Dennis Alexio

Dennis Raymond Alexio (born March 12, 1959) is an American former professional kickboxer and actor who competed in the light heavyweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions. Starting out as a light heavyweight, Alexio kicked off his career with an extensive, knockout-laden undefeated streak before losing a decision to Don "The Dragon" Wilson in a World Kickboxing Association (WKA) World Super Light Heavyweight Full Contact Championship match in 1984. He rebounded from this by winning the Professional Karate Association (PKA) World Light Heavyweight title that same year before moving up to cruiserweight and taking the International Sport Karate Association (ISKA) World Cruiserweight Full Contact strap. In the late 1980s, he began his transition to the heavyweight division where he won six world titles and was considered the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion. He faced the two toughest tests of his career in 1992 against Branko Cikatić and Stan Longinidis - both of whom were heavier fighters - fighting to a controversial draw with Cikatić and losing to Longinidis via an early low kick KO which resulted in a broken leg. An aggressive fighter possessing good boxing skills, a powerful spinning back kick and Muay Thai style roundhouse kick to the midsection, head and legs, Alexio retired with an impressive 92% KO ratio. he is in prison on multiple counts of tax evasion. Early life Dennis Alexio was born and raised in Vacaville, California. He was a standout athlete in his youth, excelling in American football, baseball and basketball. In an interview with Inside Karate magazine, he claimed to have turned down an offer to play baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He began his martial arts training in Kajukenbo and in college, he played American football as a linebacker, using karate to get faster and more flexible for football. Liking karate, he decided to pursue the full contact aspect of it, not just point sparring. So Alexio started learning other styles like tang soo do before moving on to full-contact karate/professional kickboxing, where he added boxing and Muay Thai skills to his kickboxing repertoire along with his karate training. His entrance music was "The Final Countdown" by Swedish rock band Europe. Career