Ray Sefo
Encyclopedia
"Sugar" Ray Sefo is a New Zealand
kickboxer
, boxer
and mixed martial artist
. He is five time Muay Thai
World champion and eight time K-1 World Grand Prix
Finals tournament participant, currently living in Las Vegas
, Nevada
and training with Xtreme Couture
.
He holds notable wins in the K-1 over Jerome Le Banner
, Peter Aerts
, Mark Hunt
, Mike Bernardo
, Bob Sapp
, Stefan Leko
and is one of only 5 men to ever knock down Semmy Schilt
(the others being Alexey Ignashov
, Jan Nortje
, Remy Bonjasky
and Badr Hari
).
as a youth, Sefo started developing his Muay Thai
fighting style under Thai legend Kiosot, then continued training under Lollo Heimuli (Balmoral Lee Gar gym). Sefo had an impressive unbeaten record as an amateur and a professional in the Oceania kickboxing league. Early in his career Sefo trained at Balmoral Lee Gar gym alongside Jason Suttie
, Jayson Vemoa
, Doug Viney
and his brother Rony Sefo.
Some would say his fight against Andre Manaart was his first major challenge on the world stage. In this fight he overwhelmed Manaart with devastating speed and elusive footwork,knocking him down on numerous occasions. In the ring after the fight, Manaart took the microphone and said "...you should call him Sugarfist, not Sugarfoot"...
His first major breakthrough was becoming a WKA cruiser weight champion, after which he also acted as a sparring partner for fellow New Zealander David Tua
when Tua first returned to New Zealand for a fight after turning pro.
Ray made his K-1 debut against future four-time World Grand Prix Champion, Ernesto Hoost
. Sefo held his own against the much more experienced Hoost, but was finally knocked out in the 4th round by a leg kick. Sefo gained respect for standing up to such an elite fighter in just his first fight.
Sefo gained more respect in his 3rd K-1 fight where he knocked out K-1 legend Jerome Lebanner in round 1. Sefo's hard right hand was enough to break the Frenchmans jaw in four places.
Sefo had a up down first few years in the K-1, unable to make it past the quarter finals in the K-1 World Grand Prix
against the likes of Sam Greco
and Andy Hug
. In 2000 he made it to the WGP final after knocking out Japanese star Musashi
and French kickboxer Cyril Abidi
before losing again to Hoost.
In 2002 he defeated Dutch legend Peter Aerts
in the quarter finals but lost again to his nemesis Hoost in the semi finals.
In 2007, he was thought to be a legitimate challenger to dethrone four-time World Grand Prix Champion Semmy Schilt
for the new Super Heavyweight title. In Round 1, Sefo became only the second man in history to knock Schilt down. However, he would go on to lose by KO in round 2.
He went on to lose 5 more fights and would not find the winners circle again till he beat Hong Man Choi, Yosuke Nishijima
and Ionut Iftimoaie
all by decision.
He was then asked to fight at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Seoul Final 16
on ten days notice against Tyrone Spong
. Ray put up a decent fight for a short preparation but was beaten by decision. At the moment Ray is unsure about whether he will continue to fight in the K-1, though he is still considered one of the sport's oldest and still entertaining fighters.
In mid February 2011 he had his third MMA fight in a reserve fight for the Strikeforce Heavyweight tournament. He fought Valentijn Overeem, brother of Alistair Overeem, the current K-1 champion. Overeem had 50 MMA fights behind him and beat Sefo by submission in the first round. Sefo's striking on the feet looked good, but as an inexperienced grappler he lost early on by neck crank.
| Lose
| 2-1-0
|
Valentijn Overeem
| Submission (Neck Crank)
| Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva
| 2011-02-12
| 1
| 1:37
| East Rutherford, New Jersey
, United States
|
|-
| Win
| 2-0-0
|
Kevin Jordan
| TKO (Injury)
| Strikeforce Challengers: Kennedy vs. Cummings
| 2009-09-25
| 2
| 0:24
| Bixby, Oklahoma
, United States
|
|-
| Win
| 1-0-0
|
Min-Soo Kim
| KO (High Kick)
| Hero's 2
| 2005-07-06
| 2
| 0:30
| Tokyo, Japan
|
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
kickboxer
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
, boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
. He is five time Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
World champion and eight time K-1 World Grand Prix
K-1 World Grand Prix
K-1 World Grand Prix, also known as the K-1 World GP, is an elimination kickboxing tournament that has been held annually since 1993 by the K-1 organization. Each year, K-1 holds various 16-men, 8-match grand prix style tournaments throughout the world to determine which 16 fighters will compete in...
Finals tournament participant, currently living in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and training with Xtreme Couture
Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts
Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts is a mixed martial arts training organization headed by former UFC Champion and former co-founder of Team Quest, Randy Couture. Xtreme Couture was founded with the flagship gym in Las Vegas...
.
He holds notable wins in the K-1 over Jerome Le Banner
Jérôme Le Banner
Jérôme "Geronimo" Le Banner , is a French kickboxer and K-1 superstar, famous for his aggressive fighting style and knockout power....
, Peter Aerts
Peter Aerts
Peter "The Dutch Lumberjack" Aerts is a Dutch super heavyweight kickboxer. He is a three-time K-1 World Grand Prix and Muay Thai World Champion. Aerts is best known for his powerful strikes and high kicks.- Biography :...
, Mark Hunt
Mark Hunt
Mark Hunt ; is a New Zealand kickboxer and mixed martial artist of Samoan descent, currently living in Sydney, Australia. Hunt competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is known for his raw strength, iron chin and knockout power. He won the K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 Final...
, Mike Bernardo
Mike Bernardo
Michael "Mike" Bernardo is a South African former kickboxer and boxer from Cape Town. Bernardo is known as Beru-chan in Japan, where he has taken part in K-1 World GPs since 1994...
, Bob Sapp
Bob Sapp
Robert Malcolm "Bob" Sapp is an American kickboxer, mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, actor, comedian and former professional American football player. Sapp currently has a combined fight record of 21–21–0, mostly fighting in Japan...
, Stefan Leko
Stefan Leko
Stefan "Blitz" Leko is a German-Croatian heavyweight kickboxer. He is former Muay Thai world heavyweight champion and Kickboxing world super-heavyweight champion, K-1 European Grand Prix 1998 champion, 1999 K-1 Dream champion and two time K-1 World Grand Prix in Las Vegas tournament champion...
and is one of only 5 men to ever knock down Semmy Schilt
Semmy Schilt
Semmy Schilt , also known as Sem Schilt, is a Dutch Ashihara karateka, kickboxer, mixed martial artist and four time K-1 World GP champion. He is the first and only fighter in K-1 history to win the championship three times in a row, and also shares the record with Ernesto Hoost for most GPs won,...
(the others being Alexey Ignashov
Alexey Ignashov
Alexey "The Red Scorpion" Ignashov is a Belarusian Super Heavyweight kickboxer. He is a four-time Muay Thai World champion, K-1 World GP 2003 in Paris and K-1 World GP 2001 in Nagoya tournament champion...
, Jan Nortje
Jan Nortje
Johannes "Jan" Nortje is a South African kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and undefeated pro boxer who has fought for Strikeforce, DREAM, K-1, PRIDE Fighting Championship, and New Japan Pro Wrestling....
, Remy Bonjasky
Remy Bonjasky
Remy "The Flying Gentleman" Bonjasky is a Dutch super heavyweight kickboxer of Surinamese descent. He is a three-time K-1 World Grand Prix champion, who has won the title in 2003, 2004, and 2008...
and Badr Hari
Badr Hari
Badr "The Golden Boy" Hari is a Moroccan-Dutch super heavyweight kickboxer, fighting out of Mike's Gym in Amsterdam. He is a former K-1 Heavyweight champion and K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 finalist. As of May 2011, Hari is ranked the #2 heavyweight in the world by LiverKick.com...
).
Biography
Trained in Wing ChunWing Chun
Wing Chun , also romanised as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, ; ; is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat.The alternative characters 永春 "eternal spring" are also...
as a youth, Sefo started developing his Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
fighting style under Thai legend Kiosot, then continued training under Lollo Heimuli (Balmoral Lee Gar gym). Sefo had an impressive unbeaten record as an amateur and a professional in the Oceania kickboxing league. Early in his career Sefo trained at Balmoral Lee Gar gym alongside Jason Suttie
Jason Suttie
Jason "Psycho" Suttie is a Samoan-born New Zealand former heavyweight kickboxer and 6 time Muay Thai World champion fighting out of Elite Thai Kickboxing Gym in Auckland, New Zealand.-Biography and career:...
, Jayson Vemoa
Jayson Vemoa
Jayson "Supercharge" Vemoa a former Muay Thai World Champion from New Zealand leading a successful coaching career in Japan as the Head Kickboxing Coach at the Ichigeki Academy in Tokyo for the IKO1 Kyokushin Organization, preparing Kyokushin kaikan for K-1 and other world wide professional...
, Doug Viney
Doug Viney
Doug Hanke "Vicious" Viney is a New Zealand heavyweight boxer and kickboxer. He is the K-1 World GP 2007 in Las Vegas champion, who also represented Tonga as a super heavyweight boxer under the name of Ma'afu Hawke at 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.-Biography and career:Viney made his K-1...
and his brother Rony Sefo.
Some would say his fight against Andre Manaart was his first major challenge on the world stage. In this fight he overwhelmed Manaart with devastating speed and elusive footwork,knocking him down on numerous occasions. In the ring after the fight, Manaart took the microphone and said "...you should call him Sugarfist, not Sugarfoot"...
His first major breakthrough was becoming a WKA cruiser weight champion, after which he also acted as a sparring partner for fellow New Zealander David Tua
David Tua
David "Tuamanator" Tua is a New Zealand professional heavyweight boxer, fighting out of South Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.He is a former WBO Asia Pacific and WBO Oriental Heavyweight champion....
when Tua first returned to New Zealand for a fight after turning pro.
Ray made his K-1 debut against future four-time World Grand Prix Champion, Ernesto Hoost
Ernesto Hoost
Ernesto Fritz "Mr. Perfect" Hoost is a Dutch former kickboxer and four-time K-1 World Champion. He made his debut in 1993 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 1993, where he came just one win short of the world title...
. Sefo held his own against the much more experienced Hoost, but was finally knocked out in the 4th round by a leg kick. Sefo gained respect for standing up to such an elite fighter in just his first fight.
Sefo gained more respect in his 3rd K-1 fight where he knocked out K-1 legend Jerome Lebanner in round 1. Sefo's hard right hand was enough to break the Frenchmans jaw in four places.
Sefo had a up down first few years in the K-1, unable to make it past the quarter finals in the K-1 World Grand Prix
K-1 World Grand Prix
K-1 World Grand Prix, also known as the K-1 World GP, is an elimination kickboxing tournament that has been held annually since 1993 by the K-1 organization. Each year, K-1 holds various 16-men, 8-match grand prix style tournaments throughout the world to determine which 16 fighters will compete in...
against the likes of Sam Greco
Sam Greco
Sam "Slam 'em" Greco is a retired Australian super heavyweight kickboxer, heavyweight mixed martial artist and professional wrestler of Italian descent, who fought in Kyokushin karate, professional kickboxing, and K-1 tournaments....
and Andy Hug
Andy Hug
Andy Hug was a Swiss Seidokaikan and Kyokushin karateka and kickboxer from Wohlen. Hug was the K-1 World Grand Prix 1996 champion and runner up in 1997 and 1998.-Biography and career:...
. In 2000 he made it to the WGP final after knocking out Japanese star Musashi
Musashi
Musashi may refer to:* Japanese corvette Musashi * Japanese battleship Musashi* Musashi , a 1935 novel by Eiji Yoshikawa* Musashi's, a Japanese feline musical group* Brave Fencer Musashi, a 1998 Playstation video game...
and French kickboxer Cyril Abidi
Cyril Abidi
Cyril "Marseille Bad Boy" Abidi is a French former super heavyweight kickboxer. His road to fame started in 2000 when he entered K-1 and created a huge upset with a first round knockout win over legendary Peter Aerts....
before losing again to Hoost.
In 2002 he defeated Dutch legend Peter Aerts
Peter Aerts
Peter "The Dutch Lumberjack" Aerts is a Dutch super heavyweight kickboxer. He is a three-time K-1 World Grand Prix and Muay Thai World Champion. Aerts is best known for his powerful strikes and high kicks.- Biography :...
in the quarter finals but lost again to his nemesis Hoost in the semi finals.
In 2007, he was thought to be a legitimate challenger to dethrone four-time World Grand Prix Champion Semmy Schilt
Semmy Schilt
Semmy Schilt , also known as Sem Schilt, is a Dutch Ashihara karateka, kickboxer, mixed martial artist and four time K-1 World GP champion. He is the first and only fighter in K-1 history to win the championship three times in a row, and also shares the record with Ernesto Hoost for most GPs won,...
for the new Super Heavyweight title. In Round 1, Sefo became only the second man in history to knock Schilt down. However, he would go on to lose by KO in round 2.
He went on to lose 5 more fights and would not find the winners circle again till he beat Hong Man Choi, Yosuke Nishijima
Yosuke Nishijima
Yōsuke "Yōsukezan" Nishijima is a Japanese professional boxer who has also competed in kickboxing and mixed martial arts.-Career:...
and Ionut Iftimoaie
Ionut Iftimoaie
Ionuţ Iftimoaie is a Romanian kickboxer. He participated in the K-1, Local Kombat and SuperKombat fighting promotions and defeated names such as Ray Sefo, Freddy Kemayo, Petar Majstorovic or Sergei Gur.-Kickboxing career:...
all by decision.
He was then asked to fight at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Seoul Final 16
K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Seoul Final 16
K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Seoul Final 16 was a martial arts event held by the K-1 on Saturday, October 2, 2010 at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul, Korea. It was the Final Elimination tournament for top sixteen fighters...
on ten days notice against Tyrone Spong
Tyrone Spong
Tyrone "King of The Ring" Spong is a Dutch-Surinamese kickboxer. He is the reigning WFCA Cruiserweight Muay Thai and the former It's Showtime 95MAX World champion, fighting out of Fighting Factory Carbin in Amsterdam, Netherlands....
. Ray put up a decent fight for a short preparation but was beaten by decision. At the moment Ray is unsure about whether he will continue to fight in the K-1, though he is still considered one of the sport's oldest and still entertaining fighters.
In mid February 2011 he had his third MMA fight in a reserve fight for the Strikeforce Heavyweight tournament. He fought Valentijn Overeem, brother of Alistair Overeem, the current K-1 champion. Overeem had 50 MMA fights behind him and beat Sefo by submission in the first round. Sefo's striking on the feet looked good, but as an inexperienced grappler he lost early on by neck crank.
Titles
- 2000 K-1 World Grand Prix 2000K-1 World Grand Prix 2000K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 Final was a kickboxing event promoted by the K-1 organization. It was the eighth K-1 Grand Prix final, involving eight of the world's top fighters, with all bouts fought under K-1 Rules...
runner up. - 1997 WKBA World Super Heavyweight World champion.
- 1996 WMTF World Heavyweight champion.
- 1996 ISKA World Super Cruiserweight Champion.
- 1995 ISKA World Cruiserweight Champion
- 1994 ISKA World Light Cruiserweight Champion.
- 1992 WMTF World Light Heavyweight Champion.
- 1992 South Pacific Cruiserweight Champion.
- 1991 New Zealand Cruiserweight Champion.
- 1990 New Zealand Heavyweight Champion.
Fight record
| Kickboxing Record | |
|---|---|
| Boxing Record | |
Legend: |
|
Mixed martial arts record
|-| Lose
| 2-1-0
|
Valentijn OvereemValentijn Overeem
Valentijn Overeem is a Dutch mixed martial artist who competes as a heavyweight. He has previously competed for the PRIDE Fighting Championships, RINGS and Strikeforce...
| Submission (Neck Crank)
| Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva
Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva
Strikeforce / M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Silva was a mixed martial arts event. It took place on February 12th, 2011 at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey...
| 2011-02-12
| 1
| 1:37
| East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
| 2-0-0
|
Kevin JordanKevin Jordan (MMA fighter)
Kevin Jordan is an American mixed martial artist. He is a two-time UFC veteran. Jordan competes in the Heavyweight division...
| TKO (Injury)
| Strikeforce Challengers: Kennedy vs. Cummings
Strikeforce Challengers: Kennedy vs. Cummings
Strikeforce Challengers: Kennedy vs. Cummings was a mixed martial arts event held by the Strikeforce. The third Challengers episode took place on September 25, 2009, at the SpiritBank Event Center in Bixby, Oklahoma.-Background:...
| 2009-09-25
| 2
| 0:24
| Bixby, Oklahoma
Bixby, Oklahoma
Bixby is a city in Tulsa and Wagoner counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and is a suburb of Tulsa. The population was 13,336 at the 2000 census and 20,884 in the 2010 census. It is nicknamed "The Garden Spot of Oklahoma" for its rich agrarian heritage...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
| 1-0-0
|
Min-Soo Kim| KO (High Kick)
| Hero's 2
| 2005-07-06
| 2
| 0:30
| Tokyo, Japan
|
See also
- List of kickboxing organizations
- List of male kickboxers
- List of K-1 events
- Champions of Champions EliteChampions of Champions EliteChampions of Champions Elite or COC-Elite is a martial arts television show focused on Muay Thai that is currently airing once a month on G4TV...
External links
- Profile at K-1K-1K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
- Ray Sefo Interview