Marc de Bonte

De Bonte is from Belgium and cites his countryman Jean-Claude Van Damme, the martial arts movie star, as the reason he started to train as a kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter as a six year old.

From as early as he can remember, De Bonte has wanted to be a fighter and martial artist. Aside from Van Damme, his influences also included watching heavyweight legends like Peter Aerts and Mirko ‘CroCop’ Filipovic in their heyday.

A long and successful amateur career sharpened De Bonte’s skills and made him into the fighter he is today. His style has a strong Muay Thai influence, which you can see in his timing and his use of misdirection to create openings in the opponent’s defense.

De Bonte has also competed successfully in professional boxing and, when not in the ring, is a full-time university student working towards a Master’s Degree in Physical Fitness and Education. He says that he finds his university exams harder than his fights.