Iraj Azizpour

Iraj Azizpour
BornIraj Arallou Azizpour
(1988-10-19) October 19, 1988 (age 36)
Tehran, Iran[1]
NationalityIranian
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Weight118.4 kg (261 lb; 19 st)
DivisionHeavyweight
Reach76 in (193 cm)
StyleMuay Thai, Kickboxing
StanceOrthodox
Kickboxing record
Total27
Wins20
By knockout6
Losses7
Medal record
Men's Muay Thai
Representing  Iran
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2017 Minsk +91 kg

Iraj Azizpour (Persian: ایرج عزیزپور) is an Iranian heavyweight kickboxer. He is the former Kunlun Fight heavyweight kickboxing champion,[3] and was ranked among the top 10 kickboxers in the world in 2018 by Liver Kick,[4] as well as being ranked in the top ten by Combat Press between March 2018[5] and March 2019.[6] Azizpour is currently ranked as the number 8th Heavyweight in the world by Combat Press [7] Holds notable victories over Ismael Londt, Anderson Silva, and the current ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Championship Roman Kryklia

Kickboxing career

In 2017 he participated in the International Federation of Muaythai Associations Amateur Championships. He won a silver medal, and was voted the Best Male Prospect in Muay Thai.[8]

Kunlun Fight

Iraj Azizpour participated in the Kunlun Fight 2017 heavyweight tournament. In the quarter final round he faced Ye Xiang.[9] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[10] He faced Asihati in the semifinals[11] and won the fight in the second round, by way of KO. Advancing to the finals he fought Roman Kryklia for 2017 Kunlun Fight Heavyweight Tournament title. Iraj won a majority decision.[3][12]

He next fought Olivier Thompson under the MAS Fights banner.[13] Iraj won the fight by TKO, earning a $40,000 finish bonus as well.[14]

In the 2019 Kunlun Fight 8-man Heavyweight Tournament, Azizpour lost in the quarterfinals to Brazilian Haime Morais. However due to an injury Morais was unable to fight in the semifinals and Azizpour advanced to the semifinals as his replacement, where he defeated the Chinese fighter Asihati. Azizpour lost in the finals to Roman Kryklia.[15][16]

Iraj Azizpour was next scheduled to fight for the interim FEA Heavyweight title against Pavel Zhuravlev.[17] Azizpour was replaced by Mehmet Ozer.[18]

ONE Championship

On October 15, 2021, it was announced that Azizpour was scheduled to face Roman Kryklia in a trilogy fight for the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Championship at ONE Championship: NextGen on October 29, 2021.[19] After Kryklia withdrew from the fight due to a medical issue, Azizpour faced Anderson Silva in a non-title fight. He won the fight by unanimous decision.[20]

Azizpour was booked to face the 2012 K-1 Grand Prix runner-up Ismael Londt at ONE: Lights Out on March 11, 2022.[21] After weathering an early storm in the first storm, Azizpour won the fight by second-round knockout.[22]

ONE Kickboxing Heavyweight Grand Prix

Azizpour faced Bruno Chaves in the semifinals of the ONE Kickboxing Heavyweight Grand Prix at ONE 161 on September 29, 2022.[23] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[24]

Azizpour faced Roman Kryklia in the ONE Kickboxing Heavyweight Grand Prix finals, which were held at ONE 163 on November 18, 2022. It was the third time that the pair faced each other, with each holding a win over the other.[25] Despite knocking Kyrklia down in the first round, he lost the fight by a second-round knockout.[26]

Azizpour faced Rade Opačić at ONE 165 on January 28, 2024.[27] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[28]

Azizpour faced Georgios Biniaris at Senshi 21 on April 20, 2024. He won the fight by a first-round knockout.[29]

Championships and accomplishments

Muay Thai

  • IFMA
    • 2017 IFMA 91+kg Silver medal Silver
    • 2017 IFMA Best Male Prospect[30]

Kickboxing

Boxing

  • Siege of Abadan
    • 2017 Super heavyweight Tournament Winner[32]

Fight record

Professional Kickboxing record
20 wins (6 KOs), 7 losses, 0 draw
Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time Record
2024-04-20 Win Greece Georgios Biniaris SENSHI 21 Varna, Bulgaria KO (Knee to the body) 1 3:00 20–7
2024-01-28 Loss Serbia Rade Opačić ONE 165 Tokyo, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 19–7
2022-11-19 Loss Ukraine Roman Kryklia ONE 163, Tournament Final Kallang, Singapore TKO (punches) 2 1:28 19–6
For the ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix title.
2022-09-29 Win Brazil Bruno Chaves ONE 161, Tournament Semifinal Kallang, Singapore Decision (unanimous) 3 3:00 19–5
2022-03-11 Win Netherlands Ismael Londt ONE: Lights Out Kallang, Singapore KO (punches) 2 2:01 18–5
2021-10-29 Win Brazil Anderson Silva ONE Championship: NextGen Kallang, Singapore Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 17–5
2019-02-24 Loss Ukraine Roman Kryklia Kunlun Fight 80 – Heavyweight Tournament Final Shanghai, China Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 16–5
2019-02-24 Win China Asihati Kunlun Fight 80 – Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal Shanghai, China KO (punches) 3 3:00 16–4
2019-02-24 Loss Brazil Haime Morais Kunlun Fight 80 - Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal Shanghai, China Decision (split) 3 3:00 15–4
2018-11-12 Win United Kingdom Olivier Thompson MAS Fight Macau, China KO 3 N/A 15–3
2018-02-04 Win Ukraine Roman Kryklia Kunlun Fight 69 – Heavyweight Tournament Final Guiyang, China Ext.R Decision (Majority) 4 3:00 14–3
Wins the Kunlun Fight 2017 Heavyweight Tournament.
2018-02-04 Win China Asihati Kunlun Fight 69 – Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal Guiyang, China KO 2 N/A 13–3
2017-12-17 Win China Ye Xiang Kunlun Fight 68 – Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal Zunyi, China Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 12–3
Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes
Amateur Kickboxing record
Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time
2017-05-12 Loss Ukraine Tsotne Rogava IFMA World Championship 2017, Final Minsk, Belarus Decision 3 3:00
Wins 2017 IFMA World Championships +91kg Silver Medal.
2017-05-10 Win Belarus Andrey Gerasimchuk IFMA World Championship 2017, Semi Final Minsk, Belarus KO 3 3:00
2017-05-07 Win Russia Semen Shelepov IFMA World Championship 2017, Quarter Final Minsk, Belarus Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00
2011-09-22 Loss Belgium Sebastien Van Thielen IFMA World Championships 2011 Tashkent, Uzbekistan Decision 4 2:00
Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes

See also

References

  1. ^ "Iraj Azizpour". fightstat.com. Retrieved 22 May 2020.[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ "Iraj Azizpour". kunlunjue.com. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Kunlun Fight 69 – Fight Results". perfectkickboxing.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  4. ^ "LiverKick Rankings Update for March, 2018: New Welterweight, Lightweight and Featherweight Kings". mmaexchange.com. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Combat Press Kickboxing Rankings: March 2018". combatpress.com. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Combat Press Kickboxing Rankings: March 2019". combatpress.com. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  7. ^ "combat-press-kickboxing-rankings-december-2022".
  8. ^ "the-winners-at-the-ifma-world-championships". muaythai.sport. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  9. ^ "Kunlun Fight 68 – Fight Card". perfectkickboxing.com. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  10. ^ "Kunlun Fight 68 – Fight Results". perfectkickboxing.com. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  11. ^ "Kunlun Fight 69 – Fight Card". perfectkickboxing.com. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  12. ^ "Kunlun Fight 69 Results: Grigorian Stuns Superbon, Azizpour Upsets Kryklia, Buakaw Dominates". combatpress.com. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Oli Thompson vs Iraj Azizpour na MasFight w Makau: "Bez sędziów, bez decyzji, tylko KO"". mmanews.pl. 3 November 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  14. ^ "MasFight Makau: Oli Thompson "bonusowo" ubity łokciem przez Iraja Azizpoura". mmanews.pl. 10 November 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  15. ^ "Kunlun Fight 80 Results: Kryklia Claims 100+kg Tournament, Kiria Edges Toutouh to Win 2018 70-kilogram Tournament".
  16. ^ "Kunlun Fight 80 Results: Kryklia Claims 100+kg Tournament, Kiria Edges Toutouh to Win 2018 70-kilogram Tournament". combatpress.com. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  17. ^ "ماموریت سخت 'عزیزپور' در اوکراین!". khabarrazmavar.ir. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  18. ^ "FEA World Grand Prix Results: Zhuravlev Demolishes Ozer, Akopyan Wins Four-Man Tournament". combatpress.com. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  19. ^ "Roman Kryklia vs. Iraj Azizpour trilogy for inaugural kickboxing heavyweight title headlines ONE: NextGen". Sportskeeda. 2021-10-15. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  20. ^ "Anderson Silva loses again". asianmma.com. 29 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  21. ^ van Dinter, Sean (3 March 2022). "Top Kickbokser Ismael Londt 11 Maart Terug in Den Ring". vechtsportinfo.nl. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  22. ^ "ONE Lights Out results: Le stops Tonon, Lineker wins belt". South China Morning Post. 2022-03-11. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  23. ^ "ONE Championship announces heavyweight kickboxing Grand Prix". asianmma.com. 29 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  24. ^ Richards, Vince (30 September 2022). "ONE 161 complete results and recap: Tawanchai stuns Petchmorakot, Kryklia and Azizpour advance to heavy kickboxing grand prix final". sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  25. ^ Pico, Borna (29 October 2022). "Heavyweight ONE Grand Prix Final Between Iraj Azizpour Against Roman Kryklia Set for One 163". beyondkick.com. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  26. ^ "Strašni Roman Kryklia osvojio je ONE-ov Grand Prix: Ukrajinski teškaš brutalno je prebio Azizpoura". fightsite.hr. 19 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  27. ^ "Kickboks Oorlog in Tokyo! Dit gevecht wil je dit weekend niet missen". Vechtsport info (in Dutch). 22 January 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  28. ^ "Svaka čast! Rade Opačić pobijedio Azizpoura u sklopu ONE 165 priredbe". FIGHTROOM (in Croatian). 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  29. ^ "Ираж Азизпур нокаутира Георгиос Биниарис още в първия рунд". Boec.BG - онлайн медия за бойни спортове (in Bulgarian). 20 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  30. ^ "And the winners at the IFMA World Championships! – International Federation of Muaythai Associations".
  31. ^ Chris Mohan (2022-12-31). "Roman Kryklia vs. Iraj Azizpour III named ONE's 2022 Kickboxing Fight of The Year". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  32. ^ "Syria and Iran dominated the Siege of Abadan Tournament". asbcnews.org. Retrieved 22 May 2020.