Besim Kabashi

Besim Kabashi (27 February 1976 to 4 December 2011) was a Kosovar-German kickboxer who competed from light heavyweight up to heavyweight. Born near Istok in what is now Kosovo to Kosovar Albanian parents, he moved to Munich at fourteen and began kickboxing at seventeen after youth sport in athletics, football and swimming. He turned professional in 1997 and won WKA German titles at light heavyweight and super light heavyweight, retired in 2002 after a disagreement with his trainer, and returned in 2006 as a heavyweight. He won the WKA European super heavyweight title in 2007 and the WKA World Heavyweight Muay Thai title on 13 December 2008 by defeating Yahya Gülay, defending it seven times before he was found dead in his Munich apartment on 4 December 2011.