At the 2006 K-1 World Grand Prix tournament, Remy Bonjasky sufferer two low blows that forced him to retire from the tournament. Although it was announced during his timeout that he had option to take the win by DQ, Remy and his team decided to courageously overcome the foul damage and win the fight as planned. In doing so, Bonjasky not only collected his 8^th career win in the tournament, but also scored his 7^th knockdown. Only Hoost (17) and Aerts (14) have won more matches in the tournament.

To win 8 bouts in 4 tournaments would be the equivalent of reaching the final 4 years in a row. Even that would produce an 8-4 record while Remy boasts an 8-1 record. Hoost’s last 8 wins stretch back to 1999 and Aerts’ stretch back to 1997. Bonjasky’s career is from 2003 – 2006. His 7 wins in a row set the GP undefeated streak record and tied the GP winning streak record (with Hoost).

When Bonjasky first broke into the K-1, he was primarily a grappling specialist. His height and superior fitness helped him excel in the sub-game of hold and hit. As his kicks improved, he became a young talent with a bright future. The turning point was in 2003 when he narrowly won the K-1 Las Vegas which qualified him for the final eliminations where he defeated Bob Sapp.

The K-1 then enforced the new one-knee rule. In short, if a fighter grabbed his opponent with both hands, he was only allowed to throw one knee strike. Grapplers such as Bonjasky and Ignashov needed to adjust. At the end of 2005, a no holding rule came into effect making the game even harder for Bonjasky’s kind.

Now trained by K-3 Grand Prix Champion Ivan Hippolyte of Vos Gym, the 2003 and 2004 Grand Prix champion is adjusting to the new rules. He is changing little-by-little from fight to fight.

2007 will be a good year for Remy. He is always a solid contender for the Grand Prix title and this year will be no different. Because he is a fighter in transition, it will be interesting to see what new things he will bring to the ring.