@@miller566Tf you talking bout? He had 35 wins in a row then lost to Tyson and Lenox and his career was done as the next journeyman. Here he was like 35 and he still fought good rankings with 40+
@stillgotyourmom He was an awesome fighter. Love the guy. For his lifestyle, which i know for a fact, he likes to party too hard, and when you are fighting top-notch opponents, you can't do that. Have his autographed photo that my brother got for me while he was golfing with him in New Zealand.
@@davidkeith571 your wrong, he fought Tyson, and he gave a good account of himself (he did lose though) Botha is one tough mother, how the hell could you not know that
Although Botha is a 1-2 fighter, dude can be explosive. He also fought Tyson, Vladimir klitshko, holyfield, Lennox Lewis. In boxing he was on a 35 fight winning streak until his first loss
@@guywilliams6569He at least fought the top heavyweights of his era unlike wilder and the present crop that are picking and choosing and avoiding some on their way to a title shot.
@@guywilliams6569 what's race got to do with the topic ???? I'm amazed at your racist comment and will not disclose what colour of the rainbow I am . Ignoramus!!
He was even with Tyson before he walked face first into the most vicious puncher who ever walked the planet. Mad props to the man on this fight. The white Buffalo.
LeBanner is a bully and a coward.Dominated 95% of the striking and quit when he gassed out.And correct, freaky trapezoid muscles are are sure sign of heavy steroids.I am of a different opinion about great champions giving up.Sounds oxymoronic.
That full body wobble! Someone got rocked! I love the Stand On Ropes sign of dominance at the end before the extra round. This is Good Fight definition.
Botha would brutalise half the current top10 now if he came about all over again. Was in a brutal era, ducked nobody & still held his own! Big up 2the big man FBotha
I don't think he would brutalize it, but I think he would do good. He would be one of the top guys. I think Andy Ruiz would beat him. Among some others.
@@Chasetherabbit100 how would Botha compete against Wilder and Fury. This statement is inaccurate. Maybe a good fight against Andy Ruiz. I would pick Ruiz to win that.
Botha may not have been the most skilled boxer in terms of movement and speed. He made up for it with absolute toughness and resilience. Never underestimate a South African Boer.
Botha was a great boxer that fought the very best champions, he may have come up short against the very best but he always fought hard and courageously. He has my respect and Jerome Le Banner's who is a legend in kick boxing.
@@jorgelouis709 He absolutely would not. He was very very tough but he lost almost all his biggest fights. When Botha fought Mike Tyson, Tyson was far removed from his prime in 1999-00
Shows that basic boxing skills and a lot of ring experience can go a long way in other combat sports. Botha was a good boxer, but not among the best heavyweights of the 1990s. I remember watching him get knocked out with a single punch by Mike Tyson who had just got out of prison. But even at an advanced age, with no kicking or kneeing ability, slow footwork, and just a 1-2 combo, Botha was still able to beat a bigger, stronger and younger professional kickboxer under kickboxing rules.
" I remember watching him get knocked out with a single punch by Mike Tyson who had just got out of prison." LOL! But you don't remember that Mike Tyson was out of prison for years when he fought Botha..
"get knocked out with a single punch by Mike Tyson who had just got out of prison" "he was schooling mike tyson" "Yes, Tyson was in big trouble" When people need to exaggerate things to get attention.. Hey stupid people who believe every BS you read or listen, watch the fight by yourselves and make your own opinion of that fight
@@davidlawrencegraham6722 You’re a fk’n idiot, Tyson was already coked out at that stage of his career and wasnt taking that fight seriously. Botha wasnt doing shit in that fight except dancing around for five rounds until Tyson nailed him with that straight right which doesnt happen by accident. Kickboxers and mma fighters dont have the same level of talent as very good boxers Since boxing is harder Which is why those other disciplines get paid shit
In hindsight, if Francis Botha learned the low kick technic at his younger age, he'd have been an awesome powerful kick boxer, cause his one two punch was crispy, fast, strong & so very effective. Regardless, he did fight really well in terms of the strategy against one of the strongest kick boxer in the world. Thus he deserves a pat on the back.,,,,,,,(06/05/22)
The 1st round replay showed the fact that Botha was able to use the small space in the corner to avoid most of the serious blows that looked really bad in full speed.
Le banner is a legend in the kickboxing world fighting guys like cro cop , mark hunt and Ernesto hoost so a lot respect should go towards botha. He wasn't the greatest but he always put up a fight the best he could, I remember seeing an interview back in 2020 where shannon briggs who also fought in k1 said francois botha was the hardest puncher he ever faced
And Botha in his prime fought some of the best boxers ever. He was NOT in his prime when this fight took place. Old and fat but still was never in any real danger. Imagine LeBanner, Hoost or Cro cop fighting Lennox Lewis, Shannon Briggs or Evander Holyfield in their prime. It would have been brutal.
@@christianf7740Briggs said the leg kicks from Tom Erikson who was primarily a wrestler hurt, a guy like Cro Cop, Hoost or Overeem would eat him up. Same case for a guy like Holyfield, his skinny legs ain't taking kicks and Lennox ain't built for anything but boxing.
Respect to Botha for his fighting heart, he sade after the fight against Swedens Jörgen Kruth that he could not walk after all legkicks, but he was quite ok for a guy that have no defence from that kind of punishment. Think how that hurts when a big dude like Banner or Kruth kicked the legs of a man that have no defence, even the headkicks Probabaly hade ko many other. Botha could take a punch like a man. It would be great to see Botha aginst a shorter guy like Mark Hunt, if both were in their prime, sorry my bad english
This fight was the epitome of one player mashing the same buttons repeatedly on a video game mixed with Bruce Lee fearing the man that had practiced one technique 1000 times rather than the man that practiced 1000 techniques once. Bothas one two was just too strong
Wow, very keen insight. I never thought of it that way. Thanks. He took some hard kicks and punches to the head and body and he still smiled at him after that like he was telling him, I've taken way harder punches than those little boy and I think the kid gave him his all but was probably mentally wrecked dealing with a seasoned pro who can take a beating. When Botha landed he landed some crazy power bombs if you watch the slow motion and the recoil of the Le Banners head and body. You can only imagine what he felt like during the impact and the after shocks. He took a beating from a near prime Tyson so I'm guessing that's why he was laughing at the kids offense and been honing his punches since well before the 90's.
@@cattycats4 that's for sure, I could just hear the impacts to the head and body, all the while wondering if I'd be standing taking a kick half that strong multiple times on the face and body😖. I don't know if it's just Botha's facial expressions but he seems to be grinning everytime he takes a heat. That's got to be some scary shit when you blasted him with your best kicks and punches. Botha on the other hand was consistent doing damage, aiming for the right spots, when he punched he really got them in effectively and was probably capitalising on the skills that the kid had yet to develop from experience
You could see the boxer realizing that the kicker couldn't hurt him, not with his feet or his fists. After that it was just a matter of getting in close enough to land his own punches.
I was so glad to see that towel thrown in, that man was hurt bad but finished the fight. He was beat fair and square and couldn’t believe they gave him a draw. The judges were hacks.
Never thought it would turn out that way after knowing some of the competition Le Banner has met and beat since Botha was a boxer only and long out of being a contender in that sport and had no idea at the age he was that he'd continue in the UFC.. After continuously seeing the thumbnail for this video I finally watched it expecting Botha to be out classed because of his age and only knowing how to box but I guess a hard hitter always has a chance to win judging by this fight outcome...
Le Banner is a K1 legend and dicerves a lot of respect. That being said, you say Botha is "a boxer only" This is not the first time, and not the last time "boxers only" Beats guys with kickboxing and karate backgrounds. Dont underestimate boxers. Just ask Mcgregor. Have a nice day sir.
@@bjornbjorn8235 Former Boxing WBO Heavyweight Champ Ray Mercer with a record of 36 - 7, at the age of 48 put OUT COLD, Tim Sylvia, former UFC Heavyweight Champ with a record of 24-6 in MMA at the time and was 35 years old. They fought in MMA. I know you know but I just wanted to attach it to your comment :)
Within a year, Lebanner had a second operation on his right arm and before the fight he was complaining of pain (look at the number of times he shakes his arm to ease the pain). In his corner at the end of the second round, Lebanner says "Je suis mort, je suis mort" (I am so tired) After the fight the organization took Lebanner to the hospital to get an x-ray, he actually had a huge tendonitis. You should also know that this same year, Lebanner lost his mother and was very hard morally. Botha is a good fighter and a real warrior but he would never have passed an in-form Jerome in k-1 rules.
I fought a long time ago in the 70s and one of the things I learnt was that if you step in the ring you are fit to fight, that's it. No Ifs or buts, you are fit to fight.
He showed up in the ring at fight night. If he thought he was not fit for competition, he shouldn't do so. Everything else is excuses. You say Botha wouldn't survive under K1-rules. Maybe ... but I also think Botha would have f**** him up in a pure boxing match. Personally I don't like those cross fights. Maybe Botha needed the money, but I don't think old boxers or K1/MMA fighters for that sake, should keep fighting when they should retire instead.
So too never underestimate an African American/British . Lennox , Evander , Ali , Bruno , Bowe , Foreman , Tyson this is only a few of the many heavyweight champions . GERRIE COETZEE , CORRIE SAUNDERS only two mentionable that couldn't defend their titles as well the other two BOTHA and BERNADO not even mentionable .
Botha was always a tough cookie. Fought well and bravely against Lennox Lewis and so many others. You are not going to drop an old warrior without a real fight on your hands.
Lebanner showed really poor fight IQ in this fight. He could have easily set up a high kick to knock Botha out. Just kick low / mid and then all of a sudden go for a high kick = Easiest way to knock out boxers with
@Salamah Channel Al-Maliki Quran&Hadith There is a lot of good Mexican heavy weights who are fat and good boxers. Some of them have won Heavy Weight Champion Skills!
If Botha had perfected more than 1-2 punches he may have kept Jerome off balance long enough to score a solid KO. But 1-2 is good in basic fights, it's not always effective with pros who will come forward regardless like Marciano, Tyson, Dempsey, Foreman, Frazier, or even Ali. Combinations, jabs & hooks are needed. Jerome, like most kickboxers, despite his fine physique & conditioning, depends mostly on his feet. He throws telegraphing punches with not much power behind them. Botha doesn't. He holds his arms close to his body & many times throws punches from his shoulders. If you look closely at the good camera work Botha is always focused on his opponent even when under assault. I'm convinced Botha knew when a leg was coming up & deflected it. The sign of a great fighter. Both men did exceptionally well. Jerome, having received a solid punch that stunned him, recuperated, and shook off the cobwebs without losing his head. Much to be admired since Botha doesn't throw light punches & the majority are calculated. Botha appeared quite "fresh" even towards the end because he looked as if he paced himself well. He didn't waste a single punch though some went wild -- in the heat of a fight, it will happen. Both men are obviously skillful & I applaud them both. There wasn't a dull moment.
Damn good analysis. Jerome didn’t protect his head as well as Botha, but this was an awesome fight to watch. Hitting Botha must be like hitting a stone wall!
@@boston7704 - Just ask Mike Tyson. He seemed frustrated when he hit Botha & he just kept coming, Of course, Mike finally got lucky and landed a solid single shot but he hugged Botha at the end because I think Mike was genuinely concerned this fight could've been lost. You're right about Jerome not protecting his head well. He's a kickboxer, not a double-fisted-fighter.
Botha landed most of his 1-2s though.. JLB is a great offensive fighter, but has almost 0 defence. Botha just didn't have enough power to capitalize on it outside of the knockdown. Didn't look like JLB had too much respect for Botha's power even after the knockdown.
Botha seems like the Roy Nelson of the boxing world. As opposed to Spinks and Biggs, Botha did not seem to be intimidated AT ALL by Tyson in that fight.
frustrating to watch this for the Xth time and still wonder why Le Banner wasnt spamming body kicks the entire fight instead of crashing range, crowding his punches and giving Botha a chance to use the only weapons he had in this fight.
Botha was defensively prepared , his one two made him reset quickly without exposing himself . Also ate the kicks well and the banner never recovered from the knock down . Body punches was crazy too. Botha looked like he was getting better as the fight went . Too fast too powerful
Wow! Old man is fast as heck! Packs the power, speed, and accuracy. Banner should have used more kicks as this would have won the fight for him. Looked like Botha could not defend the kicks so well.
Botha didn't throw any kicks, but he must've trained a lot to take them without flinching. Leg kicks will put down a fighter who hasn't prepared for them. Much credit to both men.
@Glory Kickboxing, not a fair statement considering LeBanner's mother passed away the week before. He still showed up but his heart understandably wasn't in it.
Once you're in the ring you don't think about anything other than fighting. Even in the corner between rounds I never once thought about my wife sitting in the audience.
Jerome le banner was my idol back in the days when we didnt know mma in eu all we got sometimes was k1.. when i heared it will be on tv i sneaked there in middle of night with my 13 years or so...... i cant tell you year but would guess between 98-02 i started watching him and peter aertz
Jerome ' coach says: "break his legs", up your guard, dont let him rush you, high kick straight ahead, but a lot of "keep up your guard!! " you see the result !
Jerome underestimated the punching power of Francois. Francois's punching was quick, accurate & powerful, & well delivered to Jerome's face.. From Jerome point of view, he should've executed his persistent low kick to his opponent's calf & thigh from the beginning. Then Jerome could've won against Francois?! Just my rather foolish speculation though??!! This proves a boxer sometimes can win over a kick boxer. (04/27/22) .
Maybe but... end of 2003 Le Banner had a bone graft on his left forearm and during the match he had a problem with his left forearm. After a radiography at the end of the match he was diagnosed with a tendonitis on his left forearm.
@@gibs2b It's kind of you to let me know that fact on Le Banner!!!,,,,,I'm much obliged,,,,,Stay safe & healthy amidst the dire plight precipitated by the COVID 19 & its variants,,,,,Have a marvelous day wherever you are,,,,,,From Tokyo,,,,,,(10/31/22)
I can't believe at his age Botha fought a young stud in a kickboxing match and held his own when he pretty clearly can't get his foot above his hip. That's impressive balls and toughness.
Le banner had no respect 4Botha&underestimate him is well! Le banner surely wasn't prep for an extra round&Botha would not mind an extra ☝️round so🤔 Well deserved win Botha
Le Banner a refusé le round supplémentaire qui était proposé pour les départager. Il est lucide et prudent. il a bien compris que ça ne changerait rien et que contre Botha, vrai boxeur, vrai encaisseur, un round supplémentaire ne pourrait que le désavantager et augmenter le risques de dommages physiques. Il est conscient que sa gloire et sa puissance sont derrière lui.
Jerome had a good start but got winded too soon and was much less the fighter after that. He's carrying around too much muscle for his frame. It does him no good except sap his energy.
I've seen Jerome Le Banner refusing to fight an extra round in another match, I think it was against a Japanese fighter but I could be wrong. He stormed out of the ring, it seemed that he thought he won the fight but he was definitely gassed out in that match, he definitely would of lost that extra round, not enough stamina left. Here's the link for that fight ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-h0xWx83eQMM.html
@@Fenris554 Nah that wasnt the problem, he was gassed out to the bone and could hardly stand up on his own, all those roid muscles are heavy and demands a really good stamina and he didnt have that and the tank was empty. Plain and simple.
@@MrKveite1 he definitely didn't have enough gas left, roids heavily impacts your cardio/stamina and all that muscle needs extra oxygen to perform, unless he would of took EPO to help create more red blood cells to carry more oxygen but that shit is risky as fuck when you abuse it, but so is juicing.
