Watch Zambidis first match with Chahid. Type "Best k1 fight ever" and enjoy my friend. The title is not click bait!! The cardio on that match alone from both fighters will blow your mind. It was a war....
What am I watching???? How does someone this talented go unnoticed???? Im half way through the video and can honestly say I'm entertained, amazed and disappointed I never heard of this guy. He needs more praise in the world of MMA
Watch Zambidis first match with Chahid. Type "Best k1 fight ever" and enjoy my friend. The title is not click bait!! The cardio on that match alone from both fighters will blow your mind. It was a war....
Happy to see that people see Michalis story.A true Legend here in Greece.And by far one of the most humble and kind champions that you can meet.He is a true inspiration!
Watch Zambidis first match with Chahid. Type "Best k1 fight ever" and enjoy my friend. The title is not click bait!! The cardio on that match alone from both fighters will blow your mind. It was a war....
What's even more interesting about him is how adorable he is. He was in the greek dancing with the stars and everyone kept voting for him cause he was like a tiny baby that needed to be protected 😊
I'm Greek and I was an active Muay Thai practicioner at the time Zambidis was rising. So, there's way more to this man than the video shows. I lived close by, literally in the next area of where his gym is now (my area is called Chalandri, I'm like 3 minutes away by car). There's a few things the video doesn't cover, understandably so, maybe, since focusing on the fights only. One thing that enraged the whole of Greece back in the day is that Gher Kan had insulted and disrespected both him and Greece before the fight, because he was Turkish. This was one of the few times that I saw the media covering a Zambidis fight in my lifetime. The moment Zambidis knocked him out clean was one of the most satisfying things I've ever watched and you could hear the roaring cheers throughout the neighbourhood from all the people watching the fight. Other than that, we have to take into account that in Greece, martials arts are hobbies. Yeah, you heard it right. There's no funding, there's no sponsoring, Greece itself doesn't give a flying f**k about you or your martial arts. So Zambidis was most likely doing this as a secondary thing until he got enough money and fame from his fights. I don't have proof but knowing Greece, I doubt he ever got financial support from the government for doing all these things. To top it all off, he's the NICEST guy you've ever seen. I've seen him a few times around boxing/kickboxing/martial arts events, he's always respectful, always has been a kind guy that's smiling, and contributing to the community. His gym instantly became famous in Athens, just the fact that he opened a gym alone. I used to drive by his gym every day before I leave Greece. I met so many people that started martial arts and stuck to it because they had him as a role model and you couldn't understand how right they are and how much we all admire him. By us, I mean every day normal Greek men, be it in martial arts or not. Also, there's a video of him scaring and chasing two burglars away from his house which is the funniest thing you've ever seen because as soon as they knew who he is they got scared shitless. I wish Greece would promote and support more guys like Mike, I owe him my pride to be Greek in a time where Greece failed all of us, financially, where we were all somewhat ashamed to be called the poorest in Europe, where I (and many others like me) had to leave and live in another country to make ends meet. Edit: When you saw in the videos the height discrepancy between him and his opponents, that's not odd. The guy is TINY, but he hits like a freight truck. If you haven't seen the Buakaw fight, go for it. You'll understand he was up there, even though he lost.
As a non-Greek person, he just reminds me of Wanderlei Silva. At any point I feel like one could have taken the other’s place and fit in seamlessly. Both of them are absolute brawlers with crazy highlight reels
Besides of a true warrior and a champion Mike is the epitomy of a real athlete. He is kind and humble,always with a smile in his face and a positive attitude. True Greek warrior.
There's advantages and disadvantages to both. You train to exploit every physical attribute you have to full advantage and there's advantages to shorter arms like how the actual Mike Tyson could swing hooks wildly at full force but not get off balance and as a consequence could deliver 3, 4, 5 shot combinations at devastating power.
@@raydiaz9218 while that may be true height makes him extremely vulnerable to kicks, not to mention his short range because the original poster did report it
and weight*.. there is a thing in fighting sports called...CUTTING or WEIGHT BULLYING where the likes of Kraus-Kyshenko-Parr-Buakaw-Souwer-Sato-Masato-Kohi-Groenhart-Petrosian-Drago and more are weight in for 5 minutes 70kg and walking at 76-80kg inside the ring(regenerating their wasted water without losing muscle mass) while zambo who was alrdy bloated for his height( moved up 3-4 divisions from 61kg) was walking and fighting at 68,5-69kg... thats a HUGE DISADVANTAGE for naturally smaller guys.
greetings from turkey, i used to wake up 03:00 o'clock in the morning to watch this guy matches 15 years ago .. iron mike zambidis, talent, dexterity, rage, power, agility, unmatched speed, sportsmanship, humbleness and courage, he has a heart of lion, no retreat, no surrender .. thanks for the memories any greek national reading this, you should tell your government to erect a bronze statue honoring Mike Zambidis in athens acropolis .. respect
as Greek New Yorker from the New York when you had to earn the right to walk on our street... Mike was always welcomed to Brooklyn 🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸❤❤❤❤
@Mr_Winters_145 Just a historical note: The Spartans and Athenians once went to war against the Pontians because of a woman. Watch the movie "Troy", good movie!
Really something to be proud of. People try to kill each other. Welcome to the club, there have been 600,000,000 before you. But you can't blame him if you have the consciousness of a wallflower!
I remember the good old days of K1 and K1 Max watching Mike Zambidis fights live on tv, always rooted for him no matter who's the opponent . Mike was like a Greek warrior from antiquity worthy of ancestors like King Leonidas or Achilles
@@Ektelesths777 όπως κατάλαβες η ανθελληνας είναι η Αλβανός. Σέ λίγα χρόνια θά απαντάνε και οι Πακιστανοί στα ελληνικά στο TH-cam και θα λέμε κοίτα να δεις
A real fighter. No showboating or trash talk, just real kick ass fighting. I first saw a video of him about 15 plus years back. I think his first fight with Chahid is one of the best fights I've ever seen.
With my many years living in the West, I can attest that Greeks are honorable people who will engage in fair fights. I respect my Greek brothers for upholding dignity and integrity. From Kandahar with Love.
Zambidis fight against Buakaw was absolutely incredible even though he 'lost' ... I LOVED his defense in that fight. highly skilled fighter that deserves all the praise and recognition!!
In an interview back in 2006 Prime buakaw proclaimed zambidis his hardest fight ever.. first time in his career who never had fun fighting someone and instead he had to stay to the gameplan and hold the distance.
I’ll be 50 in May. My body has been through hell and the chronic pain I battle daily isn’t something I wish on anyone, but watching this channel gets me inspired and motivated to continue moving forward. I’ve had to approach things differently…mainly thinking “What should I do” instead of “What can I do”. What’s this channel have to do with that? Well, watching these amazingly skilled fighters get knocked down but come back with a vengeance does wonders for the mind of someone battling physical pain. Anyways, I just wanted to show my appreciation and support to the channel creator(s) and the community in the comments sections. I have learned a lot reading your comments and found that there are lots of folks like me who are in similar situations, but they aren’t giving up either. Be well and safe everyone.
Best wishes from Santa Monica, California USA. I am also recovering from pain and injuries. I loved boxing and boxed when I was younger. Keep going, never stop trying. The Lord is with you. 💪👍🤝🙏
Mike is the best motivator for everyone, when a short guy can extinguish anyone, we look at the greats, but they are all tall, heavy, and Mike is like a baby doll, but what strength lies in him
As a Greek I can say that Zambidis was for sure a phenomenal fighter, but he is a far better person than a warrior! Always smiling, positive, peaceful, modest and big hearted! These qualities are far more important than his brutal fighting skills! I wish him and his family all the best and thank him for the unforgettable moments that he gave us!
I found out about him a little over a decade ago while watching him against Turkish fighters. As a Turk, I respect his warrior spirit and even against some arrogant (Turkish) fighters, he held his composure and fought like a sportsman, no boasting, no name calling no ego. Hell of a fighter, nothing but respect for him. Wish him the best with his family and school.
He is a very nice guy,two kids tried to rob his house and unfortunately for them mike was coming home. He told the kids if they try to run he will catch them and give them a beating. He then called the police and all the robbers with mike waited for the police to come. He could have destroyed both of those kids but didn’t want to as its a lesson for both robbers
@M P Don't be too hard on him, I am sure he went along with it for PR and image reasons. Every race/nation has bad apples, I'd worry to much about it as that will never change. All Turks are mixed, hardly no one is pure Turk (whatever that might even be?). The land was a melting pot for centuries. I never knew my grandparents on dad's side were from Albania and Romania and mom's side was Georgia and Uzbekistan. Society does a very good job of labeling people based on race, nationality, religion, etc. and as a result segregating people and creating animosity between them because people tend to focus on their differences instead of commonalities.
Buakaw had said in an interview that Mike Zambidis is one of the best fighters he has faced in the ring and went to visit him, in Greece. they are friends..
Zambo! I remember watching him way back in the day. I’m a tall dude but I’m gonna be honest - there’s nothing more entertaining than watching a little guy knock out tall guys. You just don’t expect it.
imagine winning 90% of your matches against opponents that are far below your level of skill. complete mismatch-ups his entire career. and when he was up against people of similar talent? he lost. far from legendary status.
Of course a lot of you didn't heard him because he is humble and stayed away from all the media shit A true inspiration and influence Iron mike Ζαμπιδης
@@racexine Every last one of them have been beaten. MAYWEATHER JON JONES. GERVONTE DAVIS. UNDEFEATED. 🤡Humble fighters are gay. Was Mohamed Ali humble?
I can't get enough of his fights!!! True warrior and a very nice guy!!! I wish you all the best for your family and thank you for everything that you have given us!!! 😉
I had fallen out of watching K-1 for a while, then happened to catch the 2010 World MAX tournament live and was blown away by his skill. Gago Drago also had an amazing knockout on that card. That tournament was absolutely stacked.
The humble pie of Greece..the Aussie's loved him like he was one of their own.Zambo Mike is the most humble champion and a strategic brutal warrior when he was on his zone ✊
I'm a proud Aussie and we will claim as own! Didn't know he fought in Oz but I watched his fights as a pump up for footy (the one with the oval ball lol) What an absolute legend and person we could all aspire to be :)
Holy crap! This dude was fire! I wouldn't be surprised if his ancient ancestor is Achilles. Dude fights like he's a chainsaw caught on your leg. Awesome fighter!
Watch Zambidis first match with Chahid. Type "Best k1 fight ever" and enjoy my friend. The title is not click bait!! The cardio on that match alone from both fighters will blow your mind. It was a war....
RESPECT from Greece to Michel Zamb..in 90'and 2000 zambidis smash all opponents in Greece and Europe.. he is top dog in the athlete..one punch And man down..so short but his punch kill a rino or elephant..BIG respect from all funs in Greece and thessaloniki..Μονο αγαπη και σεβασμο στον μεγαλο αυτο αθλητη αλλα προπάντων στον ανθρωπο Μιχαλη Ζαμπιδη με την χρυση καρδια κ ατσαλενια ψυχη..Συγχαρητήρια για ολα οσα μας εδωσες Μεγαλε Μιχαλαρα
What a sportsman, what a fighter! As a greek I can only say that he is really a role model and I am very proud of him and thankful that he always represented us so well!🇬🇷🇬🇷
I remember watching him in high school when K1 was not very popular in the US. He blew my mind with his strikes and combinations. Ive never seen flying knees knock someone out on tv before. Glad he has a family now.
He was robbed of success at the highest level more than once which is sad. He deserved to wear that crown. He is not spoken of enough imo so thank you for making this video. He really was a great, technical fighter and what you got from him every time was unbridled violence.
*One of the baddest on the planet to ever do it! Respect for this video and highlighting this incredible fighter in the toughest of disciplines 10/10!*
Really enjoyed this video! Nicely put together of a true warrior! Mike had a lot of heart, and a great run in the top ranks! GOD BLESS! GOOD FOR YOU MIKE!
@@nuclear9977 lol those super kicks did not bother enough a small zambo in comparison to buakaw to stop... let's be realistic.. he was just too small for buakaw and nothing more... if he was 10 cm higher and 5 kg heavier buakaw would be lying on the floor... mike was always fighting against 20, 30 cm higher opponents. And Hella heavier than him.. if he was at the same anthropomorphia as buakaw buakaw would be a meal for zambo... I respect buakaw because he won zambidis fair in points.... not like the Japanese k1 judges that favored their athletes while it was obvious their athlete lost
@@ragetemplar5104 indeed 2 super sayan midgets throwing bombs to each other non stop🤣 I really can't tell who would win although am a huge zambo fan...
This is my first time hearing of this man. WOW! I don't even have to watch another video, he's arguably now my favorite kick boxer. What a legendary fighter.
I love kick boxing but surprised I never heard about Mike until this video. At just 5'6" he is one of the hardest, if not the hardest hitters I've ever seen. I appreciate this documentary on Zambidis.
@@MrCpolzin remember Michael McDonald and Carter and Duke Rufus? The HW's were always the main attraction, Mike Z was literally like the only little guy they ever showed.
@@EKk8819 Carter Williams and Duke Rufous. Yes indeed I do ! Being from Australia though I used to mainly watch K1 Oceania fights. Mike Z was a little man but you know what they say, 'cocaine's a hell of a drug' lol.
In 2012 there was a local MMA fight promotion where Mike Zambidis was the guest star and he was so polite and patient when hundreds of people were asking him to take a photo with him. I remember gently hugging him by the shoulder for the photo and i could feel the most dense muscle i ve ever felt in my life and that was after a year of me training with many jiu jitsu guys and knowing how real strength feels like
Jiujitsu is so you don't have to fight or find out how good someone is. If you're one on one and you find yourself against a monster like this guy then yeah it could help you or not because he's still a phenom in what he does.
@GQLoc you have to be a top 0.01% and really physically strong BJJ guy to survive and perhaps beat a guy like Zambides (no ground game) in a ring fight with MMA rules
Yes he had devastating punching power and accurecy, not once has anyone mentioned how tight his defense was to get thru. And counter punching, off the charts, but let talk about his defense, i believe he was the best at all of those things and humble family man on top of all that. 👏👏
@@kungfuhustle6363 I will, and I don't even care about the sports so much. zambidis is a incredible fighter and also wonderful to look at. how can someone be 10-20-30cm smaller and lighter, and yet dropping countless of bodies. Seriously. Try to fight someone 30cm taller than you. You have to be ruthless and focused in mindset and on top of your game to overcome the gap
Watch Zambidis first match with Chahid. Type "Best k1 fight ever" and enjoy my friend. The title is not click bait!! The cardio on that match alone from both fighters will blow your mind. It was a war....
What an animal Mike zambidiz is❤, never heard of such a worrier till now,,, long live the legend mick,,, fantastic fights bud,,, top marks in all your bouts mike😊👍👍❤️🇬🇧🇬🇧
Its shocking how many people did not know about IRON MIKE until your video! Thank you for making our hero in Greece well known to the rest of the world. Zambidis was not only a legend of his game but also a great and humble human beeing , we Greeks can confirm to you all the greatness of his personality. We still love him so much! Also his fight vs Chahid will stay in history as the best kickboxing fight (if not all martial arts ). Its in this video thankfully but you can check the full fight somewhere and you will agree with me. Congraz for this insane video on our goat!
My dad boxed half of his life from childhood to early adulthood and took deep inspiration from Anton Christoforidis. It should also be noted that modern boxing is heavily based off of Ancient Greek Boxing which is why modern boxing is officially listed as the "descendant art" of Ancient Greek Boxing 💪🏻🇬🇷
Γεια σου ρε φίλε. Σπαμάρω αυτό τον αγώνα πού λες σε όσους γράφουν ότι βλέπουν πρώτη φορά που τον Μιχάλη. Και όλοι μου απαντάνε wow μετά 😂😂. Παθαίνουν πλάκα
A true fireplug unleashed. What a pitbull he is and retired with a great career and a beautiful family. So exciting to watch this brawler with finesse in the ring. Thanks for the showcase of kickboxing's brute force a true champion.
He was a devastating killa in the ring. I had the pleasure of watching one of his fights and K-1 when I was in the Navy and that’s how I became of fan! You could actually hear his punches where I was sitting at. (I was in the 5th row) let me tell you it was awesome. So glad he’s doing well.
As a Greek who was born in 2003 I have to say that he was (and for most of the people up until my age still is) The Mike (MIchalis). The man who cannot feel pain and at the same time a short bald lovely guy with a heartwarming smile who became an icon for literary millions of Greeks. Even if you were not into martial arts you knew who was Iron Mike and if there was a fight on the television you had to watch it. Truly an icon of Greek sports history and one of those athletes we will talk about to our children.
It’s like he builds his K.O meter and just releases it with a perfectly accurate strike right on time. The ambient energy of the fight when he knocks them out too is something else, his warrior mode deactivates and he goes off to look for next worthy opponent
He has a unique physique. Gymnastics gave him an edge with overall strength, flexibility, precision, and coordination. I really like how he doesn't go in for overkill when he knows his opponent is done.
As one of the first arround uploading Zambidis-Fighting-Videos back then (I had to delete a few because of copyright removal requests) I salute you for this documentary. Awesome work!
Golden days of K1, I really loved Mike and cheered for him, great fighter, fantastic sportsman, and even better person. Great video with excellent comments, especially the one about Jon "Dope" Jones. Keep up with good work.
Watch Zambidis first match with Chahid. Type "Best k1 fight ever" and enjoy my friend. The title is not click bait!! The cardio on that match alone from both fighters will blow your mind. It was a war....
Damn he had a lot of power for this size. Also glad to see someone who just fights instead of trash talking like a lot of others.
Watch Zambidis first match with Chahid. Type "Best k1 fight ever" and enjoy my friend. The title is not click bait!! The cardio on that match alone from both fighters will blow your mind. It was a war....
@@BoogieBubble thanks I will check it out man.
@@Afura33 Np my friend. You will love it....
He had a lot of aggression.
Nothing wrong with displaying character..
Just keep the trashy talk away from family members
What am I watching???? How does someone this talented go unnoticed???? Im half way through the video and can honestly say I'm entertained, amazed and disappointed I never heard of this guy. He needs more praise in the world of MMA
Watch Zambidis first match with Chahid. Type "Best k1 fight ever" and enjoy my friend. The title is not click bait!! The cardio on that match alone from both fighters will blow your mind. It was a war....
This is kickboxing not MMA.
KAUSE YOUR MIND IS GABAGE
MMA? MMA means Mixed Martial Arts. He was a kickboxer. Two different sports
Kick Boxing…
Happy to see that people see Michalis story.A true Legend here in Greece.And by far one of the most humble and kind champions that you can meet.He is a true inspiration!
Never heard of Zambidis And now this is the best video I've ever seen on kickboxing. What a genuine beast!?
Watch Zambidis first match with Chahid. Type "Best k1 fight ever" and enjoy my friend. The title is not click bait!! The cardio on that match alone from both fighters will blow your mind. It was a war....
How the hell you never heard of the world champion ? 😂
I'm Ron Burgundy?
I feel like I missed out by really only paying attention to boxing. Kickboxing is exciting stuff.
What's even more interesting about him is how adorable he is. He was in the greek dancing with the stars and everyone kept voting for him cause he was like a tiny baby that needed to be protected 😊
I'm Greek and I was an active Muay Thai practicioner at the time Zambidis was rising. So, there's way more to this man than the video shows. I lived close by, literally in the next area of where his gym is now (my area is called Chalandri, I'm like 3 minutes away by car). There's a few things the video doesn't cover, understandably so, maybe, since focusing on the fights only. One thing that enraged the whole of Greece back in the day is that Gher Kan had insulted and disrespected both him and Greece before the fight, because he was Turkish. This was one of the few times that I saw the media covering a Zambidis fight in my lifetime. The moment Zambidis knocked him out clean was one of the most satisfying things I've ever watched and you could hear the roaring cheers throughout the neighbourhood from all the people watching the fight.
Other than that, we have to take into account that in Greece, martials arts are hobbies. Yeah, you heard it right. There's no funding, there's no sponsoring, Greece itself doesn't give a flying f**k about you or your martial arts. So Zambidis was most likely doing this as a secondary thing until he got enough money and fame from his fights. I don't have proof but knowing Greece, I doubt he ever got financial support from the government for doing all these things.
To top it all off, he's the NICEST guy you've ever seen. I've seen him a few times around boxing/kickboxing/martial arts events, he's always respectful, always has been a kind guy that's smiling, and contributing to the community. His gym instantly became famous in Athens, just the fact that he opened a gym alone. I used to drive by his gym every day before I leave Greece. I met so many people that started martial arts and stuck to it because they had him as a role model and you couldn't understand how right they are and how much we all admire him. By us, I mean every day normal Greek men, be it in martial arts or not.
Also, there's a video of him scaring and chasing two burglars away from his house which is the funniest thing you've ever seen because as soon as they knew who he is they got scared shitless. I wish Greece would promote and support more guys like Mike, I owe him my pride to be Greek in a time where Greece failed all of us, financially, where we were all somewhat ashamed to be called the poorest in Europe, where I (and many others like me) had to leave and live in another country to make ends meet.
Edit: When you saw in the videos the height discrepancy between him and his opponents, that's not odd. The guy is TINY, but he hits like a freight truck. If you haven't seen the Buakaw fight, go for it. You'll understand he was up there, even though he lost.
Μπραβο ρε αλανι..λιτά απλα συνοπτικα
how can you types something long like this
greeks, turks...all the same;)
just kidding.
As a non-Greek person, he just reminds me of Wanderlei Silva. At any point I feel like one could have taken the other’s place and fit in seamlessly. Both of them are absolute brawlers with crazy highlight reels
Dude is a pit bull with gloves
Besides of a true warrior and a champion Mike is the epitomy of a real athlete.
He is kind and humble,always with a smile in his face and a positive attitude.
True Greek warrior.
Bravo Mike Zambidis!!! Full respect from Poland!!!
Huge heart, with a third adrenal gland sitting on top of it. Respect.
Extra respect to zambidis cause during 99% of his fights he was in a reach and height disadvantage.
But with his height disadvantage it made it easier for him to go to the body
There's advantages and disadvantages to both. You train to exploit every physical attribute you have to full advantage and there's advantages to shorter arms like how the actual Mike Tyson could swing hooks wildly at full force but not get off balance and as a consequence could deliver 3, 4, 5 shot combinations at devastating power.
@@raydiaz9218 while that may be true height makes him extremely vulnerable to kicks, not to mention his short range because the original poster did report it
and weight*.. there is a thing in fighting sports called...CUTTING or WEIGHT BULLYING where the likes of Kraus-Kyshenko-Parr-Buakaw-Souwer-Sato-Masato-Kohi-Groenhart-Petrosian-Drago and more are weight in for 5 minutes 70kg and walking at 76-80kg inside the ring(regenerating their wasted water without losing muscle mass) while zambo who was alrdy bloated for his height( moved up 3-4 divisions from 61kg) was walking and fighting at 68,5-69kg... thats a HUGE DISADVANTAGE for naturally smaller guys.
What an absolute warrior and a legend doing sweet justice to the bravery and focus of his Greek ancestors!
Respect from a true fun of the sport!!
Same here. Sabidis is tops . ✝️. 🌴🐊🇵🇬
Mike is a real warrior.
I appreciate all the fighters we saw today on this video. They all paid a heavy price to entertain us. Thank you.
greetings from turkey,
i used to wake up 03:00 o'clock in the morning to watch this guy matches 15 years ago .. iron mike zambidis, talent, dexterity, rage, power, agility, unmatched speed, sportsmanship, humbleness and courage, he has a heart of lion, no retreat, no surrender .. thanks for the memories
any greek national reading this, you should tell your government to erect a bronze statue honoring Mike Zambidis in athens acropolis .. respect
but in his life he is calm as peace !!!
What a beast, and talents unlimited.Sounds like Real OG: they should put his face on some currency
as Greek New Yorker from the New York when you had to earn the right to walk on our street... Mike was always welcomed to Brooklyn 🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸❤❤❤❤
Thank you, mike zambidis is Pontic Greek (rum) from northeast Turkey
@@nikostheofanidis9970 pontios or not. still luv the guy
Greek soul, greek passion, iron fists, real Spartan! 💪🇬🇷 MIKE ZAMBIDIS... The best of the best!
Zambidis is a Pontic Greek
Not a Spartan
@lazer8384 Spartans was Greeks! It's the same. 🇬🇷
@Mr_Winters_145 Just a historical note: The Spartans and Athenians once went to war against the Pontians because of a woman. Watch the movie "Troy", good movie!
What an impressive documentary. This guy has got to be one of the toughest men to have ever walked the earth. His power and fitness is off the charts.
Well said
People that met him in Greece say that he is one of the kindest people ever
Is Hugh Glass a joke to you?
Really something to be proud of. People try to kill each other. Welcome to the club, there have been 600,000,000 before you. But you can't blame him if you have the consciousness of a wallflower!
@@masterg2574 That's rue. I saw him talking to a friend of mine once and he indeed seemed super humble.
I remember the good old days of K1 and K1 Max watching Mike Zambidis fights live on tv, always rooted for him no matter who's the opponent . Mike was like a Greek warrior from antiquity worthy of ancestors like King Leonidas or Achilles
They should have modelled Kratos in God of War on Zambidis, not that kind of half-viking they went with.
Α ρε Μιχάλη μας έκανες περήφανους. Σε αγαπάμε με ότι έχουμε. Τα έδωσες όλα και για την πατρίδα μας 🇬🇷
εχεις ψιλομπερδέψει τα ρόδια με τα κομπολόγια...
@@nickolasgaspar9660Ή τις γραβάτες με τα σώβρακα!
@@nickolasgaspar9660 ti akrivws exei berdepsei re file gia pes
@@Ektelesths777 Τι να πει μωρε; Το πρωτο η το τελευταιο τρολλακι ειναι που πεταει μια παπαρια και την κοπαναει;
@@Ektelesths777 όπως κατάλαβες η ανθελληνας είναι η Αλβανός.
Σέ λίγα χρόνια θά απαντάνε και οι Πακιστανοί στα ελληνικά στο TH-cam και θα λέμε κοίτα να δεις
Great fighter, great person great teacher, a man with honor ...we salute the Greek soul !!!!
στάζεις...
@@γαμώθεος🤡🤡🤡
Μονο μπραβο ΚΑΙ σεβασμό στον μεγαλο αυτον αθλητη αλλα προπάντων ανθρωπο με την χρυση καρδια και ατσαλενια ψυχη..Σαλονικαρα μονο
He is still to this day, grinding and training and a very humble, wise man. Exceptional athlete, palikari!
A real fighter. No showboating or trash talk, just real kick ass fighting. I first saw a video of him about 15 plus years back. I think his first fight with Chahid is one of the best fights I've ever seen.
Yes, they all said it was the fight of the decade ... !
This guy was a true warrior, he left it all in the ring. He lost a few controversial decisions but he kept battling. What a champ.
He was cheated in japan not only once but thrice maybe....
Totally Awesome The Greatest of all Times.
if u wanna call 24 losses (7 by knockout) , a "few"?!😂
@@markomybalzich9987 those loses came at the end of his career. But prime mike was a killer
Great fighter a tuff star cheating on
I’m ashamed to say I’d not heard of Mike Zambidis until watching this vid. What a phenomenal fighter. Reminds me of Ramon Dekkers.
Exactly same here
Samr here….
I am also enjoying this for the 1st time I love finding these type of gems 💎 great fighter.
Same here!
Same, what a fighter!
With my many years living in the West, I can attest that Greeks are honorable people who will engage in fair fights. I respect my Greek brothers for upholding dignity and integrity.
From Kandahar with Love.
wish you the best man
🙏
🙏🙏
Zambidis fight against Buakaw was absolutely incredible even though he 'lost' ... I LOVED his defense in that fight. highly skilled fighter that deserves all the praise and recognition!!
Bukaw kissed him on his head after the fight recognizing the level of Zambidis fighting skils
In an interview back in 2006 Prime buakaw proclaimed zambidis his hardest fight ever.. first time in his career who never had fun fighting someone and instead he had to stay to the gameplan and hold the distance.
Good fight. I still remember.
I’ll be 50 in May. My body has been through hell and the chronic pain I battle daily isn’t something I wish on anyone, but watching this channel gets me inspired and motivated to continue moving forward.
I’ve had to approach things differently…mainly thinking “What should I do” instead of “What can I do”.
What’s this channel have to do with that?
Well, watching these amazingly skilled fighters get knocked down but come back with a vengeance does wonders for the mind of someone battling physical pain.
Anyways, I just wanted to show my appreciation and support to the channel creator(s) and the community in the comments sections.
I have learned a lot reading your comments and found that there are lots of folks like me who are in similar situations, but they aren’t giving up either.
Be well and safe everyone.
I wish you the best
Best wishes from Santa Monica, California USA.
I am also recovering from pain and injuries. I loved boxing and boxed when I was younger.
Keep going, never stop trying.
The Lord is with you. 💪👍🤝🙏
O δικός μας Iron Mike.
Legend! 🇬🇷
Zambidis went against the odds from the start, going at tall guys but still made the curt he is a legend of this game
Mike is the best motivator for everyone, when a short guy can extinguish anyone, we look at the greats, but they are all tall, heavy, and Mike is like a baby doll, but what strength lies in him
As a Greek I can say that Zambidis was for sure a phenomenal fighter, but he is a far better person than a warrior! Always smiling, positive, peaceful, modest and big hearted! These qualities are far more important than his brutal fighting skills! I wish him and his family all the best and thank him for the unforgettable moments that he gave us!
That means to be a Fighter...!!!!.
Spot on mate. He's such a nice man and a true warrior.
A fighter in the rings, in life.
This man never bleeds...maybe one time or two the most ...sorry for my English
You say exactly who is Mike Zambidis
Bellissimo commento, saluti dall'Italia spero di visitare la Grecia 😍👍
With inner qualities like that....wow...that's what I admire in a person....a greater and the heart of an angel.....no better combination than that.
❤ and respect from Armenia ,enjoyed every moment of his fights
such a Great Greek Warrior
I saw Zambidis vs. Chahid live. It was the best fight I have ever seen. Ever.
I found out about him a little over a decade ago while watching him against Turkish fighters. As a Turk, I respect his warrior spirit and even against some arrogant (Turkish) fighters, he held his composure and fought like a sportsman, no boasting, no name calling no ego. Hell of a fighter, nothing but respect for him. Wish him the best with his family and school.
He is a very nice guy,two kids tried to rob his house and unfortunately for them mike was coming home. He told the kids if they try to run he will catch them and give them a beating. He then called the police and all the robbers with mike waited for the police to come. He could have destroyed both of those kids but didn’t want to as its a lesson for both robbers
As a Greek respect to you sir for a fair comment 👏👏
@M P Don't be too hard on him, I am sure he went along with it for PR and image reasons. Every race/nation has bad apples, I'd worry to much about it as that will never change.
All Turks are mixed, hardly no one is pure Turk (whatever that might even be?). The land was a melting pot for centuries.
I never knew my grandparents on dad's side were from Albania and Romania and mom's side was Georgia and Uzbekistan.
Society does a very good job of labeling people based on race, nationality, religion, etc. and as a result segregating people and creating animosity between them because people tend to focus on their differences instead of commonalities.
@@user-nn3gm8nu6preally?😂because of him there are many thugs?nice logic there
@Turco949, it may be of interest to you to know that Zambides is a Karadeniz Rumları. In a way, you are compatriots...
🙂
This Guy is a Phenomenon. Truely one of the Best in the world. And by far one of my Top favourite Fighters a true Phenomenon. Mike is a Machine
Buakaw had said in an interview that Mike Zambidis is one of the best fighters he has faced in the ring and went to visit him, in Greece.
they are friends..
Not only a true warrior but also showed respect to all of his opponents
Tradition of Muay Thai ?
Σωστο
@@สุรพลทวีกุล Tradition of humanity)
Mike is awesome, loved K-1 Max, and he was a big part of it, we the fans thank you, Mike, for the great fights you provided us.
Prime K-1, was some of the best combat fighting money could buy at the time. So freaking fun.
@@frontierlandfrank5314 the judges ended my interest in japan k1
I would like to see him fight Canelo
An absolute superhuman. The epitome of battle-hardened.
Fearless Iron Mike, a fighter never to be forgotten, and one of the best fighters ever!
This man was a true warrior he left it all pit in the ring. Mike Z was a beast. 87 KO’s The Iron Greek was amazing his t background helped
Zambo! I remember watching him way back in the day. I’m a tall dude but I’m gonna be honest - there’s nothing more entertaining than watching a little guy knock out tall guys. You just don’t expect it.
He's indeed one of the GOATs, who's such a phenom so excitingly to watch. A genuine greatest warrior.
The guy has lost only 24 out of 181 fights and was a legendary legend in this legendary time of kickboxing! Salute!
imagine winning 90% of your matches against opponents that are far below your level of skill. complete mismatch-ups his entire career. and when he was up against people of similar talent? he lost. far from legendary status.
@@80AM. He was mediocre at best
@@80AM. your comment is absolutely irrelevant, you can leave my comment section.
@@80AM. i agree. This zambidi is so over rated.
And only 1 time loose by K.O. Such a monster
Zambidis had ALL the skill, speed, tools, and fight IQ. A perfect storm🙏
Mike was an absolute warrior and so humble.
Of course a lot of you didn't heard him because he is humble and stayed away from all the media shit
A true inspiration and influence Iron mike Ζαμπιδης
Mastered footwork for a short guy, coming inside and outside with incredible positioning and power punches!
Man this guy was a beast
Humble in his victories, gracious in his defeats, the sign of a true warrior
Humble fighters are never Champions.
@@patrickdorsey5449 BS!!! Fedor, CroCop, Pacquiao, Khabib, Inoue, Usyk, Bivol?
@@racexine Every last one of them have been beaten. MAYWEATHER JON JONES. GERVONTE DAVIS. UNDEFEATED. 🤡Humble fighters are gay. Was Mohamed Ali humble?
@@patrickdorsey5449 The connection between being an awesome fighter and clowning around after a victory is not obvious to me.
@@patrickdorsey5449 noob
Mike Zambidis is a legend of K1...i am suprised folks just learning about him. I guess that era has passed and i am getting old.
I can't get enough of his fights!!!
True warrior and a very nice guy!!! I wish you all the best for your family and thank you for everything that you have given us!!! 😉
btw
in his life he is calm as peace nobody knows how he do it !!!
I had fallen out of watching K-1 for a while, then happened to catch the 2010 World MAX tournament live and was blown away by his skill. Gago Drago also had an amazing knockout on that card. That tournament was absolutely stacked.
The humble pie of Greece..the Aussie's loved him like he was one of their own.Zambo Mike is the most humble champion and a strategic brutal warrior when he was on his zone ✊
I'm a proud Aussie and we will claim as own! Didn't know he fought in Oz but I watched his fights as a pump up for footy (the one with the oval ball lol)
What an absolute legend and person we could all aspire to be :)
Μπράβο Μιχάλη !!! Mike is also a wonderful Man always smiling and have a sense of humor , very positive man. We love you iron mike !
Things I love about this channel is, the depth into the person's career wins and loses and still giving respect where its do to the opponents.
Man I miss so much K-1 20 YEARS ago k-1 was the reason for me to love marcial arts, I didnt miss on single fight, and mike was a true warrior !!
Holy crap! This dude was fire! I wouldn't be surprised if his ancient ancestor is Achilles.
Dude fights like he's a chainsaw caught on your leg. Awesome fighter!
Watch Zambidis first match with Chahid. Type "Best k1 fight ever" and enjoy my friend. The title is not click bait!! The cardio on that match alone from both fighters will blow your mind. It was a war....
My favourite kickboxer of all time! This video did a great service to him
RESPECT from Greece to Michel Zamb..in 90'and 2000 zambidis smash all opponents in Greece and Europe.. he is top dog in the athlete..one punch And man down..so short but his punch kill a rino or elephant..BIG respect from all funs in Greece and thessaloniki..Μονο αγαπη και σεβασμο στον μεγαλο αυτο αθλητη αλλα προπάντων στον ανθρωπο Μιχαλη Ζαμπιδη με την χρυση καρδια κ ατσαλενια ψυχη..Συγχαρητήρια για ολα οσα μας εδωσες Μεγαλε Μιχαλαρα
He's what legends are made of.
A true Champion in a "Man's Sport"
Congratulations. 👏
One of my favourite fighters. All time legend. The best superman punch I've seen.
What a sportsman, what a fighter! As a greek I can only say that he is really a role model and I am very proud of him and thankful that he always represented us so well!🇬🇷🇬🇷
Despite the obvious mismatches, he still performed exceptionally.. with confidence.
Amazing
Yeah, what a man . . .
No mismatch he fight with all he got
He was just that good.
mismatch lmao its weight classes lol
@@BulletStoppa its typical UFC fan boy McDonald eating warrior dont worry about him
Having watched Mike in as many fights as I could I nick named him the Greek Bull Dog and a few other names. SUCH a powerful Kickboxer !
I remember watching him in high school when K1 was not very popular in the US. He blew my mind with his strikes and combinations. Ive never seen flying knees knock someone out on tv before. Glad he has a family now.
He was robbed of success at the highest level more than once which is sad. He deserved to wear that crown. He is not spoken of enough imo so thank you for making this video. He really was a great, technical fighter and what you got from him every time was unbridled violence.
There will Never be another one like him!!👊🏻👊🏻
@@purebloodheretic4682 Yeah, there prolly will tho !
Yes. His fight with Masato in K1 max 😢
@@purebloodheretic4682 uh/ =#=🎉🎉🎉dr rðxx'
I Miss him very much..
Έχει μείνει στην ιστορία ως ένας από τους καλύτερους παίκτες!
this guy is a beast I'm from Australia can never understand why kickboxing never took off more it's an exciting sport
*One of the baddest on the planet to ever do it! Respect for this video and highlighting this incredible fighter in the toughest of disciplines 10/10!*
Man I love his combos. What a machine. Great technique, power, speed and combinations.
and in his life he is calm as peace !!!
@@kostudas1 idk about his personal life. Seen some of his recent photos and it looks like the supplement regime stayed the same 🤣
Really enjoyed this video! Nicely put together of a true warrior! Mike had a lot of heart, and a great run in the top ranks! GOD BLESS! GOOD FOR YOU MIKE!
It's insane how well he did against Buakaw. Even thinking of fighting that man as the smaller person is madness.
Exactly a slightly bigger version of iron mike zambidis would win buakaw..
@@kaifarik21 zambidis was superb but just not enough firepower against buakaws superkicks.
@@nuclear9977 lol those super kicks did not bother enough a small zambo in comparison to buakaw to stop... let's be realistic.. he was just too small for buakaw and nothing more... if he was 10 cm higher and 5 kg heavier buakaw would be lying on the floor... mike was always fighting against 20, 30 cm higher opponents.
And Hella heavier than him.. if he was at the same anthropomorphia as buakaw buakaw would be a meal for zambo... I respect buakaw because he won zambidis fair in points.... not like the Japanese k1 judges that favored their athletes while it was obvious their athlete lost
Dude could you imagine prime mike vs rodtang? I would pay a few months rent to witness that
@@ragetemplar5104 indeed 2 super sayan midgets throwing bombs to each other non stop🤣 I really can't tell who would win although am a huge zambo fan...
WOW what a Great Greek warrior, incredible, THANK YOU si much for SHARING.
This is my first time hearing of this man. WOW! I don't even have to watch another video, he's arguably now my favorite kick boxer. What a legendary fighter.
I love kick boxing but surprised I never heard about Mike until this video. At just 5'6" he is one of the hardest, if not the hardest hitters I've ever seen. I appreciate this documentary on Zambidis.
Same here I feel like I've been cheated!!!!
I remember watching this dude on TV on K1 late nights in early 2000s, was always a tank!
Respect.
Jacked up as faaark lol. I miss Schiavello and Mark the Hammer. John Wayne Parr and many more. Chopper Chapman, Mark Hunt.. Oh the good old dayz...
Schiavello made these guys even better haha.
@@MrCpolzin remember Michael McDonald and Carter and Duke Rufus? The HW's were always the main attraction, Mike Z was literally like the only little guy they ever showed.
@@EKk8819 Carter Williams and Duke Rufous. Yes indeed I do ! Being from Australia though I used to mainly watch K1 Oceania fights. Mike Z was a little man but you know what they say, 'cocaine's a hell of a drug' lol.
@@MrCpolzin Bro you must be happy with what Izzy just did to Alex this weekend huh? What a insane knockout that was huh
“… where DOZENS of souls were separated from their bodies…” BRILLIANT!!
I give him much respect. He did deserve the top title that was robbed from him a few times.
In 2012 there was a local MMA fight promotion where Mike Zambidis was the guest star and he was so polite and patient when hundreds of people were asking him to take a photo with him. I remember gently hugging him by the shoulder for the photo and i could feel the most dense muscle i ve ever felt in my life and that was after a year of me training with many jiu jitsu guys and knowing how real strength feels like
Jiujitsu is so you don't have to fight or find out how good someone is. If you're one on one and you find yourself against a monster like this guy then yeah it could help you or not because he's still a phenom in what he does.
Great. I know that guy train differently
@GQLoc you have to be a top 0.01% and really physically strong BJJ guy to survive and perhaps beat a guy like Zambides (no ground game) in a ring fight with MMA rules
Yes he had devastating punching power and accurecy, not once has anyone mentioned how tight his defense was to get thru. And counter punching, off the charts, but let talk about his defense, i believe he was the best at all of those things and humble family man on top of all that. 👏👏
He makes me proud. I enjoyed watching him fight for decades
A true spartan warrior. I will remember you for the rest of my life.
No you wont
Yes he will
@@kungfuhustle6363 I will, and I don't even care about the sports so much. zambidis is a incredible fighter and also wonderful to look at. how can someone be 10-20-30cm smaller and lighter, and yet dropping countless of bodies. Seriously. Try to fight someone 30cm taller than you. You have to be ruthless and focused in mindset and on top of your game to overcome the gap
Watch Zambidis first match with Chahid. Type "Best k1 fight ever" and enjoy my friend. The title is not click bait!! The cardio on that match alone from both fighters will blow your mind. It was a war....
I never heard of him either and he's one of the greatest. He fought like the "Axe Murderer".
He was my favorite and most exciting fighter despite of never won K1 tittle. True worrier and putting everything on the line.
What an animal Mike zambidiz is❤, never heard of such a worrier till now,,, long live the legend mick,,, fantastic fights bud,,, top marks in all your bouts mike😊👍👍❤️🇬🇧🇬🇧
Amazing tribute to an amazing athlete.
Its shocking how many people did not know about IRON MIKE until your video! Thank you for making our hero in Greece well known to the rest of the world. Zambidis was not only a legend of his game but also a great and humble human beeing , we Greeks can confirm to you all the greatness of his personality. We still love him so much! Also his fight vs Chahid will stay in history as the best kickboxing fight (if not all martial arts ). Its in this video thankfully but you can check the full fight somewhere and you will agree with me. Congraz for this insane video on our goat!
Reminds me of the OG Iron Mike..
Iron mike is mike tyson
My dad boxed half of his life from childhood to early adulthood and took deep inspiration from Anton Christoforidis. It should also be noted that modern boxing is heavily based off of Ancient Greek Boxing which is why modern boxing is officially listed as the "descendant art" of Ancient Greek Boxing 💪🏻🇬🇷
Γεια σου ρε φίλε. Σπαμάρω αυτό τον αγώνα πού λες σε όσους γράφουν ότι βλέπουν πρώτη φορά που τον Μιχάλη. Και όλοι μου απαντάνε wow μετά 😂😂. Παθαίνουν πλάκα
A true fireplug unleashed. What a pitbull he is and retired with a great career and a beautiful family. So exciting to watch this brawler with finesse in the ring. Thanks for the showcase of kickboxing's brute force a true champion.
Can't believe he kept me stuck all through. I was even moving to the rhythm of his kicks. A beast indeed
He was a devastating killa in the ring. I had the pleasure of watching one of his fights and K-1 when I was in the Navy and that’s how I became of fan! You could actually hear his punches where I was sitting at. (I was in the 5th row) let me tell you it was awesome. So glad he’s doing well.
Yea his punches are hard
Your navy training provided you with some skills.
I went to school with Musk(navy)...
Never heard of this guy before but I flying kneed the 'like' button on this video! What a master of his craft, what a legend!
As a Greek who was born in 2003 I have to say that he was (and for most of the people up until my age still is) The Mike (MIchalis). The man who cannot feel pain and at the same time a short bald lovely guy with a heartwarming smile who became an icon for literary millions of Greeks. Even if you were not into martial arts you knew who was Iron Mike and if there was a fight on the television you had to watch it. Truly an icon of Greek sports history and one of those athletes we will talk about to our children.
It’s like he builds his K.O meter and just releases it with a perfectly accurate strike right on time. The ambient energy of the fight when he knocks them out too is something else, his warrior mode deactivates and he goes off to look for next worthy opponent
He has a unique physique. Gymnastics gave him an edge with overall strength, flexibility, precision, and coordination. I really like how he doesn't go in for overkill when he knows his opponent is done.
He has the physique of Mike Tyson
@@aokiaoki4238 😂😂😂,nobody had Iron Mikes build in his prime, Tyson looked like a body builder in the boxing ring
This dude is roided out dumbass
@@aokiaoki4238 are you on hard drugs?
@@aokiaoki4238 he has the same nickname not physique not even close!!! Tyson Punch in his prime would send him to the underworld!!!
Saw him fight back in the day. His body shots sounded like a cannon when they landed. He could take some big hits too. Very tough guy.
Mike Zambidis esse marcou grande historia, PARABÉNS GRANDE GUERREIRO
This is one of the best highlights I've ever watched. God bless you for sharing and Mike for being a true Legend 🙌 🙏
Been a fan for a long time. This was a great reminder!
A true warrior in my eyes tough as nails. No showing of bragging nothing just a beast dangerous fighter unreal.
I came for Zampidis, I stayed for the commentary... Legend...
0:07 0:07
0:07
0:07 0:07
I thought you typed cemetery for a sec 😅
As one of the first arround uploading Zambidis-Fighting-Videos back then (I had to delete a few because of copyright removal requests) I salute you for this documentary. Awesome work!
Golden days of K1, I really loved Mike and cheered for him, great fighter, fantastic sportsman, and even better person.
Great video with excellent comments, especially the one about Jon "Dope" Jones.
Keep up with good work.
Straight warrior with an incredible record , surprised dive never heard of him till now but ill remember his name now..badazz Lil man
Watch Zambidis first match with Chahid. Type "Best k1 fight ever" and enjoy my friend. The title is not click bait!! The cardio on that match alone from both fighters will blow your mind. It was a war....
Way to go Mike you had a awesome career and a beautiful family. God bless you and your family.