China is often underrated in the kickboxing scene. Their homegrown Sanda style is a force to be reckoned with, with excellent fighters such as Wei Rui, who just had a good fight with young striking star Johnathan Haggerty. However, there’s a new monster on the block, and that man is Liu Ce.
Liu Ce is China’s next big thing, proving it with violence.
The rise of Liu Ce has been a fantastic one as despite starting his career with two losses in China, he would rebound and develop a great 18-3 kickboxing record, with most of those wins coming via brutal knockout. Liu Ce isn’t all flash with his style, as when he came into K-1, he would go on to win the K-1 2023 Openweight Grand Prix as one of the smallest men in the tournament. Not only winning but winning every single bout via knockout. Showing off his incredible power, not only his punches but brutal low kicks.
After winning the open-weight grand prix, he cut down to his proper weight class, cruiserweight, and challenged controversial Iranian Kickboxer Sina Karimian. Liu Ce would thoroughly dominate and brutally beat down Sina Karimian, despite some spotty officiating that would benefit Karimian. It would make no difference, and Liu would flatten Karimian brutally in the third round. Winning cruiserweight gold in dramatic highlight reel fashion.
The Chinese bruiser brings more eyes to a forgotten division.
The cruiserweight division in kickboxing and boxing tends to be forgotten over the heavyweight division, which is the true glamour division for any combat. However, technical and exciting fighters like Oleksandr Usyk in boxing and Liu Ce prove that these divisions are worth watching as the lighter man’s skill is always a treat.
Especially when fighters like Liu Ce and Oleksandr Usyk can dominate in the heavyweight divisions, celebrating these fighters and their divisions is wise for fight fans. More competition only makes combat sports better, especially kickboxing, especially the most exciting combat sport in the world.
