Rob Kaman

After only a few fights in the later years, because of too many injuries and a new movie with Jean-Claude Van Damme (Legionnaire), Rob decided to end his career, back where it all started, in the Netherlands. On 24 October 1999, he fought for the last time, against Alexey Ignashov, a 21-year-old amateur world champion in kickboxing. Rob won the fight by points, but after the fight he said that his opponent was the real winner and gave his trophy to Ignashov.

In 1995 he participated in the K-2 tournament in Paris, France. His first fight was against Lavelle Robinson and he won by KO. In his second fight, he fought the Australian Tosca Petridis and was the winner again. In the finals, after two fights that night, he went against Jerome Turcan from France. Rob was full of injuries from his previous fights. During round four, he was bleeding heavily but knocked Turcan out with two high kicks at the end of the round. After all his world titles, he also won the K-2 tournament in Paris, France.

On 26 November 1993 Rob fought against another great Dutch champion Rick V.D. Vathorst. Kaman knocked him out in the 2nd round and showed the Dutch crowd that after all these years he was still the best.

Towards the end of his sports career, Kaman tried his hand at acting, playing in three movies with Jean-Claude Van Damme, "Legionnaire", "Maximum Risk" and "Double Team" with Dennis Rodman and Mickey Rourke. In 1993, Nikko Toshogu Press produced 8 videotapes on Muay Thai training with him and one videotape with highlights and knock outs of his career.

On January 25, 1992, Kaman challenged his first professional MMA bout in RINGS against Nobuaki Kakuda. He won by TKO with a knee shot to grounded opponent in 3rd round.

On 29 June 1991, Kaman fought against Luc Verheye in France for the world WKA title. Luc Verheye had beaten Peter Smit and was the new world champion. Kaman beat Luc Verheye and took the title back.

In 1990 Kaman played in the movie "Bloodfist" with Don Wilson and Billy Blanks and fought three times against Changpuek Kiatsongrit from Thailand and Eddy Matthieu from France. During the summer he had a fight in Japan against Peter Smit. Smit was a newcomer and a WKA European champion. Kaman became a father with the birth of his son Gaby just before the fight. Rob lost his world title.

On 9 April 1989 Kaman fought in the Netherlands again against Jan Wessels from Arnhem. Kaman also organized that event and did not have the time to prepare properly for the fight. He lost the fight and many people thought that his career was over. At the end of the year, he came back and beat Wessels by knock out in the 2nd round for a WKA world title.

After that, Kaman fought many different fighters in Amsterdam: Ernest Simmons (WKA rules), Ernesto Hoost (WKA rules), Payap (rematch on Muay Thai rules), Roger Hurd (WKA rules) and Sittisak (Muay Thai rules). He won them all and at the end of 1987 the Japanese asked him to come fight in Japan.

During the year 1985, he beat Larry McFadden in the 3rd round by a knockout and three months later he took his revenge on Lakchart. He knocked Lakchart out in the 4th round.

On 12 January 1984 he fought Payap Premchai, the champion of Thailand, in the Jaap Edenhal in Amsterdam and was declared the winner by unanimous decision.

In April 1984 he had a rematch with John Moncayo in Miami, Florida. This time he knocked Moncayo out with a punch in the 3rd round. At the end of that year he beat the great Thai fighter Samart Prasanmirt in Hong Kong as well as Jean Marc Tonus for the European title of full contact.

On 23 September 1983 he fought John Moncayo for the world title WKA of kickboxing. Kaman knocked him out in the 3rd round with a low kick and became the first European WKA world champion in kickboxing.

In 1980 Rob became an A-class fighter in the Netherlands. He won most of his fights by K.O. The turning point for him was his fight with Blinky Rodriquez, the cousin of Benny Urquidez. Kaman knocked him out in the 2nd round with a low kick to the leg. That was his international breakthrough. From then on, Kaman started fighting in Thailand.

Rob "The Dutchman" Kaman (Born June 5, 1960 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch retired 9-time kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion. He is often called "Mr. Low Kick" because of his feared low kicks which he used to set up his devastating offensive attacks.