‘Marvelous’ Melvin Racks Up Knockouts

The K-1 HERO'S show in Seoul, South Korea, on Sunday will be the promotion's first event this year in which Melvin Manhoef (Pictures) is not fighting. The Dutch kickboxer was featured on seven of the last nine HERO'S cards and has emerged as one of the top foreign stars in Japan.

His attitude toward fighting is best summed up in his own phrase: "I live for this s---!"

What Manhoef lacks in size, he makes up in aggression. What he lacks in technique, he makes up in intensity. And what he lacks in skills, he more than makes up in dedication.

The 31-year-old knockout artist from Mike's Gym in Amsterdam, Holland, always gives his most -- even in training. Before his fight against Yoshiki Takahashi (Pictures) in March, a Japanese TV station aired footage of Manhoef sparring. He knocked out the unfortunate soul he was training with and gained a reputation as a monster even in the gym.

This is an approach to the sport Manhoef has kept throughout his 12-year professional fighting career. Despite his years of experience, at times he is still a little rough around the edges. But that roughness is also his recipe for success: 17 of his 18 wins have come by way of knockout, and only once in his career has he gone the distance -- a record unparalleled in mixed martial arts.

"When I go into that ring," Manhoef says. "I am willing to die."

That attitude has made him a star everywhere he has fought. From Holland to Russia, England to Japan, Manhoef's name has been a synonym for non-stop action.

The marquee bout of his career came in February 2006, when grim Chute Boxer Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos challenged him for the Cage Rage light heavyweight title. Both men stood in the middle of the cage and traded punches in what all spectators felt was a strong candidate for fight of the year. In the end Cyborg went down, unable to withstand Manhoef's barrage of punches.

Having conquered the U.K., winning all of his five fights there by knockout, it was time for Manhoef to move on. Even though the UFC was in the hunt for the man with Surinamese roots, the "Marvelous" one chose HERO'S and took his trade to Japan.

What matchmaker Akira Maeda (Pictures) had in store for him was a schedule that can only be described as grueling: Manhoef has fought 13 times in two years, which is more than any top fighter in MMA or K-1.

He seems content with the agenda, however.

"I don't mind continuing this schedule for quite a while," he says. "It keeps me in my competition rhythm. I'm in good shape, and if I don't suffer many injuries and keep on winning by knockout, I will continue like that."

This is good news for MMA fans. HERO'S has one of the most competitive middleweight divisions in the sport. With top-10 caliber fighters Denis Kang (Pictures) and Yoshihiro Akiyama (Pictures), MMA legends Kazushi Sakuraba (Pictures) and Kiyoshi Tamura (Pictures) and exciting new stars like Zelg Galesic (Pictures), the matchups for the upcoming year are seemingly unlimited. Just the thought of Manhoef battling Kang would leave many fans salivating.

There is one glaring weakness in Manhoef's game, though, that has been exposed in Japan. Against top grapplers the heavy-handed slugger still has problems on the ground. See his submission defeats to Akiyama and Dong Sik Yoon (Pictures), both world-class judo players. To address that flaw, Manhoef sought the help of American Top Team before his most recent fight in September.

After training with jiu-jitsu black belts Denis Kang (Pictures) and Marcus Aurelio as well as Abu Dhabi level grapplers Mario Rinaldi (Pictures) and Jorge Santiago (Pictures), Manhoef stuck with his bread and butter, knocking out Chute Boxer Fabio Silva (Pictures) in one minute. Thus another opponent will be needed to show what the Dutch fighter has really learned in Florida.

While Manhoef's adversaries only know him as a brutal striker with vicious knockout power in both hands (and knees), there is another side to the 5-foot-8 power plug. Away from the ring, his pride and joy is his five-year-old son Million.

"To be a good father really is my biggest goal in life," he says. "I will do everything in my power to win every title that lies in my path during my future career, but my primary concern are my kids."

Manhoef has not decided whether he wants the dreadlocked nipper to become the next Ernesto Hoost (Pictures) or follow in the footsteps of famous Surinamese footballer Edgar Davids. "Right now he is training in kickboxing and in football," Manhoef says. "He's very talented at both. He can do whatever he wants, as long as he is happy."

What Manhoef Sr. wants most in terms of fighting is something many of his contemporaries dream of these days. "Fighting Fedor [Emelianenko] would be an honor for me," he says.

The explosive middleweight has even developed a game plan he would try to use against the "Russian Emperor."

"Since he is over 60 pounds heavier than I am, the best game plan for a fight against Fedor, for me, is to use my speed, explosiveness and sharp and effective punching," Manhoef explains. "Because Fedor's standup and ground skills are very good, it's in my best interest not to come near him at all, to prevent a close fight."

If a fight with the widely recognized top heavyweight in the world does not materialize, Manhoef would settle for a second showdown with Ray Sefo (Pictures).

"I would like a rematch against him because I would like to show that I can fight well against K-1 fighters," he says.

The "Sugarfoot" from New Zealand knocked out Manhoef in a mere 40 seconds when the two met last December in a kickboxing bout. Manhoef shrugs off the loss: "That was just bad luck on my side."

Whatever the future holds, victory or defeat, against this opponent or that one, one thing is almost guaranteed: When Melvin Manhoef (Pictures) fights, there will be a knockout.