Zack_Mwekassa

Zack Mwekassa

Zack Mwekassa

Congolese boxer and kickboxer


Zack Mwekassa (born 20 January 1984) is a Congolese boxer and kickboxer who fights in GLORY. He is a former Interim Glory Light Heavyweight Champion.

Quick Facts Born, Other names ...

As of 1 October 2017, he is ranked the #4 light-heavyweight in the world by CombatPress.com.[1]

Biography

Mwekassa is the son of a chemist and his two brothers are lawyers. In addition to his fighting career, he is trained as a computer network engineer. He and his family were displaced from their native DR Congo during the Second Congo War that began in 1998.[2]

Career

Boxing

Mwekassa began his professional boxing career at the age of 22 in 2006 in South Africa. In the first 2 years of his career, he amassed an undefeated streak of 8-0 with all but one of the wins coming by way of TKO or KO. He experienced his first losses back-to-back in 2008 and 2009, before going on another 5-0 undefeated streak.

Kickboxing

Mwekassa began training in South Africa in 2003 with elite kickboxers, including the late Mike Bernardo.[2] His trainers intended him for the K-1 circuit but the opportunities were scarce, so he moved into professional boxing in 2006.

In 2014, Mwekassa resurrected his interest in kickboxing. He saw GLORY on television[2] and approached the company about fighting for them. He soon found himself scheduled to face popular MMA and kickboxing fighter Pat Barry at Glory 16: Denver.[2] In what many considered a shocking upset, he knocked out Barry with an incredible uppercut in the first round.

Mwekassa returned to the Glory ring on November 7, 2014 at Glory 18: Oklahoma.[3] He was part of a four-man, one-night tournament to decide the next Light Heavyweight title contender. Mwekassa started in impressive fashion as he knocked out Brian Collette in the semifinals. In the finals, he faced Saulo Cavalari. After a competitive back-and-forth two rounds, Mwekassa lost in the third round due to a head kick.[4]

Mwekassa had a rematch with Cavalari for the vacant Glory Light Heavyweight Championship at Bellator MMA & Glory: Dynamite 1 on September 19, 2015.[5] He lost the fight via majority decision.

He fought Mourad Bouzidi for the interim Glory Light Heavyweight title.[6] He defeated Bouzidi by a first round TKO.[7] Mwekassa fought the reigning Glory champion Artem Vakhitov during Glory 35, losing by TKO in the third round.[8]

Titles

Professional boxing record

More information 19 fights, 15 wins ...
More information No., Result ...

Kickboxing record (Incomplete)

More information Date, Result ...

See also


References

  1. "Combat Press Kickboxing Rankings: October 2017". combatpress.com.
  2. John Joe O'Regan (2014-05-02). "Zack Mwekassa: 'I come from a land of war'". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2014-05-04.

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