Marco Piqué

Marco "The Sniper" Piqué (born January 9, 1980 in Paramaribo, Suriname) is a Dutch-Surinamese welterweight kickboxer, fighting out of Profighters Gym in Almere, Netherlands. He is the current W.F.C.A. Muay Thai middleweight world champion, W.M.C. intercontinental champion, and a two time K-1 MAX regional tournament finalist.^[1]

Biography and Career

Originally from Suriname, Piqué has fought the majority of his fights in the Netherlands. He won his first title in 2003 when he defeated Aalviar Lima via split decision to claim the W.P.K.L. Dutch national Muay Thai title. Over the next couple of years Piqué claimed the W.F.C.A. Benelux title and the W.P.K.L. European title as well as losing to legendary Thai fighter Jongsanan Fairtex in Las Vegas in a bid to win Fairtex’s I.K.K.C. world title belt. Throughout 2006 Piqué started to regularly face some of the world's best middleweight kickboxers, losing to Buakaw Por. Pramuk, Şahin Yakut and Giorgio Petrosyan, the latter in the final of the annual Janus Fight tournament. His record was patchy by the end of 2006 but he had a terrific 2007, winning two preliminary tournaments and reaching the final of two more, winning thirteen out of fifteen fights and beating some top fighters such as Chaid Oulad El Hadj and Petr Polak.
In 2008 Piqué made his K-1 MAX debut at the K-1 MAX Netherlands 2008 in Utrecht, making his way to the final in a tough tournament which included a victory over tournament favourite Joerie Mes in the quarter finals. In the final Piqué found Warren Stevelmans a step too far and was unable to make it to the K-1 MAX final 16 stage. He entered another K-1 MAX tournament in Sweden later in the year but could only reach the semi finals. Piqué returned to K-1 MAX the following year, again reaching the final at the K-1 World MAX 2009 Europe but once more failing to make the next step to the K-1 World MAX final by dropping a decision to up and comer Leroy Kaestner. Piqué made up somewhat for this defeat later in the year by winning the W.M.C. intercontinental title and then the W.F.C.A. world title in his native Suriname.

Titles

• 2009 W.F.C.A. Muay Thai world champion -72.5 kg
• 2009 W.M.C. Muay Thai Intercontinental title -72.5 kg
• 2009 K-1 MAX Europe tournament runner up -70 kg
• 2008 K-1 MAX Netherlands tournament runner up -70 kg
• 2007 Janus Fight Night tournament runner up -72 kg
• 2007 RDF Dodge Trophy Final 2007 tournament runner up -73 kg
• 2007 Kings of Kickboxing 2007 Pforzheim preliminary tournament champion -75 kg
• 2007 Rayong-Dreamfights GP Part II tournament champion -73 kg
• 2006 Janus Fight Night tournament runner up -72 kg
• 2005 W.P.K.L. European Muay Thai champion -76 kg
• 2004 W.F.C.A. Benelux Muay Thai champion
• 2003 W.P.K.L. Dutch Muay Thai champion -72.5 kg
• 2003 W.P.K.L. Muay Thai Champions League Rome Pool B runner up -72.5 kg

Kickboxing record
Total	77
Wins	52
By knockout	27
Losses	24
By knockout	4
Draws	1

Buakaw por Pramuk vs Albert Kraus (29 NOV 2008)

Albert Kraus vs Yuichiro Nagashima K-1 Max 2009 Final 16

Albert Kraus

Albert “The Hurricane” Kraus (born August 3, 1980 in Oss) is a Dutch welterweight kickboxer. He was the first K-1 World MAX 2002 champion and has also held four separate world titles in kickboxing and Muay Thai. He is currently fighting out of Super Pro Gym in K-1 MAX.

Biography and career

Albert Kraus started boxing at 14 years old, later switching over to kickboxing aged 17 fighting out of Gino Albert Gym in Oss. In 1997 he had his first amateur fight, winning convincingly by first round knockout. After numerous amateur victories Kraus switched to Bully’s Gym in Rhenen. He would make his professional debut in 1999 in Rotterdam, defeating his opponent Kany via second round knockout. By 2001 he had won the Dutch F.I.M.A.C, European I.K.B.F and W.K.A World titles.^[1]
Kraus made his K-1 debut on February 24, 2002 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 Preliminary Netherlands and was invited to the inaugural K-1 MAX World Championship on May 11, 2002. In the tournament quarter finals he faced Shane Chapman from New Zealand and won the evenly fought battle by a single point on the three judges' cards to take a unanimous decision. In the semi finals Albert Kraus met local crowd favourite Masato. Kraus scored a down with a punch at 2:31 into the first round and held on to earn his second consecutive unanimous decision and advance to the finals. He needed just one minute to put Kaolan Kaovichit down with a punch combination to become the first-ever K-1 World Max Champion.^[2]
In 2003 Kraus switched to Super Pro Gym. He entered the K-1 World MAX 2003 World Tournament as reigning champion and tournament favourite. Kraus defeated both of his opponents by stoppage on route to the final but was unable to retain his title, losing to Masato by knockout at 2:26 of the second round. After the tournament Albert Kraus would continue fighting in a number of events in K-MAX and Super League, winning seven straight bouts through 2003 and 2004 and qualifying for the K-1 World MAX 2004 World Tournament Final where he would reach the semi finals. The following year, Albert Kraus would once more take part in the K-1 World MAX 2005 Championship defeating John Wayne Parr in the quarter finals only to lose to Thai fighter Buakaw Por. Pramuk in the semi finals. Despite the disappointment of another semi final defeat, Kraus would finish the year on a high by defeating Menno Dijkstra at Kraus's hometown of Oss to win the I.K.B.A. world title.
2006 would be a mixed year for Albert Kraus. He suffered an early exit at the quarter final stage of the K-1 World MAX 2006 World Championship to Gago Drago but did manage to regain his I.K.B.A. World title by defeating James Martinez. 2007 started badly for Albert as he lost two straight fights, including a shock decision loss to little known Japanese fighter Tatsuji. He improved as the year progressed qualifying for the 6th annual K-1 World MAX Final on October 3, 2007. Kraus fought and defeated Yoshihiro Sato by decision in the quarter finals and in the semis he met 2005 Champion Andy Souwer and lost the battle by majority decision. Souwer went on to fight Masato in the finals and eventually won the championship.^[3]
Kraus had a stuttering start to 2008, losing his W.F.C.A. Thai Boxing Welterweight World title fight to Faldir Chahbari and missing out on qualification for the K-1 MAX World Final for the very first time - losing to Buakaw Por. Pramuk at the K-1 World MAX 2008 World Championship Tournament Final 16. Losing out on a place at the final seemed to re-invigorate Kraus as he went on a seven match winning streak throughout 2008 and the beginning of 2009 - a streak that included winning the 2008 "King Of The Ring" Welterweight World title.^[4] He finally tasted defeat at the K-1 World MAX 2009 Final 8 quarter final stage to eventual champion Giorgio Petrosyan. Since that defeat Albert Kraus has won five straight and has booked his place in the quarter finals of the forthcoming K-1 World MAX 2010 Final by defeating Hiroki Nakajima by decision at the K-1 World MAX 2010 World Championship Tournament Final 16. He again tasted defeat at the K-1 World MAX 2010 quarter final stage to the reigning champion Giorgio Petrosyan who would go on to win the tournament.

Titles

• 2008 "King Of The Ring" Champion
• 2005-06 I.K.B.A. Thai-Boxing World Champion -70 kg (1 title defense)
• 2003 K-1 World MAX Finalist
• 2002 K-1 World MAX Champion
• 2001 W.K.A. World Champion
• I.K.B.F. European Champion
• F.I.M.A.C. Dutch Champion

Kickboxing record
Total	82
Wins	64
By knockout	32
Losses	15
By knockout	3
Draws	3

John Wayne Parr vs Iron Mike Zambidis Pay Back Time 2009 round 5

John Wayne Parr vs Iron Mike Zambidis - Pay Back Time 2009 Round 4

John Wayne Parr vs Iron Mike Zambidis - Pay Back Time 2009 Round 3