Follow Greek Property Immigration and Greek News: On January 3, Beijing time, at the 2014 World Fighting Championship, in the 70 kg category, Xu Yan, known as the "Fire Qilin" and holder of the WMC World Muay Thai Gold Belt, won by points against the Greek KO King Zambidis, knocking him down twice and causing the referee to count to eight. This marks the first time a Chinese athlete has defeated the famous Greek fighter known as "The Bald One."
Match Highlights
Xu Yan, 26 years old, is a prominent figure in Chinese combat sports. He gained fame in 2009 by knocking out Japanese fighter Yuichiro Nagashima at the K-1 event in Japan. Xu Yan has a professional record of 48 fights, with 33 wins and 15 losses, including 17 knockouts, particularly excelling against Japanese fighters with a record of 4 wins and 2 losses in 6 matches, earning him the title of "The First Person to Resist Japan." The Greek fighter, known as "Concentrated Dynamite" Mike Zambidis, is 33 years old, with a career record of 174 fights, 153 wins, and 21 losses, including 86 knockouts. This is the first time a Chinese fighter has challenged the strongest K-1 MAX fighter, Zambidis.
Exciting Replay
In the first round, Xu Yan started off a bit nervous, but quickly gained the upper hand with high-quality whip kicks. The Greek fighter attempted to engage in close combat several times but was unsuccessful. Xu Yan landed a whip kick to his opponent's groin, followed by another kick, prompting the referee to interrupt the match as the Greek fighter showed signs of pain. Xu Yan found his confidence, landing a kick to the opponent's abdomen, leading the referee to count to eight against Zambidis, who pretended to be unhurt.
In the second round, the Greek fighter became a bit impatient and aggressive. Xu Yan landed another whip kick that severely injured his opponent, followed by a punch that knocked the Greek fighter down, with the referee counting to eight again. Zambidis was clearly at a disadvantage in points, so he launched an all-out attack, but Xu Yan maintained good distance, using his height and reach to suppress his opponent. Xu Yan not only had a clear advantage in leg techniques but also held his own in punches.
In the third round, Xu Yan played steadily, continuously using leg techniques to harass his opponent and employing beautiful knee strikes at close range to threaten him. The Greek fighter attempted several heavy punches to achieve a knockout but found no good opportunities, as Xu Yan's guard was very effective, preventing any chance for a knockout. Ultimately, all three judges unanimously scored the match in favor of Xu Yan, with scores of 30-25, 30-24, and 30-25, allowing Xu Yan to win the gold belt once again.