
Zambidis quickly mastered the technique and scored the form that allowed to participate in competitions along with professionals, its height is 167 cm, weight 70-76 kg. Mike's first fights spent in his homeland, the results allowed him to become one of Greece's best fighters, four-time champion. According to some sources, Zambidis got into the Guinness Book of Records for the result of 48 knockouts in 60 battles.
Martial arts
In the international arena, Zambidis made his debut at the Championship of Balkans organized by the Association of Sports Karate (ISKA) in 1997, he won the tournament, defeating a number of strong rivals. Next year, Mike became European champion among professionals.
In 2000, Zambidis moved to Australia, where kickboxing was well developed and popular. He immediately became a firewall world champion according to W.O.K.A. And retained the title for the next year.
From 2000 to 2002, Mike won a number of status victories, under his Natius did not resist Gürkan Özkan, Baris Nezif, Jenk Behic, Bakari Tunkara, Matteo Sciacca and others. The battle with the master Taekwondo Hassan Kassrioui ended by knockout in favor of Greek. At the end of 2002, Zambidis performed at the tournament K-1 Oceania Max 2002, reached the final and in a beautiful struggle defeated the 26-year-old John Wayne Parra.
In 2003, Promoter Tarik Solac organized the debut fight of the Zambidis in Japan against the active champion K-1 Max Albert Kraus. On the 16th second of the 2nd round, the Iron Mike spent the attack right hook and knocked out the Dutchman. In the same year, Zambidis won 2 more victories: at the Kickboxing Superstar XII tournament in Milan, by decision of the judges, he surpassed a fighter from Thailand, and then sent a Gurkan Ozkan Turk to Naukout to NO RESPECT 2 in Australia.
Competitions K-1 World Max 2004 World Tournament Open in Tokyo began for Greek boxer with victory in a qualifying round, on the basis of battle, he passed the quarterfinals, but he lost his Japanese Karatist Taishin Kohiruimaki. At the end of 2004, Zambidis participated in the A-1 World Combat Cup 2004 in Melbourne, Australia, all stages of the tournament passed and became a champion in weight to 76 kg.
In April 2005, on the K-1 World Max 2005 World Tournament Open Mike, the right hook knocked out from the competition of the popular "baby" Norifumi Yamamoto in front of thousands of fans of the Japanese kickboxer. Then the Turkish fighter of Kara Murat won on his native land. During the year, the Greek athlete spent 7 fights, won 6 victories (4 knockouts).
The defeat of the open tournament of the K-1 World Max 2006 World from Japanese Esihiro Sato showed the weak points of the Greek athlete, who missed a large number of low kicks and knees that allowed the opponent to score points. Nevertheless, Zambidis was a qualified by K-1 World Max 2007 World Championship, but lost the quarter-finals of Ukrainian Arthur Kyshenko on nicknamed squirrel. In the same year, Iron Mike won the World Height Champion title on A-1 World Combat Cup.
2007 ended for Zambidis unsuccessfully, he did not get into the main tournament K-1 World Max 2008 World Championship, but he was invited to participate in the Super-Boy, which took place on July 7, 2008. Here he met with the defeated once Albert Kraus. This time, luck was on the side of the Dutch: the doctors stopped the duel, the victory was awarded him. Mike has long been restored after this defeat, until the end of the season did not go to the ring, and in 2009 he spent only 4 meetings, 2 of whom lost.
In 2010, the Greek athlete finally got into the tournament K-1 World Max 2010 Final, but in the semifinal duel, Zambidis lost to Georgio Petrosyan by decision of the judges, which was controversial. In May 2011, a border battle between the Iron Mike and the shooter, John Wayne Parrh, took place. The fighters met each other 2 times, the score was 1: 1. The fight lasted for a long time: in 1 round, Australian sent a rival to Nokdown three times and was recognized as the winner.
At the end of the same year, at the framework of the show Fight Nights "Battle near Moscow 5", a headquarters of Zambidis with Bati Hasikov became a central event. The audience was waiting for the spectacle, but the fight ended in 1 round: the Russian struck the enemy to strike his knee in the head, after the examination of the doctor Greek could not continue the struggle, allegedly, due to the broken jaw.
After the battle, Mike was sent to the Sklifosovsky Institute, where they confirmed injury. From hospitalization in Moscow, the Greek athlete refused and flew to the homeland. There were rumors that Zambidis swallowed Kapu from hitting Hasikov, but the athlete denied this information in an interview.
On December 15, 2012, Zambidis defeated Rice Makalistaer on the unanimous decision of judges in the quarterfinals of the K-1 World Max 2012 World Championship Tournament Final in Athens, Greece. And then suffered a crushing defeat from Muretel Gaenhart in the 2nd round of the semi-final. Greek fighter was going to participate in the semifinals of the four in the tournament "Legend 1" in Russia on May 25, 2013, but he was replaced by the Ukrainian kickboxer Enrico Gogochiya.
On March 28, 2014, a match-revenge between Zambidis and Hasikov took place in Moscow at the "Battle of Moscow" show. Before the fight, the Russian athlete said that in case of victory in this fight, he intends to complete his career, Greek, in turn, expressed his readiness to immediately give the opponent with the opportunity to recoup in the event of a defeat.
The fight began with mutual attacks, in the 3rd round of Hasikov inflicted a shirt to his knee in his head and slaughter eyebrow, judges and doctors wanted to stop the fight, but Zambidis secrets insisted on the continuation. As a result, a Russian won by a separate decision of the judges.
After the fight, the Greek athlete refused to immediately undergo a mandatory doping control procedure, referring to the injuries gained, requiring medical care. From the hospital, the fighter did not return to the arena and did not pass the test, it gave rise to rumors about the presence of prohibited drugs in the body of an athlete.
In early 2015, after fighting with Harun Kina at Iron Challenge 2015 in Athens, ended by knockout in favor of Zambidis, the athlete announced the completion of the career. He said he would spend 2 more fights and leave the ring. The first of the announced fights took place in Cyprus on May 9, 2015 in 5 rounds against the Turk of Erkan Varol, the victory on the judicial decision won the Iron Mike.
The farewell fight of the legendary Greek was held on June 27, 2015 at home, in Athens, at the Iron Challenge tournament. The rival of Zambidis was the titled Australian Steve Mokson. The duel was spectacular and uncompromising. Rivals worked out 5 reserved rounds. The victory was a unanimous decision by Iron T-shirt.
Personal life
Zambidis is the owner of the Gymnastic Hall "Zambidis Club" in the Greek city of Glyfad.
About the personal life of the athlete of information is not enough, presumably, he has no wife or children. According to Iron T-shirt, marriage - "This is the most serious" fight ", and he will give it when will be ready."
An interesting fact in the biography of Kickboxer is his participation in the show "Dancing with the Stars" in 2010. Zambidis performed in an unexpected amplua and took the 5th place.
Mike Zambidis now
After completing the Ring career, Iron Mike did not leave the sport. He supports the form and trains the young generation of fighters in Zambidis Club, where it is spent most of the time.
He participates in his homeland in demonstrative fights and shows. On the page in Instagram, Zambidis posted photos of posters of one of these projects called the "Spirit of Warrior" and a joint shot with its participants, Hollywood Stars Scott Edkins and Silvio Saimak.
Mike travels in Greece, holds kickboxing seminars, he tells about it in Twitter. In addition, the famous fighter takes part in events outside the country. In 2018, he will be the official guest of the "Enfusion" show in Germany.
Titles and awards
- 2000 - Woka World Champion
- 2002 - Champion King Of The Ring (Thai Boxing)
- 2003 - King of the Ring champion (K-1)
- 2004 - Winner of the Tournament A-1 (76 kg)
- 2005 - World WKBF Champion
- 2008 - World Champion according to A-1
- 2011 - World Champion according to W5 (71.8 kg)
- 2013 - World Champion according to SuperKombat (71 kg)