Ramon Dekkers

Ramon Dekkers
Dekkers at Ring Masters Olympia press conference, Istanbul in 2008
Born	Ramon Dekkers 4 September 1969 (1969-09-04) Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands
Other names	The Diamond, Turbine from Hell
Nationality	Dutch
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight	72 kg (160 lb; 11.3 st)
Division	Featherweight Lightweight Welterweight Middleweight
Style	Kickboxing, Muay Thai
Stance	Orthodox
Team	Team Dekkers
Trainer	Cor Hemmers
Years active	20 (1986 – 2006)
Kickboxing record
Total	218
Wins	186
By knockout	95
Losses	30
Draws	2
Mixed martial arts record
Total	1
Wins	0
Losses	1
By submission	1
Draws	0
Other information
Occupation	Golden Glory martial arts instructor
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
last updated on: January 31, 2010

Ramon "The Diamond" Dekkers (born 4 September 1969) is a retired Dutch kickboxer and an eight time Muay Thai world champion.

Biography

Early years

Dekkers was born in Breda, North Brabant (a province of the Netherlands). He began learning martial arts at age 12, studying Judo for a few months. He then started boxing for a year. After that, Dekkers started practicing Muay Thai under Cor Hemmers. He was awarded his first title at age 18, when he won the Dutch National Championship on 15 November 1987.

Dekkers got involved in the martial arts around 1986. He visited a gym in Breda where he first witnessed Thai boxing. He started training at the Breda gym. Dekkers' future stepdad was the gym's trainer who later became Dekkers' coach. Dekkers trained for about 3 months – his mother dropped him off every day, brought him to the gym, and picked him up after training. Cor saw that Dekkers had the potential to be a good fighter. Dekkers was 16 years old. Hemmers had been building a team and had no real fights by that time. Before Dekkers' first muay thai fight, Cor discussed it with Dekkers and his mother. During Dekkers' training, Cor became more and more involved with his mother, and the two eventually married.

Farewell Fight

On Sunday 18 March 2001, Dekkers fought his farewell fight against Marino Deflorin in Rotterdam. The Netherlands' "Golden Glory" team took on the rest of the world.^{[citation needed]} The fight ended in the 4th round with Dekkers knocking a game Deflorin out with a left hook. Throughout the bout, Dekkers controlled the fight,^{[citation needed]} displaying the style and aggression.^{[citation needed]} After the fight, Dekkers joined the "Golden Glory" team members center stage for a finale, Rob Kaman came down the rampart, Golden Glory torch in hand, presenting it to Dekkers, who in turn passed it to each team member, as video clips of his victories were shown on the display screens.

Comeback

After his retirement Dekkers kept himself busy training his two teams, Team Dekkers and Golden Glory. In 2005 however, Dekkers surprised the fighting world by agreeing upon a contract with K-1. He was, however, to fight under MMA rules against Genki Sudo. Dekkers, who never had fought MMA, and took the fight by a few days notice, lost by heel hook.^{[citation needed]}

However, manager Bas Boon also arranged at least one more standup fight on regular K-1 Rules. Dekkers fought American Duane Ludwig in a superfight during the K-1 Max 2005 event. A few days before the fight Dekkers injured himself, tearing a ligament in his right shoulder. The entire fight he punched only with his left arm, so he could not even setup his famous boxing combinations. Nevertheless Dekkers knocked Ludwig down in every round, and won the fight by decision.

His final retirement was a superfight against Joerie Mes at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Amsterdam event on 13 May 2006. After both fighters suffered knockdown in the second round, it was Mes who earned the decision victory. Immediately after the fight Dekkers took the microphone and announced his final retirement.^{[citation needed]}

In present. He teaches Muay Thai at his birthplace, Breda

Titles

• Dutch Featherweight Champion
• MTBN European Featherweight Champion
• NKBB European Super featherweight Champion
• IMTA World Lightweight Champion
• IMTF World Super lightweight Champion
• IMF World Light welterweight Champion
• WPKL World Welterweight Champion
• WPKL World Super welterweight Champion
• WPKF World Middleweight Champion
• WPKL World Middleweight Champion

See also

• List of male kickboxers
• List of kickboxing organizations
• List of K-1 events

External links

• Ramon Dekkers official website