Fadi Merza
| Fadi Merza | |
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Fadi and Ines Merza (Vienna 2012)
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| Born | Fadi Merza 8 March 1978 Derbassiah, Syria |
| Other names | The Beast |
| Nationality |
 Syrian Austrian
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| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Weight | 72 kg (159 lb; 11.3 st) |
| Division | Middleweight |
| Reach | 71.0 in (180 cm) |
| Style | Muay Thai |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Team | Octagon City Thong Gym Team Merza |
| Years active | 1997-present |
| Kickboxing record | |
| Total | 155 |
| Wins | 127 |
| By knockout | 53 |
| Losses | 26 |
| Draws | 2 |
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Fadi Merza (born 8 March 1978 in Derbassiah, Syria) is a retired Syrian-Austrian middleweight kickboxer. Merza was a multiple world kickboxing and Muay Thai champion.
Fadi Merza was born in Derbassiah, Syria to an Assyrian/Syriac family. Fadi was ten years old, when he and his family left his native Syria and moved to Vienna. "My parents just wanted to provide us a secure future. Within just six months, I had mastered the German language", said Merza in a 2012 interview. At the age of 16, Fadi started training kickboxing. After fighting as an amateur in the kickboxing circuit, he switched to Muay Thai. He was awarded his first title at age 18, when he won the WPKL Junior World Super Welterweight Championship during an event near Vienna, Austria on November 15, 1997.
Having become a youth champion, Merza was given the chance in 2000 to fight for the World Muay Thai Middleweight Championship of the World Professional Kickboxing Council (WPKC), one of the minor sanctioning organizations in the world. Fadi decisioned his opponent to win his second World title. In May 2001, the European Thaiboxing Championship of the more prestigious WKA was at stake. He faced off against the routined Brit Eugene Valerio at the first Vienna Fight Night. Valerio was troubled by Fadi’s accurate knee strikes, suffering a cut above his eye. A well placed kick to the midsection finally proved to be the Brit’s downfall, by breaking his forearm. Fadi won via TKO in the second round.
A year later, again in Vienna, Fadi challenged Mohammed Ouali for the vacant WKA Thaiboxing World Middleweight title. The fight went to the distance after five grueling rounds. In front of his hometown crowd Fadi lost a close decision. Despite his defeat he was signed by Austrian businessman Marcus Bauer for his kickboxing organization SuperLeague.
Merza made his debut in SuperLeague at the kick off show in Vienna in May 2003. Fadi showed a dominant performance against Takahiko Shimizu from Japan. At his second SuperLeague appearance, in Wuppertal, Germany, he faced off against another Japanese fighter, Akeomi Nitta. Fadi dominated the first two rounds, but the fight soon turned into a tough battle. After five hard rounds, Merza got a decision victory.
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Wikipedia