Albert “The Hurricane” Kraus (born August 3, 1980 in Oss) is a Dutchwelterweightkickboxer. He was the first K-1 World MAX 2002 champion and has also held four separate world titles in kickboxing and Muay Thai. He is currently fighting out of Super Pro Gym in K-1 MAX.
Biography and career
Albert Kraus started boxing at 14 years old, later switching over to kickboxing aged 17 fighting out of Gino Albert Gym in Oss. In 1997 he had his first amateur fight, winning convincingly by first round knockout. After numerous amateur victories Kraus switched to Bully’s Gym in Rhenen. He would make his professional debut in 1999 in Rotterdam, defeating his opponent Kany via second round knockout. By 2001 he had won the Dutch F.I.M.A.C, European I.K.B.F and W.K.A World titles.[1]
Kraus made his K-1 debut on February 24, 2002 at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 Preliminary Netherlands and was invited to the inaugural K-1 MAX World Championship on May 11, 2002. In the tournament quarter finals he faced Shane Chapman from New Zealand and won the evenly fought battle by a single point on the three judges' cards to take a unanimous decision. In the semi finals Albert Kraus met local crowd favourite Masato. Kraus scored a down with a punch at 2:31 into the first round and held on to earn his second consecutive unanimous decision and advance to the finals. He needed just one minute to put Kaolan Kaovichit down with a punch combination to become the first-ever K-1 World Max Champion.[2]
In 2003 Kraus switched to Super Pro Gym. He entered the K-1 World MAX 2003 World Tournament as reigning champion and tournament favourite. Kraus defeated both of his opponents by stoppage on route to the final but was unable to retain his title, losing to Masato by knockout at 2:26 of the second round. After the tournament Albert Kraus would continue fighting in a number of events in K-MAX and Super League, winning seven straight bouts through 2003 and 2004 and qualifying for the K-1 World MAX 2004 World Tournament Final where he would reach the semi finals. The following year, Albert Kraus would once more take part in the K-1 World MAX 2005 Championship defeating John Wayne Parr in the quarter finals only to lose to Thai fighter Buakaw Por. Pramuk in the semi finals. Despite the disappointment of another semi final defeat, Kraus would finish the year on a high by defeating Menno Dijkstra at Kraus's hometown of Oss to win the I.K.B.A. world title.
2006 would be a mixed year for Albert Kraus. He suffered an early exit at the quarter final stage of the K-1 World MAX 2006 World Championship to Gago Drago but did manage to regain his I.K.B.A. World title by defeating James Martinez. 2007 started badly for Albert as he lost two straight fights, including a shock decision loss to little known Japanese fighter Tatsuji. He improved as the year progressed qualifying for the 6th annual K-1 World MAX Final on October 3, 2007. Kraus fought and defeated Yoshihiro Sato by decision in the quarter finals and in the semis he met 2005 Champion Andy Souwer and lost the battle by majority decision. Souwer went on to fight Masato in the finals and eventually won the championship.[3]
Kraus had a stuttering start to 2008, losing his W.F.C.A. Thai Boxing junior middleweight world title fight to Faldir Chahbari and missing out on qualification for the K-1 MAX World Final for the very first time - losing to Buakaw Por. Pramuk at the K-1 World MAX 2008 World Championship Tournament Final 16. Losing out on a place at the final seemed to re-invigorate Kraus as he went on a seven match winning streak throughout 2008 and the beginning of 2009 - a streak that included winning the 2008 "King Of The Ring" Welterweight World title.[4] He finally tasted defeat at the K-1 World MAX 2009 Final 8 quarter final stage to eventual champion Giorgio Petrosyan. Since that defeat Albert Kraus has won five straight and has booked his place in the quarter finals of the forthcoming K-1 World MAX 2010 Final by defeating Hiroki Nakajima by decision at the K-1 World MAX 2010 World Championship Tournament Final 16. He again tasted defeat at the K-1 World MAX 2010 quarter final stage to the reigning champion Giorgio Petrosyan who would go on to win the tournament.
Dutch
