Semmy Schilt, 5-Time Grand Prix Winner, UFC, PRIDE & Pancrase Fighter, Retires

One of the All-Time Greats in all of combat sports, Semmy Schilt has retired, citing a heart condition at age 39. Schilt was an incredible fighter in Kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts, with records of (43-6-1 with 20 KO’s) and (26-14-1 14 KO’s, 10 Submissions). At 6’11 and 1/2 inches tall, one of the tallest athletes in all of combat sports, he began his fighting career exclusively in MMA and found Kickboxing in 2002.

His roots were in Ashihara Karate, where he became a Black Belt at age 18. Training with the World Famous Golden Glory Gym in Holland, he began fighting for Pancrase in Japan and achieved a record of 18-9-1 when he came to the UFC. He defeated Petey Williams and then lost to Josh Barnett and then moved to the PRIDE Fighting Championships. In these last few years in his MMA career, only the very best heavyweights, such as Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Barnett were able to defeat him.

The Dutch native’s transition to kickboxing would be where his greatest achievements would happen. Schilt would become K-1 World Grand Prix Champion a record four times, (along with Ernesto Hoost) and would be the only fighter ever to win the tournament on three consecutive occasions (2005,’06 & ’07).

Then last year he made his debut for the Glory World Series and won the World Heavyweight title for the promotion by defeating Brice Guidon in Moscow, by Unanimous Decision. At Glory 1 Stockholm, Schilt faced Errol Zimmerman and won by a 3rd round TKO (corner stoppage) and later that year announced as the number one seed into the Glory Heavyweight Grand Slam Tournament. On December 31st, New Year’s Eve Glory 4 Tokyo took place, and the field of sixteen of the world’s best kick boxers fought in a single-elimination tournament to determine the winner of a $400,000 check and the right to say they were truly the best in the world. Semmy drew Guidon as his first round opponent and won by a KO punch in the second round. Next he fought emerging young star, Rico Verhoeven and won by unanimous decision in what he called his toughest fight of the night. Then his only battle ever with Turkish-born Gokhan Saki would end as another UD after handling Saki for two rounds. In the end it was the number 3 seeded Daniel Ghita who would fall to a Schilt KO head kick in the opening round in the finals in the opening minute.

The man called ‘Hightower’ proved that he was truly the best on the planet after winning one of the deepest tournaments of all time. His wins in his career over Hoost, Remy Bonjasky, Jerome LeBanner, Peter Aerts, Badr Hari, Ray Sefo and Hedsy Gerges are all testament to the man who has become legend in combat sports. Five World Class Tournament wins over a span of eight years is something we may never see again in kickboxing, MMA or any heavyweight combat sport.

With the details not fully revealed at this time about his health, its certainly possible that it has to do with the premature death of another kickboxing legend, Ramon ‘Diamond’ Dekkers. He was one of Schilt’s teammates and a man just a few years older than the giant, who died at 43 years young while on his bicycle in February of this year.

Enjoy your time after fighting, Semmy, you have nothing left to do, your legend is secure.

wekka wrote:He's accomplished everything as a kickboxer. He has nothing left to prove, so good for him.