2025 gave kickboxing fans another year to remember. From RISE and K-1 to ONE Championship and GLORY, fighters delivered high-stakes battles every week. Here are the ten standout fights of the year.
TOP 10 FIGHTS OF 2025
10. ARINA KOBAYASHI VS. MEI MIYAMOTO
In one of the bigger upsets of the year, Mei Miyamato edged out a victory over the division’s top-ranked fighter, Arina Kobayashi. Despite suffering a knockdown, Miyamato held the judges’ favor after five hard-fought rounds.
9. CLEMENT ADROVER VS. MARTINOS ANGELOS
Clement Adrover against Martinos Angelos was a competitive back-and-forth battle for the IKSA belt. The first two rounds saw the fighters feeling each other out, but once settled in, they began trading heavy shots. Martinos first gained the upper hand, scoring a body-shot knockdown, but Adrover recovered and swung the tide in his favor, ultimately taking the judges’ decision and the belt.
8. ZHORA AKOPYAN VS. JONATHAN AIULU
K-1 newcomer Jonathan Aiulu put on an instant classic in his battle against Zhora Akopyan. Starting as a close battle on the inside with long combinations and beautiful work to the body, ended with Akopyan changing his gameplan and targeting Aiulu's legs to secure the unanimous decision win.
7. ISSEI ISHII VS. EITO KUROKAWA
Issei Ishii and Eito Kurokawa squared off in a bantamweight title brawl with the crown of the division on the line. After a closely contested opening round, the fight exploded in the second. Kurokawa dropped Ishii with a flurry of punches, but Ishii responded in emphatic fashion, flooring Kurokawa with a brutal left hook to level the score heading into the final round.
Both men traded heavy shots in the third, but a late knockdown proved decisive. Capitalising on a missed knee, Ishii dropped Kurokawa with a right hand and secured the victory, claiming his place atop the K-1 Bantamweight division.
6. YASIN GUREN VS. THIAN DE VRIES
Thian de Vries and Yasin Güren delivered a one-round banger at 8TKO #15. Güren was able to knock down de Vries early in the round, but just like in his other outings, de Vries turned it on, scoring three knockdowns of his own before finally landing a fight-ending head kick knockout to defend his Enfusion World Cruiserweight (-88kg) Championship.
5. TAWANCHAI VS. MASAAKI NOIRI
On one of the more electric nights of the year, Masaaki Noiri finished Tawanchai in front of a sold-out home crowd to win the ONE Interim Featherweight Championship. The first two rounds were largely controlled by Tawanchai, with the Japanese fighter slowly chopping away at Tawanchai’s calves to set up his offense. Late in the second round, Noiri landed a big overhand right that visibly hurt Tawanchai.
In the third round, Noiri’s pressure finally paid off as he landed a crushing hook that sent Tawanchai to the canvas, before finishing him with a flurry of punches.
4. CHADD COLLINS VS. KENTO HARAGUCHI
Despite dropping out of the GLORY x RISE Featherweight Grand Prix, Chadd Collins still managed to put his stamp on the 2025 kickboxing year. Defending his RISE Super Lightweight world title, Collins faced Kento Haraguchi. The Japanese fighter hurt him early with a stabbing toe kick to the midsection.
‘The Shark’ showed heart, battling back and chipping away at Haraguchi’s body with constant pressure. Collins ultimately won the battle of attrition, successfully defending his belt for the first time.
3. OUYANG FENG VS. DARRYL VERDONK
Two K-1 powerhouses faced off at K-1 BEYOND on May 31. Ouyang Feng dropped Darryl Verdonk} just as the opening round began, and then once again shortly after, briefly signaling an early end to the fight. In typical Verdonk fashion, however, the Dutch fighter was quick to mount another comeback, knocking down Feng with a heavy overhand right.
For the remainder of the fight, the two put on an infighting masterclass, with Feng getting the better of most exchanges and ultimately winning the contest on the scorecards.
2. BERJAN PEPOSHI VS. DENIZ DEMIRKAPU
Just like last year, Berjan Peposhi once again delivered fireworks, this time against Deniz Demirkapu. Peposhi applied pressure early, and it briefly appeared as if Demirkapu had suffered a leg injury after taking two counts and struggling to get back to his feet. Just as it looked like the fight might be called off, Demirkapu landed a brutal high kick that sent Peposhi stumbling across the ring.
The two fighters then traded heavy leather, with Peposhi regrouping and ultimately doing enough to earn the nod on the judges’ scorecards.
1. TARIK KHBABEZ VS. BAHRAM RAJABZADEH
After Sergej Maslobojev vacated the GLORY Light Heavyweight title due to a positive drug test, Tarik Khbabez and Bahram Rajabzadeh were next in line to compete for the vacant belt. Rajabzadeh’s hype was at an all-time high following his viral fight against Mory Kromah, and despite the loss, many fans viewed him as the favorite heading into his clash with Khbabez.
Rajabzadeh came out strong, dropping Khbabez with a stiff jab early in the opening round and pressing him for the rest of the frame. What initially looked like easy picking for the Iranian-Azerbaijani fighter quickly turned into a heated back-and-forth battle from round two onward. Khbabez’s superior stamina paid dividends, as he gained the upper hand the longer the fight went into the championship rounds.
Rajabzadeh continued to fight back valiantly, this time showing improved composure with no emotional outbursts or fouling. The result was a surprisingly technical affair, earning Beyond Kickboxing’s Fight of the Year honors.
