Johannes Petrus "Hans" Nijman (September 23, 1959 – November 5, 2014) was a

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

former professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

and

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

. He competed in the

heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...

division. He was a RINGS Holland veteran and fought for many other top promotions such as

Pride FC PRIDE Fighting Championships (Pride or Pride FC, founded as KRS-Pride) was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Pride held more than sixty mixed martial arts even ...

and It's Showtime. Nijman is believed to have had connections with

Willem Holleeder Willem Frederik Holleeder (born 29 May 1958) is a Dutch gangster, outlaw biker and convicted criminal. He is nicknamed ''De Neus'' (''The Nose'') because of the size of his nose. In 1983, Holleeder was sentenced to eleven years' imprisonment fo ...

and other big names in the Dutch criminal underworld. His name appeared in several police records and has also been used in big court cases.

Career

Fighting Network RINGS

A former

Kyokushin is a style of karate originating in Japan. It is a full-contact style of stand-up fighting and is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline, and hard training. Kyokushin Kaikan is the martial arts organization founded in 1964 ...

karateka (; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts. While moder ...

and

kickboxing Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid Martial arts, martial art and Boxing (disambiguation), boxing type based on punch (combat), punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, norma ...

champion, Hans Nijman made his

shoot wrestling Shoot wrestling is a Japanese hybrid grappling style and combat sport. Shoot wrestling incorporates techniques from various wrestling, submission grappling, kickboxing and karate styles. It was particularly inspired and influenced by catch ...

debut in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

for Fighting Network RINGS on December 7, 1991 as part of Chris Dolman's RINGS Holland team. The match was against

Masaaki Satake is a Japanese former heavyweight karateka, kickboxer, professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is one of the pioneering heavyweight fighters in K-1, having been a member of Kazuyoshi Ishii's Seidokaikan school ...

, and the bout ended in a draw. Nijman also drew with Adam Watt, the following year. Nijman suffered his first loss on 25 June 1992 against

Akira Maeda (born Go Il-myeong (Hangul: 고일명, Hanja: 高日明), January 24, 1959) is a Japanese mixed martial arts promoter, writer and retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Maeda was also known by the ring name Kwik-kik-Lee durin ...

, due to submission. On 29 October 1992, Nijman defeated Georgi Keandelaki by knock-out, picking up his first win. 1994 was a good year for Hans, as he managed to gain knock-out victories over

Mitsuya Nagai , better known as , is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist and kickboxer. A professional MMA competitor from 1991 until 2013, he fought the majority of his career in Fighting Network RINGS. Once a student of legend ...

Zaza Tkeshelashvili Zaza "Grom" Tkeshelashvili (Georgian language, Georgian: ზაზა ტყეშელაშვილი; born March 19, 1965) is a Georgian retired freestyle wrestling, freestyle wrestler and mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who compe ...

Masayuki Naruse (born March 15, 1973) is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, competing in the light heavyweight division who fought most of his career in Fighting Network RINGS (RINGS). As a professional wrestler, he notably competed in N ...

, Nikolai Zouev, and

Dick Vrij Dick Vrij is a retired Dutch professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1995 until 2003, he competed in the Heavyweight division for RINGS and It's Showtime. Professional wrestling career A former bodybuild ...

. On 25 January 1995, after RINGS started promoting purely competitive fights, Nijman beat Yoshihisa Yamamoto by TKO to win 3rd place in the RINGS Mega Battle Tournament 1994. Nijman lost to Tariel Bitsadze on 1 January 1997 at ''RINGS: Battle Dimensions''. He beat

Lee Hasdell Lee Hasdell (born 13 December 1966)Sherdog profile
Retrieved 4 April 2019Kiyoshi Tamura is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Once a student of legendary professional wrestlers Billy Robinson, Lou Thesz and Akira Maeda, Tamura was known for his skills in catch wrestling and is considered to be on ...

in Japan on 25 October 1997. Nijman's final fight for RINGS was on 7 March 1999 at ''RINGS Australia: NR 3''. Hans defeated Danny Higgins by

rear naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC), also known as hadaka jime (裸絞) in Judo and "lion killer choke (Mata Leão)" in BJJ, is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word ''naked'' in this context suggests that, unlike other stra ...

at 5:46 of round 1. He later entered the ''

Pride Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round Pride is a human secondary emotion characterized by a sense of satisfaction with one's identity, performance, or accomplishments. It is often considered the opposite of shame or of humility and, depending on context, may be viewed as either vi ...

'', losing to

Kazuyuki Fujita is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestling, freestyle wrestler, currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is a one-time GHC Heavyweight Championship ...

by submission at 2:48 of round 1. Throughout his RINGS career, Nijman picked up victories over fighters such as; Masayuki Naruse Yoshihisa Yamamoto, Mikhail Illoukhine,

Volk Han Magomedkhan Amanulayevich Gamzatkhanov (; born 15 April 1961), is a Russian retired mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, sambo wrestler and former military officer of Avar descent. Gamzatkhanov is better known by his ringname Volk Han ...

, Tsuyoshi Kohsaka and

Kiyoshi Tamura is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Once a student of legendary professional wrestlers Billy Robinson, Lou Thesz and Akira Maeda, Tamura was known for his skills in catch wrestling and is considered to be on ...

. Hans Nijman holds a RINGS record of 24 wins, 20 losses and 3 draws.

After RINGS

Nijman fought in

's open-weight tournament in 2000 at

. Nijman lost to

by submission. On 21 October 2001, Nijman lost to Barrington Patterson by KO at ''It's Showtime - Original''. Hans Nijman's last fight was against

Cheick Kongo Cheick Kongo (born May 17, 1975) is a French mixed martial artist and former kickboxer who fights in the Heavyweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2001, he has also competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Bellator. ...

at ''It’s Showtime'' on 8 June 2003. He lost due to an

armbar An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint or shoulder joint. An armpit lock is very useful; it will immobilize an opponent and pin them on the ground. An armlock t ...

at 0:59 of round 2. According to Sherdog, Nijman rounded out his professional mixed martial arts record with 9 wins and 6 defeats, although Hans had a few unsanctioned shoot fights in Japan a year following his retirement from mixed martial arts competition in 2003.

Death

On November 5, 2014, around 20:45, Nijman was shot dead whilst sitting in his 2013 Volkswagen Golf around the back of his Dutch Top Team gym "De Meer" in

Beverwijk Beverwijk () is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The town is located about northwest of Amsterdam in the Randstad metropolitan area, north of the North Sea Canal very close to the North Sea coast. A ...

. Witnesses reportedly saw a Volkswagen Golf R32 parked on the parking lot next to his gym open fire on Nijman with automatic rifles whilst he was reversing his car out of the alley where he had parked his car. After the shooting, the Golf R32 took off with high speed southbound on the A22. A half-hour after the shooting two cars, the Golf R32 and a taxi bus, were found burning to the ground in

Velserbroek Velserbroek is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Velsen Velsen () is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is located on both sides of the North Sea Canal. On ...

. Both cars were stolen. The suspects have not yet been identified and the motive is unknown.

Mixed martial arts record

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Minoru Suzuki (born June 17, 1968) is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, known for his tenure in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former one-time IWGP Intercontinental Ch ...

, Submission (kneebar) , U-Spirits - Again , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:52 ,

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, Japan,

Korakuen Hall is a sports arena in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan, which has hosted boxing, professional wrestling, kickboxing, mixed martial arts and Lethwei matches. History On April 16, 1962, the Korakuen Hall was officially opened with a capacity of approximat ...

, , - , Loss , align=center, 9–6 ,

, Submission (armbar) , It's Showtime: Amsterdam Arena , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:59 ,

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

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Barrington Patterson Barrington Renford Patterson (25 August 1965 – 22 March 2022) was an English kickboxer and mixed martial artist. At , he competed in the super heavyweight division and once fought for a world International Kickboxing Federation Kickboxing Cham ...

, TKO (punches) , It's Showtime: Original , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:47 ,

Haarlem Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English language, English) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the Provinces of the Nether ...

, Netherlands , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–4 ,

, Submission (scarf hold) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:48 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 9–3 , Danny Higgins , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Rings Australia: NR 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:46 , Alexandra Hills,

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–3 ,

Hiromitsu Kanehara is a former Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler of Korean descent. A professional MMA competitor from 1998 until 2012, he found success in Fighting Network RINGS, gaining notable victories over Valentijn Overeem, Alexandr ...

, Submission (armbar) , Rings: World Mega Battle Tournament , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 9:04 , Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 8–2 , Vladimir Klementiev , Submission , Rings: Fourth Fighting Integration , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:44 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 7–2 , Victor Kruger , KO (head kick) , Rings Holland: Who's the Boss , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:10 , Utrecht City, Netherlands , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–2 ,

, Submission (armlock) , Rings - Mega Battle Tournament 1997 Semifinal 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 10:34 , Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 ,

Lee Hasdell Lee Hasdell (born 13 December 1966)Sherdog profile
Retrieved 4 April 2019Rings Holland - The Final Challenge , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:35 ,

, Netherlands , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–1 , Tariel Bitsadze , N/A , Rings - Battle Dimensions Tournament 1996 Final , , , , , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Allen Harris , Submission (guillotine choke) , Rings Holland: Kings of Martial Arts , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:30 ,

, Netherlands , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 ,

, TKO , Rings: Budokan Hall 1996 , , , ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Ramaji Buzoriashivilli , N/A , Rings: Battle Dimensions Tournament 1995 Opening Round , , , , Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 ,

Andrei Kopylov Andrei Kopylov (born July 16, 1965) is a Russian retired sambist, wrestler and mixed martial artist. He competed in the heavyweight division of Fighting Network RINGS. Sambo career Kopylov practised various sports from the age of 17, among t ...

, KO (knee) , Rings Holland: Free Fight , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:10 ,

, Netherlands , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Yoshihisa Yamamoto , KO (punch) , Rings: Budokan Hall 1995 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:43 ,

, Japan ,

References

External links

*
Hans Nijman’s complete RINGS Fight history
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nijman, Hans 1959 births 2014 deaths Dutch male mixed martial artists Heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Kyokushin kaikan Mixed martial artists utilizing shoot wrestling Sportspeople from Alkmaar Martial artists from North Holland 2014 murders in the Netherlands 20th-century Dutch sportsmen