Lee Hasdell

Lee Hasdell (born 13 December 1966) is a British martial artist, promoter and former professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist.

Lee Hasdell began martial arts in 1979, at the age of 12, learning taekwondo under Morris Young who was the European full-contact taekwondo heavyweight champion.

Lee later took up boxing and then karate as he felt that it was more of a mixed style that suited his stand up.

After winning a number of local tournaments he decided to study full-contact Karate.

In 1985, when he was 18 he started weight training and kickboxing.

In 1987, he moved to Milton Keynes from Northampton where he began Thai boxing.

Hasdell began his professional career in 1989, as a Muay Thai boxer, becoming a three-time British champion in kickboxing and Thai boxing.

Hasdell began his professional kickboxing career in January 1989, at the age of 22 as a super-welterweight Thai boxer.

Hasdell is considered by many to be a pioneer of mixed martial arts in the United Kingdom, particularly in the 1990s, when he drove a great deal of innovation in the field.

Hasdell promoted the first professional mixed martial arts events in the UK and helped develop many of the standards within the British MMA scene of today.

In 1991, Lee went over to train at the Gym International and the Chakuriki Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

This is where Lee was first introduced to Japanese Kickboxing and Kyokushin methods.

On 9 March 1991, Hasdell won the WKA British super-middleweight kickboxing title.

The following month he moved up to light-heavyweight and won the B.I.K.M.A British Thai boxing title.

Hasdell was taught by Bryan Walker, who was one of Master Toddy's first generation instructors and would train under him until 1992.

He later added the B.I.K.M.A British light-heavyweight freestyle title in 1992.

Hasdell remained undefeated as British champion for two years.

Lee Hasdell was first exposed to mixed martial arts in 1992, when teaching kickboxing at a Japanese Boarding School, he began cross training with the Japanese martial arts instructors in Judo, Karate and Jujitsu.

Then whilst he was competing at K-1, Hasdell shared a dressing room with the mixed martial artists that were competing that night.

They had Vale Tudo and shootfighting bouts on the card, which Hasdell watched with interest and when he returned from Japan, he began grappling.

Hasdell's quest for the European title began on 28 May 1993, in Katowice, Poland.

He fought Paval Rumas for the ISKA European light-heavyweight full contact title and lost by split decision after 10 rounds.

Hasdell later moved up to super light-heavyweight and challenged for both the WKA Commonwealth and European Muay Thai titles.

He lost the first title fight against Duncan Airlie James due to a cut in October 1993.

This bout was only one week removed from originally receiving the cut in a Thai boxing match in Arnhem, Netherlands against Perry Telgt.

Still ranked no.1 in Britain, Hasdell fought for the European title on 22 January 1994, against Bob Schrijber at the Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia.

Hasdell was stopped near the end of the last round due to leg kicks.

In April 1994, Hasdell trained at the Seidokaikan Dojo in Japan, the headquarters for the K-1 organisation.

He also attended the K-1 Grand Prix '94 as a stand by fighter.

On 17 October 1994, Hasdell made a move to super-cruiserweight when he defeated French fighter Bruno Fariot by first round knock-out.

He later returned to train at the Chakuriki Gym to prepare for his future fights and was ranked no.1 in the Commonwealth ratings.

In 1995, he became one of the first British fighters to compete in K-1 and soon began crossing over into mixed martial arts as a shootfighter.

On 15 April 1995, Hasdell fought undefeated American fighter Curtis Schuster for the ISKA world super-heavyweight Muay Thai title in Paris, France.

Hasdell lost in the first round via a knee strike.

On 3 September 1995, he became one of the first British fighters to compete in K-1 when he fought South African Duane Van Der Merwe at K-1 Revenge II in Yokohama, Japan.

Hasdell, who was significantly smaller than his opponent, lost in the first round by clinch knees.

In 1996, he won the inaugural Oktagon challenge, an eight-man shootboxing tournament held in Milan, Italy.

Then in 1997, he made his debut for Fighting Network RINGS in Japan and would go on to have the majority of his fights there until 2001.

His final mixed martial arts bout was in 2007, on the UK promotion Cage Rage.

Hasdell's professional and competitive career spanned over 20 years with almost 100 bouts in kickboxing, mixed martial arts and submission grappling.