Stan Longinidis

Infobox_Kickboxer
name=Stan Longinidis


nickname=The Man
realname=Stan Longinidis
height=height|m=1.79
weight=convert|100|kg|lb|abbr=on|lk=on
nationality=flagicon|AUS Australian
birth_date=Birth date and age|1965|6|25|mf=y
death_date=
birth_place=Melbourne, Australia
home=
style=Kickboxing
team=
total=95
wins=83
KO=65
losses=8
draws=4
no contests=|

Stan "The Man" Longinidis (born June 25 1965) is retired Australian kickboxer (of Greek parentage) and 8 time World Champion of kickboxing.

Stan is one of the few fighters to have won World titles in three different styles, International Rules Kickboxing, Full Contact and Muay Thai, others being Fred Royers and Ernesto Hoost.

Biography & Career

Longinidis was honoured in France at a martial arts expo in 2000, awarded a lifetime achievement award recognising his major influential impact on the early days of the sport, and his status as one of the most famous names in the history of kick boxing.

Beginning his career in 1983, Stan the Man won two amateur titles before challenging for the World Light Heavyweight Title in 1987, a contest ending in a draw. After being approached by scouts from the Jet Centre in Van Nuys, California, Stan quit his day job and traveled to live and train in the USA where he became a cult favorite amongst local celebrities and kickboxing fans. He racked up 18 straight wins in the USA and won the North American and USA Heavyweight Titles as well as the Australian professional title. His fame at home grew to huge proportions, a feat no local kickboxer had achieved, with Stan appearing on local talk shows and newspapers.

In April 1990 he became the first Australian to win a World Kickboxing Title when he took the K.I.C.K Full Contact Super Heavyweight Title. He added two WKA World Titles to his resume in 1991, one being a record 15 second knockout of American Melvin Cole in Queensland, Australia.In 1992 he defended his titles against legendary Croatian fighter Branko Cikatic and local rival Grant Barker, a top 10 heavyweight at the time moving up. After wins over Mitch O'Hello and Adam Watt he took on Dennis Alexio in the most eagerly anticipated superfight at the time and a huge media event in Australia. The fight was an anti climax, only lasting 6 seconds, with Longinidis dealing the famed American only his second loss in over 50 fights with a low kick in the opening seconds that broke the American's leg.

Stan would continue to fight and defend his titles as well as adding two additional titles in 1993 and 1994. He also became one of the K-1 corporations first contracted stars, appearing on many early K-1 shows where his rivalries with Cikatic and Masaaki Satake helped boost the companies profile. He also competed in early K-1 Grand Prix's.

In 1996 he became the first westerner to fight for and win a prestigious WMC World Heavyweight Muay Thai Title in Thailand where he was crowned by the King of Thailand.Stan kept fighting on despite a serious knee injury that threatened to end his career, he had a complete knee reconstruction in 1997 that slowed him down. He fought on until 2000 where he retired after beating Peter "The Chief" Graham in Melbourne, coming out of retirement for one fight in 2003 before calling it quits with an 83-8-4 record.

Stan Longinidis was awarded in France at a martial arts expo in 2000, a lifetime achievement award recognizing his major influential impact on the early days of the sport, and his status as one of the most famous names in the history of kick boxing.

Titles

* 1984 Australian Amateur Super heavyweight Champion
* 1989 North American Heavyweight Champion
* 1989 United States Heavyweight Champion
* 1989 Intercontinental champion
* 1990 KICK Full Contact Super Heavyweight Champion
* 1991 WKA World Junior Heavyweight Champion
* 1992 WKA World Super Heavyweight Champion
* 1992 ISKA Oriental Super Heavyweight Champion
* 1993 ISKA Free Style Heavyweight Champion
* 1994 WAKO World Super Heavyweight Champion
* 1994 Thaipan 1 tournament winner)
* 1996 WMTC World Super Heavyweight Champion
* 1998 WKBF World Heavyweight

ee also

*List of male kickboxers
*List of K-1 events
*List of kickboxing organizations

External links

* [http://www.stantheman.com.au/ Official website]