Francisco Filho
First non-Japanese Kyokushin world champion, 100-man kumite twice
- Born
- January 10, 1971, Souto Soares, Bahia, Brazil
- Nationality
Brazil- Height
- 186 cm (6′1″)
- Style
- Kyokushin knockout artist
- Weight
- Open, Heavyweight
- Active
- 1985–2004
- Status
- Retired · age 55
The record
K-1 and professional kickboxing, 1997–2004 (K-1 Classics and Wikipedia; K-1 Classics also lists 6 KOs in its K-1-only line). Kyokushin knockdown tournaments are not counted. record
The story
rancisco Filho, known as Chiquinho, trained Kyokushin in Brazil under Seiji Isobe, a direct student of the style's founder, Mas Oyama. At his first world tournament in 1991 he knocked out Andy Hug with a roundhouse kick and received Oyama's award for best technique. In 1995 he completed the 100-man kumite in Brazil and then again in Tokyo, where he went 76 wins and 24 draws without a loss in just over three hours. After losing world tournament deciders on board-breaking, he beat Hajime Kazumi the same way in the 1999 final to become the first non-Japanese Kyokushin world champion. In K-1 he knocked out Hug, Ernesto Hoost and Sam Greco with right hooks and reached the 2001 World Grand Prix final.
Tap a technique with an arrow to learn how it works.
- Kyokushin World Open champion (7th World Tournament, 1999)
- Kyokushin world heavyweight champion (1997)
- K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 in Yokohama champion
- K-1 World Grand Prix runner-up (2001)
- Completed the 100-man kumite twice (1995)
- Best technique award from Mas Oyama, 5th World Open (1991)
Defining matches
- 1991WINvs Andy Hug (5th Kyokushin World Open; roundhouse kick knockout just after the bell, result upheld)
- 1997WINvs Andy Hug (K-1 Dream '97, KO 1, right hook)
- 1999WINvs Ernesto Hoost (K-1 Revenge '99, KO 1, right hook)
- 1999WINvs Hajime Kazumi (7th Kyokushin World Open final; won on board-breaking, 21-19)
- 2001LOSSvs Mark Hunt (K-1 World Grand Prix final, extra-round decision)
Pair heavy kicks with a heavy right hand: Filho knocked out Andy Hug, Ernesto Hoost and Sam Greco in K-1 with right hooks. Kyokushin fighters used to punching the body should drill a right hook to the head off a body shot.
