Françesko Xhaja

Françesko Xhaja (born August 9, 1993) is an Albanian-born Italian kickboxer, currently competing in the light heavyweight division of ONE Championship. As of February 2025, he is ranked as the tenth best heavyweight kickboxer in the world by Beyond Kickboxing.^[1]

Françesko Xhaja
Born	(1993-08-09) August 9, 1993 (age 32) Albania
Other names	Smile
Nationality	Italian Albanian
Height	194 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	102 kg (225 lb; 16.1 st)
Division	Heavyweight
Reach	196 cm (77 in)
Style	Kickboxing
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Venice, Italy
Team	SB Gym
Years active	2014–present
Kickboxing record
Total	27
Wins	20
By knockout	7
Losses	7
By knockout	4

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.^[2] Xhaja next faced Mladen Kujundžić at Ultimate Fight Night on November 17, 2018.^[3] He won the fight by unanimous decision.^[4]

Xhaja challenged Guto Inocente for the WGP Kickboxing Super heavyweight (+94 kg) title at WGP Kickboxing #55 on June 15, 2019.^[5] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.^[6]

Xhaja faced Igor Darmeshkin in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Tatneft Cup heavyweight tournament, which took place on July 19, 2019.^[7] He won the fight by unanimous decision, after an extra round was contested.^[8] Xhaja was able to stop Mathieu Kongolo in the second round on October 4, 2019, which earned him a place in the tournament finals,^[9] 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.^[10] Xhaja next faced Cyril Cereyon at Ultimate Fight Night on January 17, 2021.^[11] 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.^[12]

ONE Championship

Xhaja faced Rade Opačić at ONE: Only the Brave on January 28, 2022, in his promotion debut with ONE Championship.^[13] He lost the fight by a second-round technical knockout.^[14]

Xhaja faced Andrei Stoica at ONE Fight Night 7 on February 24, 2023. He won the fight by split decision.^[15][16]

Xhaja was expected to challenge Roman Kryklia for the ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Championship at ONE Fight Night 12 on July 14, 2023.^[17] The fight was postponed on July 1, after Xhaja suffered an undisclosed injury.^[18]

Xhaja faced Massinissa Hamaili at SENSHI 24 on December 2, 2024. He won the fight by technical knockout 62 seconds into the opening round.^[19]

Xhaja faced Florin Ivănoaie at SENSHI 25 on February 22, 2025. He lost the fight by a first-round technical knockout.^[20]

Xhaja faced Marius Munteanu at Senshi 26 - Gladiators on May 17, 2025. He won the fight by a first-round technical knockout.^[21]

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

20 Wins (7 (T)KO's), 6 Losses, 0 Draws, 0 No Contests
Date	Result	Opponent	Event	Location	Method	Round	Time
2025-07-12	Win	Abdarhmane Coulibaly	Senshi 27	Varna, Bulgaria	TKO (Corner stoppage/low kicks)	2	1:05
2025-05-17	Win	Marius Munteanu	Senshi 26 - Gladiators	Plovdiv, Bulgaria	TKO (3 knockdowns)	1	2:50
2025-02-22	Loss	Florin Ivănoaie	Senshi 25	Varna, Bulgaria	TKO (3 knockdowns/low kicks)	1	3:00
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