Luis Tavares

Luis Tavares was born on September 8, 1991, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, to Cape Verdean parents. In his early years, Tavares showed significant athletic talent in football, playing for youth teams including Sparta Rotterdam and being scouted for the Feyenoord youth team. He played alongside notable footballers such as Georgino Wijnaldum. However, his elder brother’s interest in kickboxing led Tavares to redirect his focus from football to combat sports. This shift marked the beginning of his journey in kickboxing, which would later see him achieve prominent recognition in the sport.

His kickboxing career officially began with significant achievements. In December 2012, Tavares secured his first professional title, the IRO 95 kg European Muay Thai Championship, with a fourth-round knockout victory over Rodney Glunder in Schiedam, Netherlands. This was followed by winning his first professional world title in March 2014, the IKA 95 kg Championship, through a decision win against Hicham Achalhi in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. He made his Glory debut around this period, experiencing a loss to Artem Vakhitov. Subsequent years saw him consistently competing and winning. In October 2015, Tavares won the WFL “Unfinished Business” Heavyweight tournament in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, defeating Fred Sikking and Lorenzo Javier Jorge.

Tavares’ career progression continued with his entry into Enfusion, where he captured both the Heavyweight and Super Heavyweight titles. In April 2017, he defeated Mohamed Boubkari by first-round knockout to win the Enfusion Heavyweight title. Later that year, in September 2017, he defeated Jahfarr Wilnis by unanimous decision to claim the Enfusion Super Heavyweight Championship. He successfully defended this title twice against Mrad Akram and Fatih Ulusoy. After a period of success with Enfusion, Tavares signed with Glory Kickboxing in September 2018, vacating his Enfusion titles to focus on his new career path. His time in Glory included significant victories against opponents like Artur Gorlov, Michael Duut, Stéphane Susperregui, and Donegi Abena. However, his career also faced challenges, including a split decision loss to Felipe Micheletti in June 2019 and a no-contest ruling in June 2022 due to a positive drug test, which led to a suspension. Following his return, he transitioned to the heavyweight division within Glory, competing against Bahram Rajabzadeh and Bogdan Stoica.