Kickboxing and MMA · Middleweight
Cihad Akipa
Forty nine kickboxing wins, eighteen of them by knockout, a run in Glory and now a middleweight in Oktagon MMA. Cihad Akipa is one of the few fighters who moved between two sports without losing the crowd.
The facts
| Record | Kickboxing: 49-12 (18 KO) · Glory: 1-2 · MMA: 12-2 |
|---|---|
| Weight class | Middleweight (MMA), lightweight (kickboxing) |
| Roots | Merdin (Mardin), Bakur |
| Based in | Germany |
| Height | 190 cm |
| Promotions | Glory Kickboxing · Oktagon MMA |
Who he is
Cihad Akipa fights under the name The Punisher and comes from Mêrdîn, in Bakur. He is 190 centimetres tall and fights out of Germany. Glory lists his overall kickboxing record as forty nine wins and twelve losses with eighteen knockouts, and his Glory record as one win and two losses (Glory Kickboxing, 2026).
Since 2024 he has been fighting in Oktagon MMA, where the promotion introduced him as a former Glory kickboxer entering the middleweight division (Oktagon, 2026).
What the record shows
Our own count on the published record: eighteen knockouts across sixty one kickboxing fights, which is a knockout in more than one in four appearances. In a striking sport where most bouts go the distance, that number is the whole story of how he fights.
The move to mixed martial arts is the harder direction. A striker has to learn the ground game in public, in front of an audience that already knows him.
Why he matters
Akipa is the fighter who made Kurdish combat sports visible in two arenas at once. Glory audiences and Oktagon audiences barely overlap, and he has stood in both.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Cihad Akipa from?
He comes from Mêrdîn, in Bakur, and fights out of Germany (Tapology, 2026).
What is his kickboxing record?
Forty nine wins and twelve losses with eighteen knockouts, according to his Glory profile (Glory Kickboxing, 2026).
Does he still kickbox?
He built his career in kickboxing, including bouts in Glory, and has been competing in Oktagon MMA since 2024.
What is his nickname?
The Punisher.
How tall is Cihad Akipa?
He is 190 centimetres tall and competes at middleweight in MMA.