Semmy Schilt: Kickboxing, Early Life & Net Worth
Who doesn’t enjoy kickboxing, right? If you’re a fan of kickboxing, you must have heard of Semmy Schilt, the famous former Dutch kickboxer.
On top of that, Semmy Schilt is also a well-established Ashihara karateka and mixed martial artist.
A four-time K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, Semmy Schilt is a clap of thunder to reckon with.
Semmy is also a former Glory Heavyweight Grand Slam Champion and one of the most famous kickboxers.
If you want to learn more about him, keep reading this post.
Quick Facts
Here are some fascinating quick facts about Semmy Schilt:
| Name | Semmy Schilt |
| Other Names | Sem, Hightower |
| Date of birth | October 27 of 1973 |
| Age | 50 years old |
| Place of Birth | Rotterdam, Netherlands |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Ethnicity | North-East European |
| Religion | Not Known |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| Gender | Male |
| Father’s Name | Not Known |
| Mother’s Name | Not Known |
| Siblings | Not Known |
| Education | High School, Martial Arts |
| Height | 6 Feet 11 Inches |
| Weight | 116 Kg or 256 lbs |
| Eye Colour | Not Known |
| Hair Colour | Not KNown |
| Shoe Size | Not Known |
| Marital Status | Married in 2016 |
| Wife | Not Known |
| Children | Not Known |
| Occupation | kickboxer, Ashihara karateka, mixed martial artist, and actor |
| Career Debut | Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling |
| Career Wins | 43 wins in kickboxing, 41 wins in mixed martial arts |
| Fighting Out Of | Zuidlaren, Netherlands |
| Division | Heavyweight, Super Heavyweight |
| Rank | Black Belt in Kudo Daido-Juku, 6th Dan Black Belt in Ashihara Karate, 9th Dan Black Belt in Kyokushin Budokai |
| Reach | 88 in (224 cm) |
| Years Active | 12 years (1996 – 2008 in MMA), 11 years (2002 – 2013 in Kickboxing) |
| Net Worth | 5 Million USD |
| Social Media | Twitter, Instagram, Facebook |
| Merch | Pride Fighting Championships |
| Last Updated | April, 2024 |
Semmy Schilt: Early Life, Family, and Education
One of our generation’s best kickboxers, Semmy Schilt, was born on October 27, 1973, in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Schilt was born to a happy family to loving parents whose names are unknown.
On top of that, the names of his siblings are also not known if he has any.
However, Semmy Schilt’s parents were Kyokushin Kaikan practitioners.
Following in his parents’ footsteps, Semmy started practicing Kyokushin Kaikan at the tender age of eight.
However, Schilt switched to Ashihara Kaikan at the age of twelve because it piqued his interest.
Following that, Semmy was a black belt at the age of eighteen.
Talking about his education, the Hightower graduated from high school and enrolled into a martial art institution simultaneously.
Not much is known about Sam; however, we can say that he had a lovely childhood that shaped his career.
Semmy Schilt: Age, Height, and Weight
The kickboxing giant was born on October 27 of 1973, in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
So, Semmy Schilt is 50 years old, making him a Libra man.
Libra guys are recognized for their gentleness, friendliness, and mellow demeanor.
Known for his giant stature and enormous height, Semmy Schilt is not an unknown name.
Following that, Semmy stands at a proud height of 6 feet and 11 inches or 211cm tall.
On top of that, Semmy also weighs 256 lbs or 116 kg, making him a man with a great weight.
Semmy is also an excellent martial artist and kickboxer who has won five major competitions and is one of the most decorated heavyweight kickboxers in history.
Furthermore, he is primarily considered to be one of the division’s all-time greats.
You might also be interested in learning more about retired Canadian mixed martial artist Georges St-Pierre.
Semmy Schilt: Career
This gentle giant has a broad set of careers leading up to his retirement.
Mixed Martial Arts
Semmy Schilt has had an exciting mixed martial arts career that includes time as an Ashihara karateka.
Pancrase
Semmy Schilt started his mixed martial arts career in Japan with the Pancrase promotion, where he debuted on May 16, 1996.
He defeated grappler Manabu Yamada with a spectacular rear-naked choke victory.
Semmy had his second match with Yuki Kondo on July 22, 1996; he lost by a split decision.
On February 22, 1997, Schilt battled Pancrase co-founder Masakatsu Funaki, which Semmy had to tap out.
However, when Schilt fought against Minoru Suzuki, the other co-founder of Pancrase, he won.
On March 18, 1998, Schilt had a rematch with Funaki, which he lost, but on September 14, Schilt had a stunning victory over Funaki.
After that, on June 20, 1999, Schilt fought against Gilbert Yvel, which he lost.
But, Schilt finally won against Gilbert Yvel on June 4, 2000.
Finally, on November 28, 1999, Schilt won the King of Pancrase loose weight belt by defeating Yuki Kondo.
You might also be interested in reading about Muhammad Ali, a professional boxer, philanthropist, actor, and entertainer.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
On May 4, 2001, Semmy Schilt made his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut, defeating Pete Williams.
Schilt, on the other hand, lost his last fight in UFC 32 against Josh Barnett.
PRIDE Fighting Championships
On September 24, 2001, Semmy Schilt made his PRIDE Fighting Championship debut, competing in PRIDE 16.
In addition, in his debut, Schilt won against Akira Shoji.
Semmy also defeated Masaaki Satake of K-1 and Yoshihiro Takayama of professional wrestling.
On June 23, 2002, Schilt fought against Fedor Emelianenko, a PRIDE debutant, and lost.
Along with that, Semmy Schilt also lost against Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira on November 24, 2002.
Finally, at the end of 2003, Schilt fought against Josh Barnett and lost.
Kickboxing
Semmy Schilt made his first appearance in the world of kickboxing by competing in the K-1 finals.
Here, Schilt fought against Ray Sefo in the quarterfinals and won.
He also had a match against Remy Bonjasky, the defending Champion, and won a semi-final victory.
On top of that, Semmy had a sweet victory against Glaube Feitosa in the finals.
Schilt defeated Ernesto Hoost, a four-time K-1 World Grand Prix champion, at the K-1 PREMIUM 2005 Dynamite!!, held on December 31, 2005.
Along with that, Semmy lost against Peter Aerts and Choi Hong-man in 2006.
But, by unanimous judgment, he triumphed over Jerome Le Banner, Ernesto Hoost, and Peter Aerts.
K-1 World Grand Prix 2007
On the other hand, Semmy defeated Ray Sefo at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 Yokohama and became K-1’s first Super Heavyweight Champion.
Schilt defeated Mighty Mo, the K-1 Hawaii GP Champion, at the K-1 Amsterdam GP on June 23, 2007.
Semmy won the 2007 K-1 World Grand Prix Final Eliminations in Seoul, South Korea, against Paul Slowinski, qualifying for the World Grand Prix Finals.
In World Grand Prix 2007 Finals’s opening round, Schilt defeated Brazilian Karate competitor Glaube Feitosa.
In addition, he battled and defeated Jerome LeBanner for the second time in the semi-finals.
Furthermore, Schilt defeated another Dutchman, Peter Aerts, to become the third man to win the K-1 World Grand Prix three times in the finale.
Semmy is also the only man in history to have won three Grand Prix titles in a row.
However, Schilt then lost against Peter Aerts in the K-1 World Grand Prix Final 16 in Seoul in September 2008.
Furthermore, on May 16, 2009, Semmy lost in the first round of Its Showtime 2009 Amsterdam, Netherlands, a Dutch Kickboxing event, to Badr Hari.
But, in the same year, though, Schilt defeated Badr Hari.
Final 16
In the 2009 Final 16, Semmy Schilt defeated Romanian kickboxer Daniel Ghita.
Schilt fought Jerome LeBanner in the final selection and won by KO for the fourth time in the first round.
Regarding the second and the final round, Semmy fought against Remy Bonjasky and Badr Hari and won them both.
Schilt became the second man in history to win the WGP title four times with these achievements.
With this, he also set the record for the fastest Grand Prix triumph, with a total time of 355 seconds for all three matches.
In April 2010, Semmy won against teammate Errol Zimmerman. He defeated Hesdy Gerges in the 2010 Final 16 by a razor-thin margin.
In the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Finals semi-finals, however, he was defeated for the first time by Peter Aerts.
But, in 2012, Semmy returned to the victory world by defeating Guidon and Zimmerman.
Sixteen-Man 2012 Glory Heavyweight Grand Slam
Schilt defeated Brice Guidon in a rematch at Glory 4: Tokyo – 2012 Heavyweight Grand Slam in Saitama, Japan, on December 31, 2012.
He also fought against Rico Verhoeven and won.
Finally, in the final round, Semmy Schilt defeated Daniel Ghiţă, the most anticipated guy in the competition, to claim the Glory Grand Slam title.
You might be interested to know about Tad Dennis, a slalom canoer from the United States.
Acting
In Transporter 3 and Amsterdam Heavy, Semmy Schilt played minor roles.
Semmy has also played as Claes in Nova Zembla and as Abel in Black Out.
Retirement
Semmy Schilt announced his retirement on June 26, 2013, due to a cardiac problem.
Semmy Schilt: Accomplishments
Kickboxing
Semmy Schilt is the Glory Heavyweight Champion and the Glory Heavyweight Grand Slam Tournament Champion for 2012.
In addition, he was the 2009 K-1 Super Heavyweight Champion, the 2007 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, and the 2006 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion.
The fighter is also the 2005 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion and the 2005 K-1 World Grand Prix in Paris Champion.
Mixed Martial Arts
Schilt has previously won the Openweight King of Pancrase. He had also successfully defended his title two times.
Semmy also received the 1999 Fighter of the Year award.
Karate
Semmy has won the Daido Juku Hokutoki two times and 1996/1997 (IBK) International Budo Kai European Champion in the open weight division.
Hie is the IBK European Champion twice in full contact karate (Knockdown karate regulations) 1995/1996.
He is also a three-time IBK Dutch Full Contact Karate (Knockdown karate regulations) Champion (1993, 1994, and 1995) and a runner-up Open British Kyokushin Championship (1997).
Schilt was named Full-Contact Fighter of the Year in 2008.
In 2013, Semmy was honored into the CBME’s Dutch National Hall of Fame for Martial Arts.
Semmy Schilt: Records
The Hightower has impressive records in both of his kickboxing and mixed martial arts careers.
Kickboxing
Semmy had 50 matches in his kickboxing career in which 43 were wins, out of which 20 were by knockouts.
He had six losses, of which two were by knockouts. Furthermore, Schilt had one draw.
Mixed Martial Arts
Semmy Schilt had 41 matches in his mixed martial arts career.
He had 26 wins, out of which 14 were by knockouts, ten were by submission, and two were by decisions.
Further, Schilt had 14 losses, out of which two were by knockouts, six were by submission, and six were by decision.
Semmy h had one draw in his mixed martial arts history.
Semmy Schilt: Girlfriend and Kids
Unlike his kickboxing demeanor, Semmy is very sensitive about his personal life.
He hasn’t disclosed any of his girlfriends, wives, or kids as of today.
Semmy Schilt: Net Worth
Semmy Schilt has an estimated net worth of around $5 million.
However, his monthly and or yearly salary is unknown.
He has accumulated his net worth as a kickboxer, mixed martial artist, Ashihara karateka, and actor.
Semmy Schilt: Social Media Presence
Libra man, Semmy is very active on social media. He usually posts selfies, his accomplishments, and his training activity.
On top of that, Semmy also has websites named semschilt.com and fitbysemmy.com.
On these websites, we can signup for his training classes and even shop for his gear.
Instagram: Over 23k followers
Facebook: Over 40k followers
Twitter: Over 7k followers
Semmy Schilt: FAQ
Who is the tallest kickboxer?
There are many tall kickboxers.
The tallest, though, is the one and only Semmy Schilt, who stands proudly at 6 feet and 11 inches (256 cm).
