Sem "Semmy" Schilt (; born 27 October 1973) is a Dutch actor and former kickboxer, Ashihara karateka and mixed martial artist. He stands 212 cm and weighs 116 kg. Schilt holds the distinction of being the only kickboxer to have won 5 major heavyweight tournaments, being a four-time K-1 World Grand Prix Champion and one time Glory Heavyweight Grand Slam Champion. He also held the K-1 Super Heavyweight Championship and the Glory Heavyweight Championship titles. He is the only fighter in K-1 history to win the world championship three times in a row, and also shares the record with Ernesto Hoost for most Grands Prix won, with four.
Schilt began his professional career in 1996 as a mixed martial artist competing in Pancrase, where he is a former Openweight King Of Pancrase. He has also competed in Pride Fighting Championship and the UFC. Schilt is one of the most decorated heavyweight kickboxers in history, having won five major tournaments. He is widely regarded as one of the division's all-time greats.
Background
Schilt began practicing Kyokushin Kaikan at 8 as both of his parents were practitioners. He later switched to Ashihara Kaikan at 12 and earned the rank of Black Belt at the age of 18. Schilt would also cross train in Kickboxing, Judo, and Submission Wrestling.
Mixed martial arts career
Pancrase
Schilt debuted in mixed martial arts for Japanese promotion Pancrase, in which he debuted on May 16, 1996 at Pancrase: Truth 5 with an impressive rear naked choke victory over grappler Manabu Yamada.
His second match, on July 22, 1996 was against rising star Yuki Kondo at the 1996 Pancrase Neo-Blood Tournament, Round 1. Schilt would face Kondo three more times in his career. In the first of their matches, Kondo showed himself as the better wrestler, but Schilt's size enabled him to power out of his control and win some exchanges. They traded positions until the ring call at 15:00, with Kondo being declared the winner by split decision.
With a short 2–3 record, Schilt was pitted against Pancrase co-founder Masakatsu Funaki on February 22, 1997 at Pancrase: Alive 2. After circling around, Funaki scored a takedown, mounted Schilt and worked to an armbar, which Schilt had to spend a rope escape to get out from. Restarting the fight, Schilt reversed a takedown and got his own mount, but Funaki recovered guard and applied a toehold, forcing the karateka to spend another point. The two fighters then spent a few minutes clinched on a corner, until Funaki led him to the ground and locked in another toehold from half mount, making Schilt tap out.
On January 16, 1998, he fought the other co-founder of Pancrase, Minoru Suzuki at Pancrase: Advance 1. The Japanese wrestler took Schilt to the mat and kept side control for half of the match, but wasn't able to threaten him from the position aside from scarce armbar attempts, and Schilt eventually capitalized on one of them to escape. The situation repeated itself, but this time Suzuki successfully landed an armbar and Schilt barely reached the ropes to get an escape. Once standing again, however, Schilt went aggressively and landed a clean knee strike to Suzuki's chin, knocking him out for the win.
Schilt had a rematch with Masakatsu Funaki on March 18, 1998 at Pancrase: Advance 4, although he managed to take the bout to the judges, he lost on points due to spent rope escapes.
Months later, on September 14, he had his rubber match against Funaki at Pancrase: 1998 Anniversary Show. This time, the karateka showed himself capable of stopping the wrestler's takedowns, blocking the first of them with the aid of the ropes and a guillotine choke and reversing the second into Funaki's guard. After pressing for some minutes and avoiding a kneebar attempt, Schilt got the fight standing and scored a knockdown by two clinched knees. Funaki stood up and looked to continue the fight, but the Dutchman landed another knockdown, and finally finished him with a combination of knees and palm strikes.