MONDAY, March 23rd, 2020, AT 9:00 PM/ PST


Kickboxing Loses Another Champion...

Legend Branko Cikatic

Past Away Today.


He Was The First-ever K-1 Champion And He Was Only 65 Years Old.

October 3rd, 1954 - March 23rd, 2020

Some Info From Wikipedia & Some From www.bcikatic.htnet.hr


Branko "The Croatian Tiger"
Cikatic Highlights HD

It all began in May 2018, when he was admitted to the emergency department of a hospital in Split because of low back pain, which caused him to have blood clots. He was treated at the cardiology department, but unfortunately, one blood clot came through his bloodstream to the lungs and caused a pulmonary embolism.

He was unconsciously transferred to intensive care, where his condition became more complicated after he received sepsis via a catheter. The bacterium entered his urine, then into his blood, and after quite some time he also received decubitus ...

The struggle for his life at the Split hospital lasted for a three months, from May to August last year, during which he was transferred from ward to ward, after which he continued his treatment at a Knin hospital, which is not as burdensome for patients as Split's, and which has care for inpatients.

Cikatic spent two months in Knin in which his condition stabilized slightly, but this was far from a cure. Afterwards he was treated in Zagreb, and at the end of last year he was brought to a somewhat better condition in Solin, where his family took care of him. However, sadly today he lost his battle...

In 1993, the founder of K-1, Kazuyoshi Ishii put 8 of the top heavyweight kickboxers in the ring for the first K-1 Grand Prix tournament. Branko Cicatic of Croatia knocked out all three of his opponents to seize the first Grand Prix title. At age 38, Cikatic set the record for the oldest fighter to ever win the title.

Background Bio From
http://www.bcikatic.htnet.hr

Born in Split, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia on October 3, 1954, as young boy, with only 12 years of age Cikatic start training Tae-kwon-do in which he made to black belt. When he was 16 years old he took karate lessons (shotokan style) in which he made black belt, and in the same time he trained Judo and attained blue belt. At age 18 he started training in english boxing and as a fighter he had won 16 of the 17 bouts he fought in. It was then he started doing Full Contact Kickboxing.

For a full decade, he won World and European martial arts championships, at both amateur and professional levels. In his twenty-year-long athletic career, he himself inflicted knock-out defeats in almost 200 of the 250 contest he had fought.

As one of the world's finest athletes and at the peak of his career, Branko, (the "Croatian Tiger") founded TIGAR, a company which provides physical and technical security and protection. Throughout the years of his career in which he has trained with many world champion and Grand Master's of the martial arts he preserved his personal physical, moral and mental integrity, due to his innate intelligence, strength, tenacity and natural talent. By his imparting his experience and knowledge to others, by paying close attention to the most important details of the professional, Branko made TIGAR a dependable and conscientious guardian of people's property, personal privacy and of large gatherings covered by the media.

Additionally, Branko was the founder of the Croatian Tigar Sports Club, and custom built sports halls for training and practicing in the martial arts that were constructed in Zagreb and Split. Club members, one of whom holds the European professional Thai boxing title, have achieved significant and creditable results.

"I HAVE IT ALL" Branko would say; being as he was one of the world's most successful athletes, a world champion several times over, and winner of numerous gold medals in martial arts and full contact fighting. In Japan, he enjoys great popularity as one of the best-known sumo wrestlers; he is also one of the rare Europeans whose name Japanese fans pronounce correctly when shouting their support during his contests.

Branko past away on March 23rd, 2020.
He is survived by his wife Ivana Davidovski Cikatic, son Bruno and daughters Maja and Lucija.

He retired from the sport with a full contact fighting record of
*92 wins, 5 defeats and 1 draw or no contest.


Branko was without a doubt a Legend of the sport.


Rest in Peace Branko Cikatic.
You're one of God's Champions now...










In Memoriam Branko Cikatic
"The Croatian Tiger"



The Croatian Tiger



Branko Cikatic Tribute











Branko With Trainer Thom Harinck of the Famous Chakuriki Gym









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