Sem Schilt of the Netherlands is the reigning K-1 Grand Prix Champion, yet feelings among fans are mixed concerning how impressive this champion is compared to the champions of the past. Some believe he measures up well to his elder peers while others believe that he does not. He is certainly the largest champion in Grand Prix history at 212cm and 128kg. Some feel that his awkward style and immense size make him less of a champion. Others feel that his relentless attack and superior fitness earn him respect. 

Given his age and the number of fighting years ahead of him, it would be unfair to compare his career achievements to Ernesto Hoost and Peter Aerts. Hoost has won 4 Grand Prix titles and has defeated 17 opponents in the famous tournament; both are records. Peter Aerts has won the Grand Prix 3 times and has defeated 14 opponents. Aerts also holds the record for most appearances in a row, 14. Bonjasky, at this point, has claimed two titles and collected 8 victories.

Nonetheless, comparisons can be made in terms of his reign. He will still have the disadvantage of comparing his sole reign to each of the 4 reigns Hoost has enjoyed and the 3 that Aerts has, but it will be fair.  

So, what is a successful reign? 
- First is the tournament itself. It is a one day event that will crown a fighter for a whole year. Did the champion have to face stiff competition or did he get an easy ride? How dominant was the champion in the tournament?
- Second is the record throughout the year. Did the champion maintain an undefeated record? If not, did he maintain a winning record or a losing record?
- Third is how successful the fighter was in trying to reclaim his crown for a second year in a row. Did he win the title? Did he make it to the final round of the tournament? Was he eliminated early. 
- Lastly, is the alpha factor. It is that little detail that we can't ignore: age, size, background, etc.

1- Sem Schilt, 2005. Schilt had a thoroughly dominating rise to the title and reign throughout the year. In his first Grand Prix, he defeated Ray Sefo, Remy Bonjasky and Glaube Feitosa in 11:56, second only to Peter Aerts in 1998 in speed to the title. That time included a full 9 minutes with Sefo. Throughout his reign, Schilt collected a 4-2 record with wins over Hoost, Mori, Van Dams and Bregy. The two losses to Aerts and Choi were dubious and highly criticized. Schilt then collected his second title in as many years and got revenge over Aerts.

2- Ernesto Hoost, 1999. It isn't surprising that Ernesto is in a top spot. He's won the Grand Prix 4 times and, therefore, had a 37% chance of one of his reigns being credited this high. In 1999, he defeated very stiff competition, Andy Hug, Jerome LeBanner and Mirko Filipovic. He had a 4-1 record with wins over Greco, Berbachi, Vassilikos and Van Dams. The loss came at the hands of LeBanner during the final round of yet another tournament. Hoost suffered an injured knee during his match against VanDams and between rounds his corner threw in the towel. He repeated as champion by winning the K-1 Grand Prix 2000.

4- Andy Hug, 1996. Hug defeated a giant (Duane Vander Marve), a future 4-time champion (Ernesto Hoost) and the man who had knocked him out twice (Mike Bernardo) to become champion. He then went on to earn a 6-2-1 record. He won against Sadau Kiatsongrit, Stan Longinidis, Masaaki Satake, Mike Bernardo and Pierre Guenette. His two losses came at the hands of Peter Aerts and Francisco Filho. The draw was against Sam Greco. Although he didn't repeat as champion, he did make it to the finals and in doing so, got revenge for his loss to Aerts during his reign. Some pieces of trivia that fall in the category of "alpha factor" are: Andy was the first karateka to win the Grand Prix, he was the smallest Grand Prix champion, he was the only K-1 fighter to make it to the final round of the tournament 3 years in a row and he reigned for 18 months.

6-Peter Aerts, 1994. The competition was relatively weak in 1994. Rob Esdonk, Patrick Smith and Masaaki Satake are not very feared opponents. Nor was Aerts' record particularly amazing, 2-0 over unheralded fighters: Grant Barker and Kirkwood Walker. The reason this reign is so high is because Aerts won the title at 23 years of age (a record) and then went on to repeat as champion in 1995 (a first in the K-1).

8-Ernesto Hoost, 2000. Hoost systematically handled 3 tough opponents: Mirko Filipovic, Francisco Filho and Ray Sefo. It took him 30:00 to complete the task. He then earned a 4-0 record over Musashi, Sergei Gur, Mark Hunt and Matt Skelton. His goal to three-peat as champion was stopped due to an injury that happened during his victory over Stefan Leko in the 2001 Grand Prix. Undefeated and sitting in the dressing room with a swollen foot, he watched Mark Hunt become the newest Grand Prix champion.

10-Peter Aerts, 1995. At age 24, Aerts won the title over Hoost and LeBanner. Although they are both respectable opponents, his opening match up was against an unheralded Japanese fighter named Atogawa who was replacing Sam Greco. During his reign, Aerts grabbed a 4-0 record over Michael Thompson, Sam Greco, Mike Bernardo and Jean Claude Leuyer. Aerts' 1995 reign may have been good enough to occupy a higher rank on this list if not for the beating he took from Bernardo in the opening round of the 1996 Grand Prix tournament.

12-Remy Bonjasky, 2004. Bonjasky took very close decisions over Ernesto Hoost and Francois Botha before meeting Akio Mori in the final. Although the judges decisions stirred tremendous controversy, Bonjasky became the first to ever win the 2 titles in his fist two attempts. His effort to extend the record in 2005 was stopped in the first round of the semi final against Sem Schilt. During his reign he earned a 3-1 record with wins over Ray Mercer, Rickard Nordstrand and Alexei Ignashov. The loss was at the hands of Mo Siliga in Las Vegas.