Valdrin Vatnikaj

Valdrin Vatnikaj
Born (1988-09-28) 28 September 1988
Other namesThe Patriot
NationalityAlbanian
Belgian
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight63.0 kg (138.9 lb; 9.92 st)
DivisionLightweight
Welterweight
StyleKickboxing • Muay Thai
StanceOrthodox
Fighting out ofZevenbergen, Netherlands
TeamSuperPro Sportcenter Zevenbergen
Years active2008–present
Kickboxing record
Total76
Wins60
Losses13
Draws3
Last updated on: 23 February 2013

Valdrin Vatnikaj (born 28 September 1988) is an Albanian-Belgian kickboxer who competes in the lightweight and welterweight divisions. In 2009, he won the WFCA European Championship before becoming a world champion in 2010 by taking the Kombat League 63.503 kg/140 lb world title.

Career

Vatnikaj is a training partner of Albert Kraus and Rico Verhoeven at the SuperPro Sportcenter Zevenbergen in Zevenbergen, Netherlands.[1] He became the WFCA European Champion in 2009 and won the Kombat League 63.503 kg/140 lb world title the following year.[2]

He challenged Jarkko Jussila for his WAKO Pro European Full Contact Light Welterweight (-64.5 kg/142 lb) Championship at Fight Festival 30 in Helsinki, Finland on 12 March 2011, losing a unanimous decision after ten, two-minute rounds.[3] Vatnikaj hit Jussila with lightning fast counterstrikes throughout the fight, but the Finn's constant pressure and reach advantage was too much for him in the end.[4]

After fighting on the European circuit for a number of years, Vatnikaj debuted on kickboxing's biggest stage, K-1, when he faced off with flashy karateka Kizaemon Saiga in a non-tournament bout at the K-1 World MAX 2011 -70kg Japan Tournament Final in Osaka, Japan on 25 September 2011.[5] Saiga's kicks made the difference in an otherwise uneventful fight as the Japanese fighter cruised to a unanimous decision win.[6][7]

He knocked out Emil Kerimov via second round left hook at MaxPain in Genk, Belgium on 10 February 2012.[8]

Vatkinaj was a competitor in the A1 World Combat Cup's 32-man 63.5 kg/140 lb tournament held throughout 2012. After knocking out Antony Plouvier at the tournament's opening round in Genk, Belgium on 10 March, he then outpointed Mansour Yaqubi in the second round in Eindhoven, Netherlands on 7 April to book his place at the finals, featuring the eight remaining fighters and held in Eindhoven on 22 September. He took a decision win over Redouane Boukerch in the quarter-finals but lost to Papuna Margvelashvili by the same method in the semis.[9][10][11]

Replacing Rachid Boumalek on short notice, he entered the Thai Fight 2012 67 kg/147 lb Tournament and faced the eventual tournament winner Singmanee Kaewsamrit in the quarter-finals in Bangkok, Thailand on 23 October 2012. Vatnikaj opened strong in the first round, connecting with a sweep and some clean punches, but things soon became one way traffic for the Thai in the second round. Singmanee landed two rounds of brutal unanswered body and leg kicks to take home the comfortable decision win.[12][13][14]

He fought David Codron in a WKN European Full Contact Super Lightweight (-66.7 kg/147 lb) title match in Pernes-les-Fontaines, France on 23 February 2013 and lost on points after ten, two minute rounds.[15][16]

Championships and awards

Kickboxing

  • Kombat League
    • Kombat League World 63.503 kg/140 lb Championship
  • World Full Contact Association
    • WFCA European Championship

Kickboxing record

Kickboxing record
60 wins, 13 losses, 3 draws[17]
Date Result OpponentEventLocation MethodRoundTime
2013-03-16LossFrance Mohamed GalaouiExplosion Fight Night 7Châteauroux, FranceDecision33:00
2013-02-23LossFrance David CodronWorld GBC TourPernes-les-Fontaines, FranceDecision102:00
For the WKN European Full Contact Super Lightweight (-66.7 kg/147 lb) Championship.
2012-10-23LossThailand Singmanee KaewsamritThai Fight 2012 67 kg/147 lb Tournament, Quarter FinalsBangkok, ThailandDecision33:00
2012-09-22LossGeorgia (country) Papuna MargvelashviliA1 World Combat Cup 63.5 kg/140 lb Tournament, Semi FinalsEindhoven, NetherlandsDecision33:00
2012-09-22WinMorocco Redouane BoukerchA1 World Combat Cup 63.5 kg/140 lb Tournament, Quarter FinalsEindhoven, NetherlandsDecision33:00
2012-04-07WinIran Mansour YaqubiA1 World Combat Cup 63.5 kg/140 lb Tournament, Second RoundEindhoven, NetherlandsDecision33:00
2012-03-10WinFrance Antony PlouvierA1 World Combat Cup 63.5 kg/140 lb Tournament, First RoundGenk, BelgiumKO
2012-02-10WinAzerbaijan Emil KerimovMaxPainGenk, BelgiumKO (left hook)2
2011-10-22LossBelarus Yuri ZhukovskiyW5 Grand PrixMoscow, RussiaDecision (unanimous)33:00
2011-09-25LossJapan Kizaemon SaigaK-1 World MAX 2011 -70kg Japan Tournament FinalOsaka, JapanDecision (unanimous)33:00
2011-03-12LossFinland Jarkko JussilaFight Festival 30Helsinki, FinlandDecision (unanimous)102:00
For the WAKO Pro European Full Contact Light Welterweight (-64.5 kg/142 lb) Championship.
2010-11-20LossRomania Ionuţ Atodiresei2010 Local Kombat SibiuSibiu, RomaniaDecision33:00
2010-10-31LossSwitzerland David Da CostaDecision53:00
2008-08-08WinItaly Alessandro AliasSardinia, ItalyKO (right cross)13:00
Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes

References

  1. ↑ Official K-1 profile
  2. ↑ "Fight Life profile". Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  3. ↑ J. JUSSILA (FINLAND) KEEPS HIS FC EUROPEAN TITLE KG -64,50
  4. ↑ "Fight Festival 30: Shlemenko by KO, Vänttinen Stops Dewees". Archived from the original on 18 March 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  5. ↑ K-1 Announces Participants and Matchups for K-1 MAX 2011 -70kg Japan Tournament
  6. ↑ K-1 MAX 70kg Japan Tournament Live Results
  7. ↑ "K-1 World MAX Japan". Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  8. ↑ Fight event Maxpain 10/02/12
  9. ↑ Aside From The Big Players, There's Tons Of Kickfighting This Month
  10. ↑ 8 Man 63.5kg Tournament Tomorrow In Holland
  11. ↑ Pietje Doorje Wins 32 Man 63.5kg Tournament
  12. ↑ Buakaw Back At Thai Fight On October 23
  13. ↑ Thai Fight Tournament Tomorrow: Buakaw vs. Mauro Serra
  14. ↑ Thai Fight 2012 Live Results
  15. ↑ "World GBC Tour 2013 – WKN Kickboxing France February 23". Archived from the original on 5 March 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  16. ↑ "World GBC Tour 2013 Results WKN Kickboxing France". Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  17. ↑ "2012 K-1 MUAY THAI fight – Valdrin Vatnikaj vs Singmanee Kaewsamrit – full fight Video". allthebestfights.com. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
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