The year 2024 delivered a thrilling lineup of Kickboxing action. RISE World Series, K-1 World GP, ONE Championship, and GLORY Kickboxing showcased the best the sport has to offer. Here are the top ten Kickboxing fights of the year.
TOP 10 FIGHTS OF 2024
10. ALEXIS NICOLAS VS. REGIAN EERSEL II
In one of the year’s biggest upsets, then-undefeated Alexis Nicolas edged out the highly respected ONE lightweight champion Regian Eersel in a thrilling contest. As outstanding as their first fight was, the rematch surpassed it, with a more urgent Eersel forcing a high-paced, back-and-forth battle to reclaim his throne.
9. KOYA URABE VS HAYATO SUZUKI
In his final fight before retirement, former K-1 champion Koya Urabe took the fight to Hayato Suzuki. Urabe’s relentless calf kicks put Suzuki on the back foot, knocking him down and almost securing the stoppage. However, Suzuki rallied with powerful middle kicks and straight punches, landing two knockdowns of his own to edge out Urabe in a thrilling contest.
8. YUKI TANAKA VS KOYA SAITO
A thrilling brawl at RISE Eldorado saw Japanese fighters Yuki Tanaka and Koya Saito engage in an all-action fight, with little defense and five heavy knockdowns. In the end, Koya Saito emerged victorious, getting his hand raised.
7. TAKERU VS. THANT ZIN
Takeru faced young Myanmar challenger Thant Zin at ONE Friday Fights 81 held at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, looking to rebound after his crushing loss to Superlek. What was meant to be a bounce-back fight turned into a dramatic comeback victory for the Japanese superstar. Known as a slow starter, Takeru was rocked early by a leaping hook but recovered in the second round, finishing strong with brutal front kicks and knees to Zin’s body.
6. KAZUKI OSAKI VS JIN MANDOKORO
Defending his RISE Super Flyweight (-53 kg) title, Kazuki Osaki faced fellow Japanese fighter Jin Mandokoro in a five-round battle. The challenger found success early with his boxing and low kicks, but as the fight progressed, Osaki took control with his signature infighting, targeting the body to set up vicious hooks to the head. In the end, all judges scored the fight in Osaki’s favor, awarding him a unanimous decision victory.
5. DONOVAN WISSE VS. ULRIC BOKEME
As one of the most complete kickboxers, Donovan Wisse is tough to match in a truly competitive fight. However, Ultic Bokeme managed to do just that. The Swiss fighter was the more powerful of the two, landing well on the inside. While Wisse dominated early, Bokeme gained momentum as the fight progressed, though it was too little, too late. Ultimately, Wisse’s work rate proved decisive, and after five competitive rounds, he was declared the winner.
4. SUPERLEK VS. TAKERU
Superlek delivered a masterclass in his fight against Takeru, successfully defending his ONE flyweight title in front of a sold-out Ariake Arena. A relentless barrage of crippling low kicks kept Takeru at bay, fracturing his knee in the opening round. Despite the injury, the Japanese fighter continued to press forward, almost finding his moment in the third round when he hurt the Thai champion with a body kick, followed by an unrelenting barrage of hooks to the body. Superlek weathered the storm and came back strong in the championship rounds, closing out the fight with a dominant performance.
3. KEISUKE MONGUCHI VS. HARUTO YASUMOTO
Haruto Yasumoto delivered a commanding performance against Keisuke Monguchi to capture the RISE Featherweight (-57.5 kg) title. Yasumoto was the more active fighter, landing boxing combinations at will. Monguchi responded with quick low kicks and shocked the challenger with a brutal head kick in the third round. However, Yasumoto ultimately came out on top.
2. SUNGHYUN LEE VS. BERJAN PEPOSHI
The Featherweight Grand Prix was one of the year’s standout events, featuring multiple fight of the year contenders, including the clash between Berjan Peposhi and Sunghyun Lee. The fight kicked off with both fighters trading heavy strikes, and it was Lee who found himself with a gaping cut early on. He responded with a flush left hook that sent Peposhi crashing to the canvas. The Albanian-Belgian kickboxer quickly answered with a heavy knockdown of his own just seconds later. As both fighters continued to exchange powerful strikes, the bout remained evenly matched—until Lee landed a flush knee in the final seconds, shifting the momentum in his favor.
1. TAIO ASAHISA VS. YURA
Former K-1 champion Taio Asahisa put on an electrifying performance against RISE fighter YURA at RIZIN's final event of the year. With a blend of high-volume action and a wide array of techniques, the fight earns this year’s award honors.
YURA dominated the first round, landing straight punches at will, until Asahisa landed a step-in right punch that sent YURA to the canvas. YURA quickly returned the favor, landing a clean 1-2 to Asahisa’s chin. Bloodied but determined, Asahisa fended off YURA for the remainder of the round. As the fight progressed, the karate stylist took control, landing powerful combinations and front kicks to YURA's face. In the final round, Asahisa sealed the victory with a front kick to the midsection, dropping YURA for a second time before unloading on him until the bell rang.
