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Françesko Xhaja (born August 9, 1993) is an Albanian-born Italian kickboxer, currently competing in the light heavyweight division of ONE Championship. As of March 2023, he is ranked as the tenth best heavyweight kickboxer in the world by Beyond Kickboxing.

Professional kickboxing career

Early career

Xhaja faced Jan Beljajev at Number One Fight Show: Season 10 on September 22, 2018. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Xhaja next faced Mladen Kujundžić at Ultimate Fight Night on November 17, 2018. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Xhaja challenged Guto Inocente for the WGP Kickboxing Super heavyweight (+94 kg) title at WGP Kickboxing #55 on June 15, 2019. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Xhaja faced Igor Darmeshkin in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Tatneft Cup heavyweight tournament, which took place on July 19, 2019. He won the fight by unanimous decision, after an extra round was contested. Xhaja was able to stop Mathieu Kongolo in the second round on October 4, 2019, which earned him a place in the tournament finals, which took place on December 15, 2019, opposite Petr Romankevich. He lost the fight by unanimous decision, after an extension round was fought.

Xhaja faced Strahinja Mitrić at Megdan 8: New Winners on December 18, 2020. He won the fight by split decision. Xhaja next faced Cyril Cereyon at Ultimate Fight Night on January 17, 2021. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Xhaja then faced Ahmed Krnjić at Senshi 9 on July 10, 2021. He won the fight by unanimous decision, after an extra round was contested.

ONE Championship

Xhaja faced Rade Opačić at ONE: Only the Brave on January 28, 2022, in his promotion debut with ONE Championship. He lost the fight by a second-round technical knockout.

Xhaja faced Andrei Stoica at ONE Fight Night 7 on February 24, 2023. He won the fight by split decision.

Xhaja challenged Roman Kryklia for the ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Championship at ONE Fight Night 12 on July 14, 2023.

Championships and accomplishments

• Tatneft Cup
  • 2019 Tatneft Cup Heavyweight Tournament Runner-up
• Megdan Fighting
  • 2020 Megdan K-1 Heavyweight (+93 kg) Championship

Fight record

Kickboxing record

18 Wins (5 (T)KO's), 6 Losses, 0 Draws, 0 No Contests
Date	Result	Opponent	Event	Location	Method	Round	Time
2024-12-07	Win	Massinissa Hamaili	Senshi 24	Varna, Bulgaria	TKO (Corner stoppage/low kicks)	1	1:02
2023-02-24	Win	Andrei Stoica	ONE Fight Night 7	Bangkok, Thailand	Decision (Split)	3	3:00
2022-01-28	Loss	Rade Opačić	ONE: Only the Brave	Kallang, Singapore	TKO (3 knockdown rule)	2	2:00
2021-07-10	Win	Ahmed Krnjić	Senshi 9	Varna, Bulgaria	Ext. R. Decision (Unanimous)	4	3:00
2021-01-17	Win	Cyril Cereyon	Ultimate Fight Night	Brest, France	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2020-12-18	Win	Strahinja Mitrić	Megdan 8: New Winners	Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia	Decision (Split)	3	3:00
Wins the Megdan K-1 Heavyweight (+93 kg) title.
2019-12-15	Loss	Petr Romankevich	Tatneft Cup, Tournament Final	Kazan, Russia	Ext. R. Decision (Unanimous)	4	3:00
For the Tatneft Cup Heavyweight (+90kg) Tournament title.
2019-10-04	Win	Mathieu Kongolo	Tatneft Cup, Tournament Semifinal	Kazan, Russia	TKO (Retirement)	2	1:28
2019-07-19	Win	Igor Darmeshkin	Tatneft Cup, Tournament Quarterfinal	Kazan, Russia	Ext. R. Decision (Unanimous)	4	3:00
2019-06-15	Loss	Guto Inocente	WGP Kickboxing #55	Brasilia, Brazil	Decision (Unanimous)	5	3:00
For the WGP Kickboxing Super heavyweight (+94kg) title.
2019-04-26	Win	Liu Wei	Tatneft Cup, Tournament Round of 16	Kazan, Russia	KO (Head kick)	1	0:05
2019-03-16	Win	Pascal Touré	Power Trophy	Orange, France	TKO	2
2018-11-17	Win	Mladen Kujundžić	Ultimate Fight Night	Koper, Slovenia	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2018-09-22	Win	Jan Beljajev	Number One Fight Show: Season 10	Tallinn, Estonia	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2018-05-11	Win	Karim Zeghad	Ultimate Fight Night	Le Beausset, France	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2018-03-17	Win	Hassen Otman	Power Trophy 2018	Orange, France	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2017-11-11	Loss	David Vinš	Night of Warriors 12	Liberec, Czech Republic	KO (Left straight)	3	1:43
2017-01-14	Win	Alessandro Lamonica	The Night of Kick and Punch 6	Milan, Italy	Decision (Unanimous)	3	3:00
2016-04-16	Win	Danilo Coda	Sacile in Fight	Italy	TKO (Retirement)
2015-03-28	Loss	Pavel Voronin	Kombat League, Tournament Semifinal	Verona, Italy	KO (Left hook)	1
2014-06-17	Win	Nico Zerbin		Spinea, Italy	TKO	2
Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes

See also

• List of male kickboxers
• List of Italians of Albanian descent

References

1. "Rankings March 2023". beyondkick.com. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
2. "Francesco Xhaja ce l'ha fatta ancora una volta. Il kickboxer di Sacile". ilgazzettino.it. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
3. "Riječki kickboksač Kujundžić ovog mjeseca bori se u Kopru protiv Xhaje". fiuman.hr. 8 November 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
4. "(VIDEO) Mladen Kujundžić vs. Francesco Xhaja". fight.hr. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
5. "WGP Kickboxing 55 Guto Inocente vs Francesko Xhaja returns tonight". fightbookmma.com. 15 June 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
6. "Guto Inocente vence albanês Francesco Xhaja no WGP 55". superlutas.com.br. 16 June 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
7. "Пять российских бойцов выступят в четвертьфинале чемпионата мира "Бои по правилам ТНА"". news.sportbox.ru. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
8. "Россияне претендуют на выход в полуфинал чемпионата мира "Бои по правилам ТНА"". utro.ru. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
9. "Kickboxing Finale mondiale per Francesko". ilgazzettino.it. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
10. "Due match e due vittorie per Franko Xhaja". ilgazzettino.it. 3 January 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
11. "Ultimate Fight Night : Xhaja, un gros client pour Cereyon". lidf.press. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
12. "Francesko Xhaja defeats Ahmed Krnjic at SENSHI 9". boec.com. 11 July 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
13. De Rozario, James. ""We will see in the ring who is going to be KO'd" - Francesko Xhaja thinks he will stop Rade Opacic's knockout streak". sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
14. "(VIDEO) Rade Opačić još jednom fantastičan, Albanac je izdržao samo rundu i pol". fightsite.hr. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
15. "Francesko Xhaja fiton në "One Championship"". tvklan.al. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
16. "Kickboxeri Francesko Xhaja fiton në "One Championship", mund rumunin (VIDEO)". kohajone.com. 25 February 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
17. Pico, Borna (1 June 2023). "Roman Kryklia Set to Defend ONE Light Heavyweight Title Against Françesko Xhaja on July 14". beyondkick.com. Retrieved 15 June 2023.

• Living people
• 1993 births
• Italian male kickboxers
• Italian people of Albanian descent
• People from Sacile
• Sportspeople from the Province of Pordenone
• 21st-century Italian sportsmen