Stefan Leko-Cedar Herald Index

Stefan Leko (born June 3, 1974) is a German heavyweight kickboxer. He is the current WKA Super-Heavyweight world champion in kickboxing, and former Muay Thai world super-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

Stefan Leko was born in Germany but grew up in Buna, Mostar, and carries a Croatian passport. He began training karate at the age of 7. He was discovered by Klaus Waschkewitz of Masters Gym ten years later 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.

Stefan Leko

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.

Stefan Leko

Leko was successful in both Muay Thai/kickboxing and K-1 during the late 1990s and early 2000s, 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 2000s, though he did win various more trophies and titles after his 2005 return to the kickboxing and Muay Thai world.

Stefan Leko

On 22nd of february 2020 Stefan Leko will make his appearance against Koos Wessels Boer, during 'Return of the legends' in Steenwijk (Holland).

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.