Lloyd Daniël van Dams (5 March 1972 – 29 December 2021), also known as The Tornado, was a Surinamese-born Dutch

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 ...

kickboxer Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid martial art and boxing type based on punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouth guards, shorts, and ...

. He was a Dutch, European, and World

Muay Thai Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, cl ...

champion. Known for his durability, Van Dams was never knocked out in 84 professional fights (though he was defeated once via TKO from exhaustion). He held notable wins over Remy Bonjasky,

Brian Douwes Brian "Bad Ass" Douwes (born 21 November 1987 in Beverwijk) is a Dutch kickboxer fighting out of Team Spirit, formerly known as Top Team Beverwijk in Beverwijk. He competed in K-1, Enfusion Live, Superkombat and Glory. As of 1 May 2017, he i ...

Alexander Ustinov Alexander "Sasha" Ustinov (; born 7 December 1976) is a Russian professional boxer,. Retrieved 1 October 2016. former kickboxer and mixed martial artist. In boxing, he has challenged once for the WBA (Regular) heavyweight title in 2017. Ki ...

, Bjorn Bregy, and Brecht Wallis. Van Dams also competed in

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

Life and career

Van Dams was born in

Suriname Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, also considered as part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. It is a developing country with a Human Development Index, high level of human development; i ...

on 5 March 1972, and moved to the Netherlands when he was seven years old. He began training

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 ...

when he was 12 at SWSU, a Surinamese-Dutch gym in

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

. When he was good enough, his trainer decided to take him to Chakuriki. Van Dams had his first professional fight at the age of 18. When he was 20 he moved from Utrecht to

Dordrecht Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Western Netherlands, lo ...

and began training with Jan Vleesenbeek. This trainer was known for his hard training methods, which suited Van Dams very well. When Vleesenbeek decided to stop training, Van Dams moved to a gym called "Survivor" in

Breda Breda ( , , , ) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. ...

. When facing problems in his personal life in 1996, Van Dams moved back to Utrecht. He went training at Chakuriki Gym in

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 ...

, under

Thom Harinck Thom Harinck (born 22 December 1943) is a Dutch kickboxer and kickboxing trainer and founder of the Chakuriki Gym in Amsterdam. He is married to Marjan Olfers, former member of the board of Ajax and from 1 May 2012 professor in sports law. Bi ...

and developed himself as one of the top fighters of the gym. In 1999, he made his

K-1 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the worl ...

debut at the K-1 Braves '99. After beating

Matt Skelton Matt Skelton (born 27 January 1967) is a British former professional boxer, kickboxer, and mixed martial artist. In boxing he competed from 2002 to 2014. He challenged once for the WBA heavyweight title in 2008. At regional level, he held th ...

in the semi-finals he lost to

Xhavit Bajrami Xhavit Bajrami (born October 30, 1975) is a Swiss former kickboxer who competed in the heavyweight division. A Seido karate practitioner and Andy Hug student, Bajrami built up an undefeated record domestically before he was recruited by K-1 whe ...

at the finals. After a few years, Van Dams made his comeback in 2005. First he fought at an 8-man tourney "Fight at the Border" in Belgium, where he lost on his comeback to Petar Majstorovic by unanimous decision. A week later he won a 4-man tournament in Romania. He defeated Pavel Majer and Alben Belinski. In 2006, Van Dams opened his own gym, Fight Club Van Dams in

, Netherlands. He died from heart disease on 29 December 2021, at the age of 49.

Titles

*2010 Amsterdam Fight Club 4 man tournament champion *2004 King Of The Ring World GP tournament champion * 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix in Fukuoka Repechage A Runner Up *2000 WFCA World champion *1999 WMTA World champion *1998 EMTA European champion *1998 KO-Power Tournament champion *1997 Battle of the Best tournament champion *1996 NKBB Dutch champion

Kickboxing record

, - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2010-02-27 , , Win , , align=left, Benjey Zimmerman , , Amsterdam Fightclub: Rotterdam vs Amsterdam , ,

Amsterdam, Netherlands Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital and 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 urban area and 2,480,394 in the metropolitan area. Located in the D ...

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2010-02-27 , , Win , , align=left,

, , Amsterdam Fightclub: Rotterdam vs Amsterdam , ,

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#c5d2ea" , 2009-05-31 , , Draw , , align=left,

Anderson Silva Anderson da Silva (; born 14 April 1975) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and professional boxer. He is a former UFC Middleweight Champion and holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days. This started in 2006 ...

, , Next Generation Warriors 3 , ,

, Netherlands , , Decision draw , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2008-12-29 , , Win , , align=left, Ron Ritter , , The Return of the Boys , ,

Paramaribo, Suriname Paramaribo ( , , ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 241,000 people (2012 census), almost half of Suriname's p ...

, , KO (low kicks) , , 1 , , , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2008-11-23 , , Win , , align=left, Samir Benazzouz , , RingSensation , ,

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

, Netherlands , , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2007-08-11 , , Win , , align=left, Ryuta Noji , , Heat4 , ,

Nagoya, Japan is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#c5d2ea" , 2006-12-16 , , Draw , , align=left, Wisam Feyli , , Travelfight Arena , ,

Uppsala, Sweden Uppsala ( ; ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the capital of Uppsala County and the fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inhabitants in 2019. Located north of the capital Stockholm, it is ...

, , Decision draw , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2006-10-08 , , Loss , , align=left,

, , The Battle of Arnhem V , ,

Arnhem Arnhem ( ; ; Central Dutch dialects, Ernems: ''Èrnem'') is a Cities of the Netherlands, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands, near the German border. It is the capita ...

, Netherlands , , Decision (unanimous) , , 5 , , 3:00 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2006-05-13 , , Loss , , align=left,

Semmy Schilt Sem "Semmy" Schilt (; born 27 October 1973) is a Dutch actor and former kickboxer, karateka and mixed martial artist. Schilt holds the distinction of being the only kickboxer to have won 5 major heavyweight tournaments, being a four-time List of ...

, ,

K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Amsterdam This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a Japanese kickboxing promotion. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993, at Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Since its inception, K-1 events were organized by the Fig ...

, ,

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2006-03-26 , , Win , , align=left, Brecht Wallis , , Balans Fight Night , ,

Tilburg Tilburg () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. With a population of 22 ...

, Netherlands , , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2005-12-18 , , Win , , align=left, Alben Belinski , , Local Kombat 18 "Revanşa" Final , , Constanta, Romania , , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2005-12-18 , , Win , , align=left, Pavel Majer , , Local Kombat 18 "Revanşa" Semifinal , , Constanta, Romania , , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2005-12-10 , , Loss , , align=left, Petar Majstorovic , , Fights at the Border IV, quarter finals , ,

Lommel, Belgium Lommel () is a municipality and city in the Belgian province of Limburg. Lying in the Kempen, it has about 34,000 inhabitants and is part of the arrondissement of Maaseik. Besides the residential town, Lommel also has a number of nature reserv ...

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2005-04-30 , , Win , , align=left, Achmed Jattari , , Queens Fight Night , ,

Eindhoven, Netherlands Eindhoven ( ; ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant, of which it is the largest municipality, and is also located in the Dutch part of the natural region the Campine. With a population ...

, , , , , , , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2004-12-10 , , Win , , align=left, Nenad Nedimovic , , Local Kombat 11: Intepeneste Valcea , ,

Râmnicu Vâlcea Râmnicu Vâlcea (formerly ''Râmnic'', ) is a city in Romania. Located in the south-central part of the country, in the historical province of Oltenia, it is the seat of Vâlcea County and its main urban settlement. According to the 2021 Romanian ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

, , KO , , 2 , , , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2004-05-29 , , Win , , align=left,

Jerrel Venetiaan Jerrel Venetiaan (born March 9, 1971) is a retired Dutch kickboxer and mixed martial artist who fought in K-1. As a MMA fighter he fought in Pride Fighting Championships. Championships and accomplishments Kickboxing *2004 King Of The Ring ...

, , King of the Ring World GP, Final , ,

Venice, Italy Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are linked by 438 bridge ...

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2004-05-29 , , Win , , align=left,

, , King of the Ring World GP, semi final , ,

, , Decision (split) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2004-05-29 , , Win , , align=left, Robert Byceck , , King of the Ring World GP, quarter final , ,

, , KO (left low kick) , , 1 , , 1:03 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2003-05-31 , , Win , , align=left, Ait Daouda , , Muay Thai Express 1 , ,

Rotterdam, Netherlands Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the New Meuse inland shi ...

, , TKO (corner stoppage) , , 3 , , , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2002-08-10 , , Loss , , align=left, Lechi Kurbanov , , 8.10 ICHIGEKI , ,

Tokyo, Japan 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 ...

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2002-07-07 , , Win , , align=left, Sean Johnson , , Bad Boys Day part 1 , ,

Utrecht, Netherlands Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the province of Utrecht. The municipality of Utrecht is located in the eastern part of the Randstad conurbation, in the very ...

, , TKO (low kicks) , , 1 , , , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2001-10-08 , , Loss , , align=left, Francisco Filho , ,

K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 in Fukuoka This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a Japanese kickboxing promotion. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993, at Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Since its inception, K-1 events were organized by the Fi ...

, ,

Fukuoka, Japan is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 km2 (1,925 sq mi). Fukuoka Prefecture borders Saga Prefecture to the southwest, Kuma ...

, , Decision (majority) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2001-10-08 , , Win , , align=left,

, ,

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2001-07-20 , , Loss , , align=left,

Alexey Ignashov Alexey Ignashov (; born 18 January 1978) is a Belarusian former Heavyweight kickboxer. He is a four-time Muay Thai World champion, K-1 World GP 2003 in Paris and K-1 World GP 2001 in Nagoya tournament champion. As of 2011 he is living in Aucklan ...

, ,

K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 in Nagoya This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a Japanese kickboxing promotion. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993, at Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Since its inception, K-1 events were organized by the Fi ...

, Final , ,

, , Ext. R Decision (unanimous) , , 4 , , 3:00 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2001-07-20 , , Loss , , align=left,

Mike Bernardo Michael Shawn Bernardo (28 July 1969 – 14 February 2012) was a South African kickboxer and boxer from Cape Town. Bernardo was known as Beru-chan in Japan, where he has taken part in K-1 World GPs since 1994. He holds notable wins over ...

, ,

, semi final , ,

, , Ext. R decision (majority) , , 4 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2001-07-20 , , Win , , align=left, Bjorn Bregy , ,

, quarter final , ,

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2001-04-15 , , Win , , align=left, Tooru Oishi , , K-1 Burning 2001 , ,

Kumamoto is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a populat ...

, Japan , , Decision (unanimous) , , 5 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2000-12-12 , , Loss , , align=left,

, , It's Showtime - Christmas Edition , , Haarlem, Netherlands , , TKO (Exhaustion) , , 5 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2000-10-08 , , Win , , align=left,

Peter Verschuren Peter Verschuren is a retired Dutch mixed martial artist. He competed in the Heavyweight division. Mixed martial arts record , - , Loss , align=center, 2–6 , Joop Kasteel , DQ , It's Showtime: Amsterdam Arena , , align=center, 1 ...

, , Victory or Hell part I , ,

, , TKO (ref stop/Three knockdowns) , , 3 , , , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 2000-07-30 , , Loss , , align=left,

Ernesto Hoost Ernesto Frits Hoost (born 11 July 1965) is a Dutch retired professional kickboxer. A four-time K-1 World Champion, Hoost is considered to be one of the greatest kickboxers of all time. Debuting in 1993 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 1993, where h ...

, ,

K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 in Nagoya This is a list of events held and scheduled by the K-1, a Japanese kickboxing promotion. The first event, K-1 Sanctuary I, took place on March 30, 1993, at Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Since its inception, K-1 events were organized by the Fig ...

, semi final , ,

, , Decision (majority) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2000-07-30 , , Win , , align=left, Tatsufumi Tomihira , ,

, quarter final , ,

, , KO , , 2 , , 2:07 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2000-04-23 , , Win , , align=left, Samir Benazzouz , , K-1 The Millennium , ,

Osaka, Japan is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third-most populous city in Japan, following the special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a populatio ...

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 1999-10-21 , , Win , , align=left, Rene Rooze , , , ,

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 , , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 1999-10-05 , , Loss , , align=left,

Peter Aerts Peter Aerts (born 25 October 1970) is a Dutch retired kickboxer. Known for his devastating high kicks, which earned him the nickname "The Dutch Lumberjack", he is widely considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers of all time. B ...

, , K-1 World Grand Prix '99 opening round , ,

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 5 , , 3:00 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#FFBBBB" , 1999-06-20 , , Loss , , align=left,

, , K-1 Braves '99, Final , , Japan , , Ext R decision (unanimous) , , 4 , , 3:00 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 1999-06-20 , , Win , , align=left,

, , K-1 Braves '99, semi final , , Japan , , Ext R decision (unanimous) , , 4 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 1999-06-20 , , Win , , align=left, Tomasz Kucharzewski , , K-1 Braves '99, quarter final , , Japan , , KO (right low kick) , , 2 , , 1:48 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 1999-03-27 , , Win , , align=left, Bob Schreiber , , The Fight of the Gladiators , ,

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 5 , , 3:00 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 1998-09-26 , , Win , , align=left, William van Rosmalen , , The Fight of the Champions , ,

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 5 , , 3:00 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 1998-05-31 , , Win , , align=left, Bob Schreiber , , Fight of the Decade , ,

, , TKO (corner stoppage) , , 4 , , , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 1998-04-14 , , Win , , align=left, Remy Bonjasky , , Muay Thai Power tournament, Final , ,

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 1998-04-14 , , Win , , align=left, Peter Kramer , , Muay Thai Power tournament, semi final , ,

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 1998-02-15 , , Win , , align=left, Richard Paans , , Thai/Kickboxing in Nijmegen , , Nijmegen, Netherlands , , KO , , 1 , , , - bgcolor="#ffbbbb" , 1997-11-27 , , Loss , , align=left,

, , Thaiboxing in Amsterdam , ,

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 5 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 1997-05-11 , , Win , , align=left,

Pedro Rizzo Pedro Augusto Rizzo (; born 3 May 1974) is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist and kickboxer who competed for the UFC, PRIDE, M-1 Global, and Affliction. Although he never captured the UFC Heavyweight Championship, Rizzo competed for ...

, , Battle of the Best tournament, Final , ,

Den Bosch s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 160,783. It is the capital of ...

, Netherlands , , TKO (corner stoppage) , , 2 , , , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 1997-05-11 , , Win , , align=left, Perry Telgt , , Battle of the Best tournament, semi final , ,

, Netherlands , , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 1997-05-11 , , Win , , align=left,

, , Battle of the Best tournament, quarter final , ,

, Netherlands , , KO , , 1 , , , -

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 0-1 ,

Gary Goodridge Gary Goodridge (born January 17, 1966), is a Trinidadian-Canadian former heavyweight kickboxer and mixed martial artist fighting out of Barrie, Ontario. Prior to kickboxing and MMA, he was also one of the top ranked contenders in the world of pr ...

, TKO (punches) , Pride Shockwave , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:39 ,

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 ,

References

*http://www.boutreview.com/fightsspiral/royd_vandam.html

External links