Lucia Rijker
Lucia Frederica Rijker (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɛikər]; born December 6, 1967) is a Dutch professional female boxer, kickboxer, and actress.
Rijker has been dubbed by the press and opponents "The Most Dangerous Woman in the World".
Early career
Rijker speaks four languages and is a Buddhist, dedicating time daily to meditation and chanting. Her mother was born in the Netherlands and her father is from Suriname.
Rijker started her martial arts career at the early age of six, when she began training in judo. A year later, she was part of the Dutch National Softball Team. At fourteen, after picking up fencing a year earlier, Lucia became the Netherlands Junior Champion of that sport. When she was fifteen she began kickboxing and knocked out the reigning American kickboxing champion, Lily Rodriguez. Rijker eventually amassed a 36-0 (25 KO) record as a kickboxer, and won four different world titles. Her only defeat in a kickboxing ring was in a Muay Thai style exhibition match at Sporthalle Zuid in Amsterdam in October 1994, when she fought male Thai boxer Somchai Jaidee, who knocked her out in the second round. After four different world championship titles she changed her focus to boxing in 1996.