Andrei Kulebin

Ready to fight against Singmanee Kaewsamrit at THAI FIGHT 2012 final

Kulebin began his kickboxing education at the age of eight in Minsk where he studied Taekwondo, only to switch to Muay Thai four years later, aged twelve, when he joined his (still) current club Gym "Kick Fighter", run by trainer Evgeni Dobrotvorski.[4] At his new gym he had access to some of the best facilities in Belarus, training with future world champions such as Dmitry Shakuta, Andrei Kotsur, Aliaksei Pekarchyk and Vasily Shish.[5] As a teenager he competed in a number of amateur competitions in Belarus, winning the junior national title at 38 kg as well as making his pro debut in 1999. In 2001 he came third at the I.A.M.T.F. Amateur Muay Thai World Championships in Bangkok, Thailand and went even better later that year winning gold in the 51 kg category at the W.A.K.O. World Championships in 2001. Success in the amateur circuit transferred across to the professional game in 2002 where Kulebin defeated compatriot Alexei Talantov to win the World Kickboxing Network (W.K.N.) European title,[4] followed swiftly by the organizations intercontinental title, also in 2002. Between 2002 and 2005 Kulebin won more titles – winning gold medals at the I.A.M.T.F. (world[6] & European), W.A.K.O. and W.M.F. world championships, as well as claiming two W.K.N. professional world titles at super bantamweight and featherweight respectively. He also suffered his first ever professional defeat losing to Rudolf Durica in an unsuccessful attempt for Durica's W.P.M.F. title at the King's Birthday event in Bangkok, Thailand at the end of 2005. Bt 2006, at the age of 21, Kulebin had won seven world titles.

In October 2006, Kulebin entered the annual W.M.C. I-1 World Muay Thai Grand Prix, an eight-man competition for some of the top Muay Thai fighters at 63.5 kg. He emerged victorious at the tournament in Hong Kong, gaining revenge over the man who had inflicted his first pro defeat and reigning I-1 champion, Rudolph Durica, in the semi-finals, before defeating Santichai Or Boonchauy in the final.[7] He re-entered the W.M.C. I-1 World Grand Prix again the next year as defending champion once more defeating the two men he had faced the previous year, beating Santichai in the semi-finals and Durica in the final.[8] His victory in Hong Kong was tempered somewhat by his defeat against Neung Songnarong and the loss of the W.K.N. intercontinental title he had won back in 2002 (this was Kulebin's first defence of the title in five years due to a lack of suitable opposition). He also had success on the amateur circuit winning three world championships in one year; W.M.F., W.A.K.O.[9] and I.F.M.A.[10] He followed up this success the following year by once again winning the W.M.C. I-1 World Grand Prix, for the third successive year.[11]

2009 was another successful year for Kulebin, winning the W.M.C. featherweight title from reigning world champion Mosab Amrani at the Champions of Champions II event in Jamaica[12] and then defending his title by knocking out Michael Dicks towards the end of the year, with a head kick.[13] Sandwiched between these title fights was a tournament win at the inaugural W.K.N. Big-8 competition held in Kulebin's home town of Minsk.[14] The next year was not quite as successful as he suffered three defeats to Thai opposition losing to Jeeprasak Inudom at the quarter-final stage of the I.F.M.A. world championships (the first time in years he had failed to make at least the podium at an amateur championship) and twice to Sudsakorn Sor Klinmee in W.K.N. events, both of which were for prestigious titles within the organization. Despite a relatively unsuccessful year, Kulebin still had time to win two world titles, winning the W.M.C. I-1 tournament for the fourth time[15] and the little-known World Dynamite Thaiboxing title against Imran Khan in Sheffield,[16] as well as gold at the IFMA European Championships. At the beginning of 2011 Kulebin won another medal at amateur level, winning gold at the I.F.M.A. European championships in Antalya, Turkey.[17][18]

On 31 March 2012 he was defeated by Liam Harrison in Manchester, UK by TKO in round 3.

He defeated Crice Boussoukou via decision in the quarter-finals of the 2012 Thai Fight 67 kg Tournament at Thai Fight 2012: King of Muay Thai in Bangkok, Thailand on October 23, 2012.[19][20][21]

He then beat Adaylton Pereira de Freitas by decision in the tournament semi-finals in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand on November 25, 2012.[22][23]

He lost to Singmanee Kaewsamrit on points again in the final on December 16, 2012.[24][25]

On May 6, 2013, Kulebin defeated Umar Semata and Petchaswin Seatransferry to win the MAX Muay Thai 1 tournament in Surin, Thailand.[26]

He will fight Saenchai PKSaenchaimuaythaigym at Combat Renaissance in China on September 17, 2013.[27]

He lost to eventual champion Sagetdao Petpayathai on points in the semi-finals of the MAX Muay Thai 5: The Final Chapter tournament in Khon Kaen, Thailand on December 10, 2013.[28][29]

He defeated Yang Zhou via UD at Combat Banchamek in Surin, Thailand on April 14, 2014.[30]

Kulebin was initially set to fight Lee Sung-Hyun at the K-1 World MAX 2013 World Championship Tournament Final in Pattaya, Thailand on July 26, 2014.[31] The event was postponed due to the 2014 Thai coup d'état, however.[32] On September 17, 2016 Kulebin is fighting Fabio Pinca in Paris, France.[33] On December 10, 2016 Kulebin is fighting Buakaw Banchamek in Beirut, Lebanon.[34]

• List of male kickboxers

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Andrei Kulebin.

• Gym "Kick Fighter" Official Website