Zhora Akopyan (born 6 November 1997) is a Belarusian-Armenian

kickboxer Kickboxing is a combat sport focused on kicking and punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, gener ...

. He is the former Fair Fight welterweight champion, FEA WGP lightweight champion and the 2019 Tatneft Cup lightweight tournament winner.

Kickboxing career

Akopyan grew up in

Polotsk Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Dist ...

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

, he practiced Karate as a child. His uncle noticed his love for martial arts and brought him to a Muay Thai and Kickboxing club in his hometown when Zhora was 11. Akopyan won the IFMA gold medal in 2014 after five years of training. The following year he moved to

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative stat ...

to join Gridin gym and try to breakout in the professional world. Akopyan was scheduled to face Eduard King at KOK Elimination Tournament on October 6, 2018. He won the fight by a second-round knockout. Akopyan was scheduled to face Mirkko Moisar at Number One Fight Show 11 on May 14, 2019. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Akopyan was scheduled to face Vladislav Ukrainets, in 1/8 of the -70kg tournament held on June 11, 2019. The fight went into an extra round, after which Akopyan won the decision. A month later, on July 20, Akopyan faced Yanis Budagov in the tournament quarterfinals. The fight once again went into an extra round, after which he was awarded a decision. Akopyan was scheduled to participate in the FEA World Grand Prix, held on August 17, 2019. He beat Stanislav Kazantsev by unanimous decision in the tournament semifinals. Advancing to the finals, he faced

Constantin Rusu Constantin Rusu (born May 17, 1994) is a Moldovan kickboxer, currently competing in the lightweight division of ONE Championship. He is the former KOK and FEA welterweight champion. A professional competitor since 2016, Rusu has also competed for ...

, whom he beat by decision, after an extra round was fought. Akopyan was scheduled to face Ilya Sokolov in the semifinals of the Tatneft Cup, held on October 4, 2019. He won the fight by decision, after an extra round was fought. Akopyan was scheduled to face Ivan Kondratiev in the finals of the 2019 Tatneft Cup -70kg tournament, held on December 15, 2019. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Akopyan was scheduled to fight a rematch with Rafał Dudek at MGC Promotion on February 29, 2020. The two of them previously fought at DSF Kickboxing Challenge on August 9, 2018, with Dudek winning by decision. Akopyan was more successful in the rematch, as he won by unanimous decision. Akopyan was scheduled to face Maxim Spodarenko at BFC 65 on December 23, 2020. He won the fight by split decision. Akopyan was scheduled to fight Maxim Sulgin for the vacant Fair Fight -77kg title at Fair Fight XV on August 28, 2021. He won the fight by split decision. Akopyan was scheduled to face

Jonathan Mayezo Jonathan Mayezo (born May 22, 2000) is a French muay thai kickboxer. A professional competitor since 2017, he is the current SUPERKOMBAT World Super Lightweight Champion and WAKO-Pro Super Welterweight champion. Martial arts career Mayezo took p ...

at Empire Fight - Vikings Edition on October 2, 2021. He lost the fight by majority decision. Akopyan was scheduled to face Fabien Bignell at Tour Event Fight 9 on April 2, 2022. Akopyan withdrew from the bout, as the French Federation did not allow him to compete due to sanctions against Belarus in the context of the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...

. Akopyan faced

Mamuka Usubyan Mamuka Usubyan (born October 2, 1994) is a Russian Armenian professional boxer and kickboxer, and the current Fair Fight lightweight champion. As of May 2022 he was the #10 ranked lightweight in the world by Combat Press. Kickboxing career Fair ...

at Fair Fight XVII on April 16 2022 for the Fair Fight Lightweight title. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Akpyan defeated Daniele Iodice by unanimous decision at PetrosyanMania GOLD EDITION in Italy on April 30, 2022. Akopyan faced Sayfullah Khambakadov in a Fair Fight lightweight title eliminator at RCC Fair Fight 19 on November 26, 2022. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Akopyan was expected to face Vasilii Semenov in the Fair Fight lightweight tournament semifinals at RCC Fair Fight 20 on February 18, 2023. He was forced to withdraw with an injury and the bout was rescheduled for RCC 15 on May 13, 2023. He won the fight by decision.

Championships and accomplishments

Professional *

TatNeft Arena TatNeft Arena ( ru: Татнефть-Арена) is an indoor sporting arena located in Kazan, Russia. The capacity of the arena is 10,000 and was opened in 2005. The arena is home to Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League. Tatneft Cup ...

** 2019 Tatneft Cup Lightweight (-70 kg) Tournament Winner *FEA World Grand Prix ** 2019 FEA WGP Lightweight (-71 kg) Championship *Fair Fight ** 2021 Fair Fight Welterweight (-77 kg) Championship *Multi Fight Club ** 2022 MFC Lightweight (-71 kg) Championship Amateur *Belarus Muay Thai Federation ** 2013 Belarus Muay Thai Championships Junior Champion ** 2014 Belarus Muay Thai Championships Junior Champion ** 2019 Belarus Muay Thai Championships -71 kg Runner-up *

International Federation of Muaythai Associations The International Federation of Muaythai Associations, or IFMA, called the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur until 27 July 2019, is the sole recognised sport governing body of amateur and professional Muay Thai and Muay boran consis ...

** 2014 IFMA Junior World Championships -67 kg ** 2014 IFMA Junior European Championships -67 kg *

World Association of Kickboxing Organizations The World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (W.A.K.O or WAKO) is an international kickboxing organization counting over 120 affiliated countries representing all five continents. WAKO is a major governing body of amateur kickboxing and is ...

** 2018 WAKO Belarus Kickboxing Championship -71 kg

Fight record

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Aleksei Ulianov Aleksei Ulianov is a Russian kickboxer who competes in the Glory Featherweight division. He is a two time Tatneft Cup 70kg tournament winner. As of 8 February 2022, Combat Press ranks him as the #7 featherweight kickboxer in the world. Kickb ...

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Yekaterinburg, Russia Yekaterinburg ( ; rus, Екатеринбург, p=jɪkətʲɪrʲɪnˈburk), alternatively romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( rus, Свердло́вск, , svʲɪrˈdlofsk, 1924–1991), is a city and the administrati ...

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Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ...

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Akopyan, Zhora 1997 births Living people Lightweight kickboxers Armenian kickboxers

Kickboxing career

Championships and accomplishments

Fight record

See also

References