Peter Aerts

Early life

Aerts was born in Eindhoven, North Brabant, Netherlands on October 25, 1970. After playing football in his childhood for seven years, he began practicing martial arts in 1983, beginning with taekwondo. His interest in combat sports came from his grandfather and an uncle; both were active in that field. In 1984, he started kickboxing and began training in "Judoka-Kickboxing" in Best, with Mikki Benazzouz. After a year of training, Aerts fought his first match, and soon one victory succeeded the other. He won his first world championship title when he was nineteen.{{cite web | access-date=2007-08-21 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070817050145/http://www.peteraerts.com/decd9098-0c75-453d-833e-3c49a466d7fc.aspx?Language=en-US |archive-date = 2007-08-17}}

Career

1985–1992: Early career

Aerts debuted as a professional kickboxer in 1985. Some notable fights from his early career include a decision loss to Ernesto Hoost (who he would fight a total of six times) on 20 November 1988, and a knockout loss to Andre Mannaart in 1989 while still a teenager. Aerts switched to "The Champs" gym in Eindhoven, with Eddy Smulders, in 1989 where he won his first world title, taking the IKBF World Heavyweight Championship in 1990.

1991 saw Aerts switch gyms again, this time moving to the famous Chakuriki Gym under Thom Harinck, where he had his greatest successes of his career. He received the moniker "The Dutch Lumberjack" by the trainer of his opponent Mark Russell after he defeated Russell by first-round stoppage in Oranjestad, Aruba on 29 June 1991. Aerts was given his signature sleeveless lumberjack jacket, which he would wear during his ring walk before every match, by his friend Bas Rutten. Coincidentally, Aerts' father was also a lumberjack. On 18 November 1991, Aerts defeated the legendary Frank Lobman via unanimous decision in Rotterdam to win the WMTA World Heavyweight Muay Thai Championship.

In 1992, Aerts truly moved onto the world stage. He beat Maurice Smith by decision after nine rounds in Paris, France, on 9 April 1992. Just a month later, on 16 May, he knocked out Adam Watt in the second round in Tokyo, Japan.

He rematched Frank Lobman on 20 September 1992. Aerts emerged the victor once again and retained the WMTA title as Lobman retired in round three. He ended the year with a draw against karate fighter Masaaki Satake in Osaka, Japan, on 4 October 1992.

1993: K-1 debut

On January 29, 1993, Aerts defeated Peter Selkthorpe of England by first-round knockout with a knee strike to win the European Muay Thai title in Best, Netherlands. He then rematched Maurice Smith in Amsterdam on March 7, 1993, and knocked him out with a right high kick, a technique that would become Aerts' signature move.

These wins gave Aerts the reputation as a top-level kickboxer and he was invited to take part in the K-1 Grand Prix '93, an eight-man, one-night tournament made up of the world's best heavyweights and light heavyweights held in Tokyo, Japan. He faced Ernesto Hoost in the quarter-finals, and after a close three rounds, Hoost was named the winner by majority decision (29–28, 30–28, 30–30).{{cite web |access-date = 2009-07-09 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090324043524/http://www.k-1.co.jp/jp/event/1993/0430_wgp/index.html |archive-date = 2009-03-24

He returned to K-1 on September 4, 1993, against Dino Homsey at K-1 Illusion and KO'd the American with a left high kick in round one.{{cite web

1994–1995: Successive K-1 World Grand Prix Championships

Aerts knocked out Markus Fuckner of Germany on February 20, 1994, in Amsterdam to retain the WMTA Heavyweight Muay Thai title before heading out to Japan to take part in the K-1 Grand Prix '94 which was held in Tokyo on April 30, 1994. In the quarter-finals, Aerts was drawn against Rob van Esdonk whom he had defeated in the Netherlands six months earlier. Van Esdonk knocked Aerts down in round one but Aerts was able to come back and KO him with a right high kick. In the semis, he faced Patrick Smith, an American with a wild, aggressive style. Aerts was still able to handle him, however, and KO'd him just over one minute into the first round. Progressing into the final, he came up against Masaaki Satake for the second time. Aerts simply landed more powerful and a larger number of strikes on Satake en route to a unanimous decision (27-25, 30–25, 30–29) victory. This made him the 1994 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion.

He returned to the ring on September 12, 1994, at the Night of the Stars tournament in Rotterdam. At the quarter-final stage, he faced Rob van Esdonk for the third time and Lumberjack'd him with the high kick again. He then knocked out Glenn Wijngaart in the semis and went into the final against Frank Lobman, who was thirty-eight at this point and facing Aerts for the third time. Aerts battered Lobman until his corner threw in the towel in round two.

Aerts then made the third defence of his WMTA World Heavyweight Muay Thai title against Ergin Solmaz in Amsterdam on November 12, 1994, before going back to Japan to fight Glen Parker at K-1 Legend. He knocked Parker out with a knee in round one.{{cite web

On March 3, 1995, he defeated Kirkwood Walker via right low kick knockout in round three at the K-1 Grand Prix '95 Opening Battle which qualified him for the K-1 Grand Prix '95 on May 4.{{cite web

Aerts then beat Michael Thompson by KO in a superfight at the K-3 Grand Prix '95 in Nagoya on July 16, 1997{{cite web |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100225012714/http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/event/1995/1209_wgp/index.html |archive-date = 2010-02-25

1996–1997: Rivalry with Mike Bernardo, and split from Chakuriki

On March 10, 1996, Aerts knocked out Jean-Claude Leuyer with a highlight-reel high kick at the K-1 Grand Prix '96 Opening Battle in Yokohama to qualify for the 1996 K-1 World Grand Prix.{{cite web |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091208022605/http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/event/1996/0310_wgp/index.html |archive-date = 2009-12-08

At the K-1 Grand Prix '96 on May 6, he came up against Mike Bernardo again at the quarter-final stage. Already a dominant name in K-1 and the reigning Grand Prix champion, Aerts was the favorite to win the 1996 tournament and as he had demolished Bernardo just six months earlier, he was expected to do the same this time. It was not to be, however, and after a slow first round, Bernardo turned the fight into a brawl in the second. The referee gave Aerts a count in round two, and in round three Bernardo knocked Aerts out with a right hook. Bernardo had broken Aerts' nineteen-fight winning run, and became the first man to beat him in since Ernesto Hoost in 1993.{{cite web |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091208022610/http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/event/1996/0506_wgp/index.html |archive-date = 2009-12-08

Aerts was given the chance to avenge this loss at K-1 Revenge '96 four months later, on September 1, 1996, when the rubber match was made between the pair. Anticipation was high, but the fight was an anticlimax. In the first round, Aerts caught Bernardo with an inadvertent low blow. When Bernardo was unable to continue, Aerts was disqualified.{{cite web |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091208022626/http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/event/1996/1018_wgp/index.html |archive-date = 2009-12-08

This settled nothing of course, and K-1 quickly booked the rematch to the rematch, this time for October 16 and K-1 Star Wars '96. Aerts knocked Bernardo down in round one and continued to hurt him with low kicks throughout the fight. In round two, the referee gave Aerts a standing eight count but he contested this as he simply stumbled after throwing a kick. By the third round, Aerts had started to take a beating and Bernardo KO'd him with a right hook towards the end of the round. After going undefeated in almost twenty fights over three years, Aerts had now lost three times in-a-row, all to Mike Bernardo.

In 1997, Aerts broke his working relationship with Thom Harinck and the Chakuriki Gym and went to train under former opponent Andre Mannaart at the Mejiro Gym.

He returned to the ring for the first time since his trilogy with Mike Bernardo on March 16, 1997, at K-1 Kings '97 where he had the first of his four meetings with legendary Swiss Kyokushin fighter Andy Hug. Hug was the 1996 K-1 Grand Prix Champion, but Aerts was able to overwhelm him and forced the referee to stop the match in round one.{{cite web |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100914224658/http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/event/1997/0429_wgp/index.html |archive-date = 2010-09-14

He qualified for the 1997 K-1 GP when he beat James Warring at the K-1 Grand Prix '97 1st round on September 7, 1997. At the beginning of the fight, Warring pretended that he wanted to sportsmanly touch gloves with Aerts and then attempted to sneakily punch him with a right overhand when he got close to him. Aerts was able to dominate the rest of the fight before knocking him cold with a right high kick in round three.{{cite web

At the K-1 Grand Prix '97 Final on November 9, Aerts came up against Mike Bernardo for the fifth time at the first stage. Aerts used his superior speed to pick Bernardo apart with punches before finishing him with a body shot in round three. This brought their rivalry to 2-2, discounting the disqualification. Marching into the semi-finals, he had his second match against Andy Hug. After three hard-fought rounds, Hug was given the nod via unanimous decision (30-29, 30–28, 30–28) and Aerts was eliminated.{{cite web |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091208013851/http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/event/1997/1109_wgp/index.html |archive-date = 2009-12-08

1998: Third K-1 World Grand Prix title

Aerts kicked off 1998 with a majority decision victory over Ernesto Hoost, their third fight, at K-1 Kings '98 on April 9.{{cite web

He also lost his next fight against the Brazilian karateka Francisco Filho at K-1 Dream '98 on July 18, 1998. Aerts knocked Filho down in round one but the match was stopped by the doctor at the end of the round as Aerts had a large cut on his shin, and Filho was awarded the victory.{{cite web

He soon returned to form, however, knocking out Sinisa Andrijasevic in round two at the K-1 World Grand Prix '98 opening round on September 27, 1998, to qualify for the K-1 Grand Prix '98 Final Round on December 13. Kickboxing had become a mainstream phenomenon in Japan by this time and the event was attended by more than 60,000 spectators at the Tokyo Dome. Drawn against Masaaki Satake at the quarter-final stage, he wrecked the Japanese fans' favourite with knees from the Thai clinch inside the first round. In the semis, he came up against his old nemesis Mike Bernardo. Knowing that Bernardo is a very religious Christian, Aerts came into the ring with "666" written on his lumberjack shirt. Aerts knocked him down twice in round one and forced the referee to stop the bout, sending him into the final against Andy Hug. This brought an end to their rivalry with an overall tally at 3–2 to Aerts, discounting the DQ. The final between Aerts and Hug lasted just a minute and ten seconds as Aerts knocked him out with a trademark high kick to win his third K-1 World Grand Prix.

This was the fastest tournament win in K-1 history, as he knocked out all of his opponents in the very first round in a record time of 6:43 minutes, until Semmy Schilt won the World Grand Prix in 2009 in 5:54 minutes.

1999–2002: Poor showings at the Grand Prix

Peter Aerts began 1999 in a rich vein of form, finishing Michael McDonald, Jim Mullen, Matt Skelton, Maurice Smith and Sam Greco, respectively, over the course of five months. At the K-1 World Grand Prix '99 opening round, the qualifying round for the 1999 K-1 WGP, on October 5, 1999, he took a unanimous decision victory over Lloyd van Dams. In the quarter-finals of the K-1 Grand Prix '99 final round on December 5, 1999, Aerts went up against Jérôme Le Banner for the third time. Just fifteen seconds into the first round, he dropped the big Frenchman with a high kick. Although dazed and clearly hurt, Le Banner was able to make the count and came back to knock Aerts out with a devastating left hook at just over the one minute-mark of round number one, sending the reigning champion crashing out of the tournament.{{cite web

Following this loss, he returned to the ring against Japanese star Musashi at K-1 Rising 2000 a little over a month later on January 25, 2000. Aerts won by technical knockout when Musashi's corner stopped the fight at the end of round four.{{cite web

Aerts continued his win-streak when he knocked out Andrew Thomson in fifty-six seconds at K-1 King of the Ring 2000 in Bologna, Italy, on May 12, 2000.{{cite web

Despite having lost his last two fights and failing to win a K-1 qualifying tournament, Aerts was still invited to the K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 Final at the Tokyo Dome on December 10, 2000, due to his status as one of the world's top kickboxers. At the quarter-final stage, he was given his rubber match with Cyrl Abidi. Aerts dominated the fight this time, and knocked Abidi down with a two-punch combination just seconds after the opening bell. He took a unanimous decision (29-26, 29–28, 29–26) after three rounds. However, during the fight, Abidi headbutted Aerts numerous times which caused a cut on his forehead. Due to this cut, Aerts could not advance in the tournament and was replaced by Abidi in the semis.

Aerts would then KO Stuart Green in round one in a superfight at the K-1 Holland GP 2001 in Arnhem on February 4, 2001, his first fight in the Netherlands in almost six years.{{cite web

At the K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 Final on December 8, 2001, Aerts went up against Francisco Filho at the first stage. Aerts developed a large hemotoma on his left foot when Filho blocked one of his kicks with his knee. Due to this, Aerts' corner stopped the fight at the end of round two and he was eliminated from the tournament.

He kicked off 2002 with wins over Nicholas Pettas and Andrei Kirsanov in the first half of the year before losing a majority decision to Alexey Ignashov at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 in Fukuoka on July 14, 2002.{{cite web

2003–2005: Becoming "Mr. K-1"

Although Aerts did not have as much success in the 2000s as he did in his earlier K-1 career, he continued to be a competitive challenger. And while Andy Hug died and other old-school legends Branko Cikatić, Mike Bernardo, Sam Greco, Ernesto Hoost and Stan Longinidis all retired, Aerts continued to face the new generation of stars.

Stefan Leko defeated Peter Aerts for the second time on March 30, 2003, at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 in Saitama.{{cite web

In 2004, Aerts left Mejiro Gym to found Team Aerts, training out of Kops Gym in Amsterdam under Henri Hooft and Jan Plas. After six months out of the ring, he returned against Gary Goodridge at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 in Nagoya on June 6, 2004. After withstanding the Trinidadian brawler's initial onslaught, Aerts brutalised Goodridge with low kicks over two and a half rounds. Although Goodridge was still game, he could barely stand and the referee stopped the fight in round three.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307221415/http://www.k-1sport.de/en/database/show_tournament.php?id=89 | archive-date=2016-03-07 | url-status=dead |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080212094634/http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/b04_1204_2.htm |archive-date = 2008-02-12

After a relatively poor 2004, Aerts went into 2005 with an extra round unanimous decision (9.5-8, 10–8.5, 10–8) over American prospect Carter Williams in a superfight at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Seoul on March 19, 2005. Williams' aggressive style had Aerts backtracking for much of the fight, but he was still able to show his class and take victory in the deciding round.{{cite web |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080504090949/http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/b05_0923_2.htm |archive-date = 2008-05-04 |access-date = 2009-09-17 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090505045128/http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/b05_1231.htm |archive-date = 2009-05-05

2006–2007: So close and yet so far

On March 5, 2006, Aerts went into the ring with the 212 cm (6 ft 11 1⁄2 in) 2005 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion Semmy Schilt in a superfight at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Auckland. After three rounds, Aerts was given the majority decision (28–28, 28–28, 29–28) win over the giant karate fighter. This win proved that, while his performances against top-tier competition had been waning in recent years, he was still a world-class kickboxer.{{cite web |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080504090949/http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/b05_0923_2.htm |archive-date = 2008-05-04

In his next fight, Aerts faced fellow K-1 legend Ernesto Hoost (the fifth and final meeting between the pair) at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Amsterdam on May 13, 2006. The circumstances surrounding the match were rather bizarre as Hoost was scheduled to face Bob Sapp that night and Aerts was only there to commentate for television. However, Sapp ran from the Amsterdam ArenA and Aerts stepped in to replace him, and had to borrow a pair of fighting shorts from Semmy Schilt (which had Schilt's name written on them and displayed the Golden Glory gym's logo). Despite having not trained for the fight, Aerts was still able to last all three rounds with Hoost and lost a majority decision (30–29, 30–28, 30–30).{{cite web |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110901085904/http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2006/0513_wgp_01.html |archive-date = 2011-09-01 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111001003004/http://www.fansofk1.com/article?aID=916&Category=2 |archive-date = 2011-10-01

Then, following a knockout win over Hiraku Hori at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Seoul in June{{cite web |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091102154727/http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2006/1202_wgp_01.html |archive-date = 2009-11-02

On June 23, 2007, at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 in Amsterdam, Aerts faced Bob Sapp in a much-anticipated superfight. In what was a rather anticlimactic affair, Aerts struck Sapp with the left knee, Sapp fell down and the fight was over in 0:25 of the first round.{{cite web |access-date = 2007-08-21 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070818093820/http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/b07_0623_2.htm |archive-date = 2007-08-18 |access-date = 2007-08-22 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071011020413/http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/b07_0805_2.htm |archive-date = 2007-10-11 |access-date = 2007-09-29 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071011014207/http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/b07_0929_2.htm |archive-date = 2007-10-11

The K-1 World Grand Prix 2007 Final was held on December 8, 2007, at the Yokohama Arena. After a quick knockout of Junichi Sawayashiki in the quarter-finals, he met two-time K-1 World Grand Prix winner Remy Bonjasky in the semis and dominated him en route to a unanimous decision (30-29, 30–27, 30–28) win which would take him into the final for a rubber match with defending champion Sem Schilt. Midway through the first round, Aerts went down in pain clutching his right knee. He was unable to continue due to injury once again and Schilt regained the title.{{cite web |access-date = 2007-12-08

2008–2011: Later K-1 career and legend status

Aerts began 2008 with a TKO win over South African giant Jan Nortje at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Fukuoka on 29 June,{{cite web | access-date=2008-06-03 | archive-date=2007-08-15 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070815220159/http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/btop.htm | url-status=dead |access-date = 2008-09-27 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090808055524/http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/news/2008/0927_wgp_01.html |archive-date = 2009-08-08

Following this poor showing, many critics and fans believed that, at 38 years old, Aerts was too old and past his prime. Nonetheless, he was determined to return to form and began training under Thom Harinck again in early 2009. With Harinck back in his corner, Aerts faced Errol Zimmerman in a superfight at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 in Yokohama. Although the fight went to an extra round decision which Aerts won unanimously (10-9, 10–9, 10–9), he looked like a much improved fighter.{{cite web |access-date = 2009-03-28 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071011004832/http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/dtop.htm |archive-date = 2007-10-11 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101230085209/http://www.k-1.co.jp/en/event/2009/0811_wgp/index.html |archive-date = 2010-12-30 | access-date=2008-12-10 | archive-date=2007-08-15 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070815220159/http://www.k-1.co.jp/k-1gp/btop.htm | url-status=dead

After this fight, Aerts dropped more weight under a diet that Harinck set for him, dropping to 103 kg as opposed to his usual 109–112 kg. He took part in a tournament reserve bout at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final on 5 December 2009, defeating Gökhan Saki by unanimous decision (30-27, 29–27, 29–28). None of the tournament fighters were withdrawn, however, so this was the first time since the tournament's founding in 1993 that Aerts had not competed at the K-1 World Grand Prix.

Aerts continued to drop weight, and on 3 April 2010, he faced K-1 Heavyweight (-100kg) Champion Kyotaro for the title at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Yokohama. He came into the fight at 97 kg. Despite looking in good shape, he was knocked down twice in the first round (although the second knockdown did not count as it came just as the bell sounded) before getting knocked out with one of Kyotaro's famous punches in the second.

Following this defeat, Aerts regained some of the weight that he had lost for his match against dreadlocked karate man Ewerton Teixeira at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Seoul Final 16 on 2 October 2010. A close match, it was decided by an extra round unanimous decision (10-9, 10–9, 10–9) in favour of Aerts who then qualified for the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final on 11 December. In his 17th appearance at the K-1 WGP, he defeated Mighty Mo by first-round KO in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, he came face to face with his archrival Semmy Schilt, in a fight where he was a huge underdog due to his age and Schilt's success in the 2009 Grand Prix. After being cut above the eye and finishing the fight with a swollen face, Aerts won a brilliantly fought decision. However, he had taken a lot of damage in the fight with Schilt and started to cough up blood in his changing room after the fight. He was overwhelmed by a less damaged and much fitter and bigger Alistair Overeem and lost by first-round TKO. Though he was defeated, he broke three world records in K-1: He became the oldest man (at 40 years old) to ever make it to the K-1 World Grand Prix Final, he marked the most appearances (6) that any fighter had ever made it to the final, and also became the first person to ever beat Semmy Schilt in a tournament.

Aerts was expected to face Melvin Manhoef at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2011 in Nanjing Final 16 on 29 October 2011. However, the event was cancelled with K-1 experiencing severe financial problems. With his December schedule clear for the first time in 18 years, he defeated Japanese fighter Mr. Kamikaze by first-round TKO on a show titled Hinokuni Kakuto Densetsu Legend 2 on December 11, 2011.

2012–present: Semi-retirement and sporadic appearances

His next fight was a TKO loss against Tyrone Spong at an It's Showtime event on 30 June 2012 in Brussels, Belgium. After that fight, Aerts signed a contract to compete exclusively for at least the next two years with GLORY, a newly formed kickboxing league which numerous top champions joined following the demise of K-1.

He competed in the sixteen-man 2012 Glory Heavyweight Grand Slam at Glory 4: Tokyo - 2012 Heavyweight Grand Slam in Saitama, Japan on 31 December 2012 but injury forced him to bow out of the tournament at the first stage. He performed well in round one of his bout with his one-time student Mourad Bouzidi but broke his right hand in the process and was unable to come out for the second round.

He fought Jamal Ben Saddik at Glory 8: Tokyo on 3 May 2013 at the Ariake Coliseum. A poor start to the fight for Aerts saw him dropped early and he was fortunate to survive the first round. However, in a dramatic turnaround in the second, he came out aggressive and floored the giant Moroccan three times, forcing a referee stoppage.

In what was publicized as his retirement match, Aerts lost a tightly contested split decision to Rico Verhoeven at Glory 13: Tokyo, Japan on 21 December 2013.

Aerts was initially expected to compete in a heavyweight tournament at GFC Series 1 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on 29 May 2014. However, a press statement issued by the promotion later stated that he would fight on the card in a one-off fight against Dewey Cooper. Aerts fought to a draw with Cooper, tearing his hamstring during the match.

Aerts fought Freddy Kemayo at Fight Night Saint-Tropez II in Saint-Tropez, France on 4 August 2014, losing by TKO as a result of a leg injury in round two.

He then faced Ernesto Hoost for the sixth time on 19 October 2014 in Osaka for the vacant WKO World Heavyweight Championship. The 49-year-old Hoost won by unanimous decision after three, two-minute rounds.

In June 2015, Aerts – at 44 years old – officially announced his retirement via video at a press conference for an upcoming kickboxing show in Japan that he was scheduled to appear on. Aerts noted that he had sustained some injuries in his October fight with Ernesto Hoost, and when he was unable to fully recover from those injuries, he made the decision to retire.

Aerts' retirement was short-lived, however, and he returned to the ring to compete in his third mixed martial arts match, against the debuting Estonian sumo wrestler Baruto Kaito at Rizin World Grand Prix 2015: Part 2 at the Saitama Super Arena on 31 December 2015. He lost to his larger opponent via a lopsided unanimous decision.

In yet another retirement match, Aerts was scheduled to face Tsotne Rogava at WFL 5: Champion vs. Champion in Almere on 23 April 2017, but his opponent was later changed to Nordine Mahieddine. Aerts defeated Mahieddine by unanimous decision to record his 105th career win. Afterwards, he was joined in the ring by fellow Dutch kickboxing legends Ernesto Hoost, Remy Bonjaskyn and Semmy Schilt, who were on hand to congratulate the retiring Aerts.

Aerts took part in a scoreless exhibition bout against Atakan Arslan at MFC 24 in İzmir, Turkey on 27 January 2018.

On 26 July 2018, Aerts lost by unanimous decision to Jan Soukup at Yangames Fight Night 6 in Prague, Czech Republic.

He defeated Christian Müller via KO due to a knee strike in the first round of their match at La Familia Fight Night X in Halle, Germany on 4 May 2019.

The 49-year-old Aerts won against 45-year-old Brazilian-Japanese opponent Jairo Kusunoki via a low kick KO early in the second round at HEAT 46 in Tokyo on 19 January 2020.

Professional wrestling

Peter Aerts The Dutch Lumberjack Mr. K-1 In 2011, Aerts began competing as a professional wrestler in the Inoki Genome Federation. He debuted on August 27, 2011, against Shinichi Suzukawa at IGF: Super Stars Festival '11 and won by brutalizing his opponent until the referee stopped the match. He then knocked out Hideki Suzuki at IGF 17 on September 3, 2011. In his third match, Aerts teamed up with Bobby Lashley to face Kazuyuki Fujita and Kendo Kashin in a tag team match at Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2011 on December 2, 2011. The match ended when Lashley held Fujita by the arms and let Aerts deliver one of his famous kicks to his head, knocking him out. A rematch between Aerts and Fujita then took place at Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka 2011 on December 31, 2011. Fujita was able to take his revenge, submitting Aerts with a Boston crab which looked like it may have legitimately hurt him.

Film and television

Aerts played a fictionalized version of himself in the 2011 Dutch comedy film New Kids Turbo in which the protagonists, a group of guys who always look for trouble and create chaos in a small village, borrow some money from him. He is seen living in a villa, and in one scene he knocks out one of the guys for refusing to give him the money back. Aerts reprised the role in the 2012 sequel New Kids Nitro. In 2017, he played the role of Ludolf, henchman to Najib Amhali's villain, in the family film De Familie Slim.

Additionally, he has appeared on the Swedish martial arts television program Rallarsving in 2005, as well as the Dutch late-night talk shows Pauw & Witteman (two appearances, in 2008 and 2012) and Pauw in 2014.

Aerts filmed a Japanese television commercial for Cup Noodles with Andy Hug and Ernesto Hoost in the 1990s.

Personal life

Aerts and his wife Esther have twin children, son Marciano and daughter Montana (born 2001), who are also kickboxers. He also has a stepdaughter, Serena, from his wife's previous relationship. Aerts lives near Enschede, where he runs a gym, Fight Institute Peter Aerts. He also owns an amateur kickboxing association in Japan, Peter Aerts Spirit.

In December 2023, Aerts announced that he has launched a new kickboxing organization, Legend, that is based in Japan.

Championships and accomplishments

Kickboxing

• International Kick Boxing Federation
  • IKBF World Heavyweight (-106.5 kg/235 lb) Championship (One time)
    • Two successful title defences
• K-1
  • 1994 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion
  • 1995 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion
  • 1998 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion
  • 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix in Las Vegas runner-up
  • 2006 K-1 World Grand Prix runner-up
  • 2007 K-1 World Grand Prix runner-up
  • 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix runner-up
• Night of the Stars
  • 1994 Night of the Stars tournament champion
• World Muay Thai Association
  • WMTA World Heavyweight (-95 kg/209 lb) Championship (One time)
    • Three successful title defences
  • WMTA World Super Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) Championship (One time)
    • One successful title defence

Kickboxing record

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2020-01-19 || Win ||align=left|BRA Jairo Kusunoki || HEAT 46 || Tokyo, Japan || KO (right low kick) || 2 || 0:28 || 108-35-2 |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2019-05-04 || Win ||align=left|GER Christian Müller || La Familia Fight Night X || Halle, Germany || KO (left knee) || 1 ||2:09 || 107-35-2 |- |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 2018-07-26 || Loss ||align=left|CZE Jan Soukup || Yangames Fight Night 6 || Prague, Czech Republic || Decision (unanimous) || 3 || 3:00 || 106-35-2 |- |- style="background:#c5d2ea;" | 2018-01-27 || Draw ||align=left|TUR Atakan Arslan || MFC 24 || İzmir, Turkey || Exhibition || 2 || 3:00 || 106-34-2 |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2017-04-23 || Win ||align=left|FRA Nordine Mahieddine || WFL 5: Champion vs. Champion || Almere, Netherlands || Decision (unanimous) || 3 || 3:00 || 106-34-2 |- |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 2014-10-19 || Loss ||align=left|NED Ernesto Hoost || WKO: Kumite Energy || Osaka, Japan || Decision (unanimous) || 3 || 2:00 || 105-34-2 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |For the WKO World Heavyweight Championship. |- |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 2014-08-04 || Loss ||align=left|FRA Freddy Kemayo || Fight Night Saint-Tropez II || Saint-Tropez, France || TKO (leg injury) || 2 || 1:56 || 105-33-2 |- |- bgcolor="#c5d2ea" | 2014-05-29 || Draw ||align=left|USA Dewey Cooper || GFC Fight Series 1 || Dubai, UAE || Draw || 3 || 3:00 || 105-32-2 |- |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 2013-12-21 || Loss ||align=left|NED Rico Verhoeven || Glory 13: Tokyo || Tokyo, Japan || Decision (split) || 3 || 3:00 || 105-32-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2013-05-03 || Win ||align=left|MAR Jamal Ben Saddik || Glory 8: Tokyo || Tokyo, Japan || TKO (referee stoppage) || 2 || 0:48|| 105-31-1 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 2012-12-31 || Loss ||align=left|TUN Mourad Bouzidi || Glory 4: Tokyo - Heavyweight Grand Slam Tournament, first round || Saitama, Japan || TKO (broken hand) || 1 || 2:00 || 104-31-1 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 2012-06-30 || Loss||align=left|SUR Tyrone Spong || Music Hall & BFN Group present: It's Showtime 57 & 58 || Brussels, Belgium || TKO (referee stoppage) || 3|| 2:10 || 104-30-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2011-12-11 || Win ||align=left|JPN Mr. Kamikaze || Hinokuni Kakuto Densetsu Legend 2 || Kumamoto, Japan || TKO (referee stoppage) || 1 || 2:59 || 104-29-1 |- bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 2010-12-11 || Loss ||align=left|NED Alistair Overeem || K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final, Final || Tokyo, Japan || TKO (punches) || 1 || 1:06 || 103-29-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |For 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix title. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2010-12-11 || Win ||align=left|NED Semmy Schilt || K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final, semis Finals || Tokyo, Japan || Decision (majority) || 3 || 3:00 || 103-28-1 |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2010-12-11 || Win ||align=left|USA Mighty Mo || K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final, quarter-finals || Tokyo, Japan || KO (punches and kick) || 1 || 2:20 || 102-28-1 |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2010-10-02 || Win ||align=left|BRA Ewerton Teixeira || K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Seoul Final 16 || Seoul, South Korea || Extra round decision (unanimous) || 4 || 3:00 || 101-28-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Qualifies for 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix. |- |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 2010-04-03 || Loss ||align=left|JPN Kyotaro || K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 in Yokohama || Yokohama, Japan || KO (right hook) || 2 || 1:56 || 100-28-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |For K-1 Heavyweight (-100kg) Championship. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2009-12-05 || Win ||align=left|TUR Gökhan Saki || K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final || Yokohama, Japan || Decision (unanimous) || 3 || 3:00 || 100-27-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 2009-09-26 || Loss ||align=left|NED Alistair Overeem || K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final 16 || Seoul, South Korea || Decision (unanimous) || 3 || 3:00 || 99-27-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Fails to qualify for 2009 K-1 World Grand Prix. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2009-08-11 || Win ||align=left|JPN Yosuke Nishijima || K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 in Tokyo Final 16 Qualifying GP || Tokyo, Japan || KO (right low kick) || 3 || 1:24 || 99-26-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2009-03-28 || Win ||align=left|CUR Errol Zimmerman || K-1 World GP 2009 in Yokohama || Yokohama, Japan || Extra round decision (unanimous) || 4 || 3:00 || 98-26-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 2008-12-06 || Loss ||align=left|MAR Badr Hari || K-1 World GP 2008 Final, quarter-finals || Yokohama, Japan ||TKO (referee stoppage) || 2 || 1:22 || 97-26-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2008-09-27 || Win ||align=left|NED Semmy Schilt || K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Seoul Final 16 || Seoul, South Korea || Decision (majority) || 3 || 3:00 || 97-25-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Qualifies for 2008 K-1 World Grand Prix. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2008-06-29 || Win ||align=left|RSA Jan Nortje || K-1 World GP 2008 in Fukuoka || Fukuoka, Japan || TKO (referee stoppage) || 3 || 2:49 || 96-25-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 2007-12-08 || Loss ||align=left|NED Semmy Schilt || K-1 World GP 2007 Final Final || Yokohama, Japan || TKO (knee injury) || 1 || 1:41 || 95-25-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |For 2007 K-1 World Grand Prix title. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2007-12-08 || Win ||align=left|NED Remy Bonjasky || K-1 World GP 2007 Final, semi-finals || Yokohama, Japan || Decision (unanimous) || 3 || 3:00 || 95-24-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2007-12-08 || Win ||align=left|JPN Junichi Sawayashiki || K-1 World GP 2007 Final, quarter-finals || Yokohama, Japan || KO (right cross) || 1 || 1:29 || 94-24-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2007-09-29 || Win ||align=left|NZL Ray Sefo || K-1 World GP 2007 in Seoul Final 16 || Seoul, South Korea || TKO (corner stoppage) || 1 || 3:00 || 93-24-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Qualifies for 2007 K-1 World Grand Prix. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2007-08-05 || Win ||align=left|DEN Nicholas Pettas || K-1 World GP 2007 in Hong Kong || Hong Kong || KO (right high kick) || 2 || 2:34 || 92-24-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2007-06-23 || Win ||align=left|USA Bob Sapp || K-1 World GP 2007 in Amsterdam || Amsterdam, Netherlands || KO (left knee to the body) || 1 || 0:26 || 91-24-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 2006-12-02 || Loss ||align=left|NED Semmy Schilt || K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 Final || Tokyo, Japan || Decision (unanimous) || 3 || 3:00 || 90-24-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |For 2006 K-1 World Grand Prix title. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2006-12-02 || Win ||align=left|BRA Glaube Feitosa || K-1 World Grand Prix 2006, semi-finals || Tokyo, Japan || TKO (referee stoppage) || 2 || 1:02 || 90-23-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2006-12-02 || Win ||align=left|JPN Musashi || K-1 World Grand Prix 2006, quarter-finals || Tokyo, Japan || KO (punches) || 1 || 2:53 || 89-23-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2006-07-30 || Win ||align=left|TRI Gary Goodridge || K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Sapporo || Sapporo, Japan || Decision (unanimous) || 3 || 3:00 || 88-23-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2006-06-03 || Win ||align=left|JPN Hiraku Hori || K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Seoul || Seoul, South Korea || KO (left high kick) || 2 || 1:23 || 87-23-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 2006-05-13 || Loss ||align=left|NED Ernesto Hoost || K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Amsterdam || Amsterdam, Netherlands || Decision (majority) || 3 || 3:00 || 86-23-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2006-03-05 || Win ||align=left|NED Semmy Schilt || K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Auckland || Auckland, New Zealand || Decision (majority) || 3 || 3:00 || 86-22-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2005-11-19 || Win ||align=left|FRA Jérôme Le Banner || K-1 World Grand Prix 2005, quarter-finals || Tokyo, Japan || Extra round decision (unanimous) || 4 || 3:00 || 85-22-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Despite winning fight, has to withdraw from tournament due to injury. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2005-09-23 || Win ||align=left|USA Mighty Mo || K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Osaka - Final Elimination || Osaka, Japan || KO (left low kick) || 2 || 0:42 || 84-22-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Qualifies for 2005 K-1 World Grand Prix. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2005-03-19 || Win ||align=left|USA Carter Williams || K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Seoul || Seoul, South Korea || Extra round decision (unanimous) || 4 || 3:00 || 83-22-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 2004-12-04 || Loss ||align=left|RSA Francois Botha || K-1 World Grand Prix 2004, quarter-finals || Tokyo, Japan || TKO (leg injury) || 1 || 1:13 || 82-22-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2004-09-25 || Win ||align=left|CAN Michael McDonald || K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 Final Elimination || Tokyo, Japan || Decision (unanimous) || 3 || 3:00 || 82-21-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Qualifies for 2004 K-1 World Grand Prix. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2004-06-06 || Win ||align=left|TRI Gary Goodridge || K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 in Nagoya || Nagoya, Japan || KO (low kicks) || 3 || 1:40 || 81-21-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 2003-12-06 || Loss ||align=left|JPN Musashi || K-1 World Grand Prix 2003, semi-finals || Tokyo, Japan || Decision (majority) || 3 || 3:00 || 80-21-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2003-12-06 || Win ||align=left|BLR Alexey Ignashov || K-1 World Grand Prix 2003, quarter-finals || Tokyo, Japan || Extra round decision (unanimous) || 4 || 3:00 || 80-20-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2003-10-11 || Win ||align=left|NED Jerrel Venetiaan || K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 Final Elimination || Osaka, Japan || Decision (unanimous) || 3 || 3:00 || 79-20-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Qualifies for 2003 K-1 World Grand Prix. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2003-06-29 || Win ||align=left|JPN Tsuyoshi Nakasako || K-1 Beast II 2003 || Saitama, Japan || KO (high kick) || 2 || 1:32 || 78-20-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 2003-03-30 || Loss ||align=left|GER Stefan Leko || K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 in Saitama || Saitama, Japan || TKO (doctor stoppage) || 3 || 1:44 || 77-20-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 2002-12-07 || Loss ||align=left|NZL Ray Sefo || K-1 World Grand Prix 2002, quarter-finals || Tokyo, Japan || Decision (split) || 3 || 3:00 || 77-19-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2002-10-05 || Win ||align=left|BRA Glaube Feitosa || K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 Final Elimination || Saitama, Japan || Decision (unanimous) || 3 || 3:00 || 77-18-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Qualifies for 2002 K-1 World Grand Prix. |- |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 2002-07-14 || Loss ||align=left|BLR Alexey Ignashov || K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 in Fukuoka || Fukuoka, Japan || Decision (majority) || 5 || 3:00 || 76-18-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2002-06-02 || Win ||align=left|RUS Andrei Kirsanov || K-1 Survival 2002 || Toyama, Japan || Decision (unanimous) || 5 || 3:00 || 76-17-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2002-04-21 || Win ||align=left|DEN Nicholas Pettas || K-1 Burning 2002 || Hiroshima, Japan || KO (knee) || 1 || 2:50 || 75-17-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 2001-12-08 || Loss ||align=left|BRA Francisco Filho || K-1 World Grand Prix 2001, quarter-finals || Tokyo, Japan || TKO (corner stoppage) || 2 || 3:00 || 74-17-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 2001-08-11 || Loss ||align=left|GER Stefan Leko || K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 in Las Vegas, Final || Las Vegas, Nevada, USA || KO (right cross) || 3 || 2:05 || 74-16-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |For K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 in Las Vegas title. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2001-08-11 || Win ||align=left|USA Maurice Smith || K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 in Las Vegas, semi-finals || Las Vegas, Nevada, USA || Extra round decision (unanimous) || 4 || 3:00 || 74-15-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2001-08-11 || Win ||align=left|JPN Noboru Uchida || K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 in Las Vegas, quarter-finals || Las Vegas, Nevada, USA || KO (left knee) || 3 || 2:06 || 73-15-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2001-04-15 || Win ||align=left|JPN Nobu Hayashi || K-1 Burning 2001 || Kumamoto, Japan || TKO (corner stoppage) || 5 || 0:36 || 72-15-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 2001-03-17 || Loss ||align=left|CRO Mirko Cro Cop || K-1 Gladiators 2001 || Yokohama, Japan || Decision (majority) || 5 || 3:00 || 71-15-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2001-02-04 || Win ||align=left|GBR Stuart Green || K-1 Holland GP 2001 in Arnhem || Arnhem, Netherlands || KO (left knee) || 1 || 1:15 || 71-14-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2000-12-10 || Win ||align=left|FRA Cyril Abidi || K-1 World Grand Prix 2000, quarter-finals || Tokyo, Japan || Decision (unanimous) || 3 || 3:00 || 70-14-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Despite winning fight, has to withdraw from tournament due to injury. |- |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 2000-08-20 || Loss ||align=left|FRA Cyril Abidi || K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 in Yokohama, quarter-finals || Yokohama, Japan || TKO (corner stoppage) || 1 || 2:42 || 69-14-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 2000-07-07 || Loss ||align=left|FRA Cyril Abidi || K-1 Spirits 2000 || Sendai, Japan || KO (right cross) || 1 || 2:13 || 69-13-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2000-05-12 || Win ||align=left|RSA Andrew Thomson || K-1 King of the Ring 2000 || Bologna, Italy || KO || 1 || 0:55 || 69-12-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2000-04-23 || Win ||align=left|NZL Ray Sefo || K-1 The Millennium || Osaka, Japan || KO (right low kick) || 3 || 2:24 || 68-12-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 2000-01-25 || Win ||align=left|JPN Musashi || K-1 Rising 2000 || Nagasaki, Japan || TKO (corner stoppage) || 4 || 1:25 || 67-12-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 1999-12-05 || Loss ||align=left|FRA Jérôme Le Banner || K-1 World Grand Prix 1999, quarter-finals || Tokyo, Japan || KO (left hook) || 1 || 1:11 || 66-12-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1999-10-05 || Win ||align=left|NED Lloyd van Dams || K-1 World Grand Prix '99 opening round || Osaka, Japan || Decision (unanimous) || 5 || 3:00 || 66-11-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Qualifies for 1999 K-1 World Grand Prix. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1999-07-18 || Win ||align=left|AUS Sam Greco || K-1 Dream '99 || Nagoya, Japan || KO (right high kick) || 2 || 1:38 || 65-11-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1999-06-06 || Win ||align=left|USA Maurice Smith || K-1 Survival '99 || Sapporo, Japan || TKO (corner stoppage) || 3 || 2:44 || 64-11-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1999-04-25 || Win ||align=left|ENG Matt Skelton || K-1 Revenge '99 || Yokohama, Japan || TKO (corner stoppage) || 4 || 3:00 || 63-11-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1999-03-22 || Win ||align=left|USA Jim Mullen || K-1 The Challenge '99 || Tokyo, Japan || KO (right high kick) || 3 || 1:26 || 62-11-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1999-02-03 || Win ||align=left|CAN Michael McDonald || K-1 Rising Sun '99 || Tokyo, Japan || KO (right hook) || 2 || 2:40 || 61-11-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1998-12-13 || Win ||align=left|SUI Andy Hug || K-1 World Grand Prix 1998, Final || Tokyo, Japan || KO (left high kick) || 1 || 1:10 || 60-11-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins 1998 K-1 World Grand Prix. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1998-12-13 || Win ||align=left|RSA Mike Bernardo || K-1 World Grand Prix 1998, semi-finals || Tokyo, Japan || TKO (referee stoppage) || 1 || 2:53 || 59-11-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1998-12-13 || Win ||align=left|JPN Masaaki Satake || K-1 World Grand Prix 1998, quarter-finals || Tokyo, Japan || TKO (referee stoppage) || 1 || 2:40 || 58-11-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1998-09-27 || Win ||align=left|CRO Sinisa Andrijasevic || K-1 World Grand Prix '98 opening round || Osaka, Japan || TKO (right knee) || 2 || 1:55 || 57-11-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Qualifies for 1998 K-1 World Grand Prix. |- |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 1998-07-18 || Loss ||align=left|BRA Francisco Filho || K-1 Dream '98 || Nagoya, Japan || TKO (cut shin) || 1 || 3:00 || 56-11-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 1998-06-06 || Loss ||align=left|SUI Andy Hug || K-1 Fight Night '98 || Zürich, Switzerland || Decision (unanimous) || 5 || 3:00 || 56-10-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |For the WKA World Super Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) Muay Thai Championship. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1998-04-09 || Win ||align=left|NED Ernesto Hoost || K-1 Kings '98 || Yokohama, Japan || Decision (majority) || 5 || 3:00 || 56-9-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 1997-11-09 || Loss ||align=left|SUI Andy Hug || K-1 World Grand Prix 1997, semi-finals || Tokyo, Japan || Decision (unanimous) || 3 || 3:00 || 55-9-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1997-11-09 || Win ||align=left|RSA Mike Bernardo || K-1 World Grand Prix 1997, quarter-finals || Tokyo, Japan || KO (right straight to the body) || 3 || 1:17 || 55-8-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1997-09-07 || Win ||align=left|USA James Warring || K-1 Grand Prix '97 1st round || Osaka, Japan || KO (right high kick) || 3 || 1:13 || 54-8-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Qualifies for 1997 K-1 World Grand Prix. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1997-07-20 || Win ||align=left|FRA Jérôme Le Banner || K-1 Dream '97|| Nagoya, Japan || KO (right high kick) || 2 || 1:19 || 53-8-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1997-04-29 || Win ||align=left|USA Jean-Claude Leuyer || K-1 Braves '97 || Fukuoka, Japan || TKO (referee stoppage) || 2 || 2:08 || 52-8-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1997-03-16 || Win ||align=left|SUI Andy Hug || K-1 Kings '97 || Yokohama, Japan || TKO (referee stoppage) || 1 || 1:55 || 51-8-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1997-02-15 || Win ||align=left|GER Andreas Sidon || The Battle in Best || Best, Netherlands || Decision (unanimous) || 5 || 3:00 || 50-8-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Retains the WMTA World Super Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) Championship. |- |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 1996-10-18 || Loss ||align=left|RSA Mike Bernardo || K-1 Star Wars '96 || Yokohama, Japan || KO (right hook) || 3 || 2:37 || 50-8-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 1996-09-01 || Loss ||align=left|RSA Mike Bernardo || K-1 Revenge '96 || Osaka, Japan || DQ (Bernardo kicked in groin) || 1 || 2:21 || 50-7-1 |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 1996-05-06 || Loss ||align=left|RSA Mike Bernardo || K-1 World Grand Prix 1996, quarter-finals || Yokohama, Japan || KO (left hook) || 3 || 0:13 || 50-6-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1996-03-10 || Win ||align=left|USA Jean-Claude Leuyer || K-1 Grand Prix '96 Opening Battle || Yokohama, Japan || KO (right high kick) || 1 || 2:43 || 50-5-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9|Qualifies for 1996 K-1 World Grand Prix. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1995-12-09 || Win ||align=left|RSA Mike Bernardo || K-1 Hercules || Nagoya, Japan || KO (right hook) || 1 || 0:40 || 49-5-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1995-10-28 || Win ||align=left|GER Hubert Numrich || Shock of Europe || Amsterdam, Netherlands || Decision (unanimous) || 5 || 3:00 || 48-5-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the WMTA World Super Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) Championship. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1995-09-03 || Win ||align=left|AUS Sam Greco || K-1 Revenge II || Yokohama, Japan || Decision (unanimous) || 5 || 3:00 || 47-5-1 |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1995-07-16 || Win ||align=left|GBR Michael Thompson || K-3 Grand Prix '95 || Nagoya, Japan || KO (punches and knees) || 2 || 0:40 || 46-5-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1995-05-04 || Win ||align=left|FRA Jérôme Le Banner || K-1 World Grand Prix 1995, Final || Tokyo, Japan || KO (right straight to the body) || 1 || 1:37 || 45-5-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the 1995 K-1 World Grand Prix. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1995-05-04 || Win ||align=left|NED Ernesto Hoost || K-1 World Grand Prix 1995, semi-finals || Tokyo, Japan || Extra round decision (unanimous) || 4 || 3:00 || 44-5-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1995-05-04 || Win ||align=left|JPN Toshiyuki Atokawa || K-1 World Grand Prix 1995, quarter-finals || Tokyo, Japan || KO (right uppercut and left hook) || 1 || 1:02|| 43-5-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1995-03-03 || Win ||align=left|GBR Kirkwood Walker || K-1 Grand Prix '95 Opening Battle || Tokyo, Japan || KO (right low kick) || 3 || 2:25|| 42-5-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9|Qualifies for the 1995 K-1 World Grand Prix. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1994-12-10 || Win ||align=left|AUS Glen Parker || K-1 Legend || Nagoya, Japan || KO (right knee) || 1 || 2:00|| 41-5-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1994-11-12 || Win ||align=left|TUR Ergin Solmaz || The Night of The Sensation || Amsterdam, Netherlands || TKO (referee stoppage) || 3 || 1:03|| 40-5-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Retains the WMTA World Heavyweight (-95 kg/209 lb) Championship. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1994-09-12 || Win ||align=left|NED Frank Lobman || Night of the Stars Tournament, Final || Rotterdam, Netherlands || TKO (corner stoppage) || 2 || 2:29|| 39-5-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the Night of the Stars Tournament championship. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1994-09-12 || Win ||align=left|NED Glenn Wijngaart || Night of the Stars Tournament, semi-finals || Rotterdam, Netherlands || KO (right cross) || 1 || 2:56|| 38-5-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1994-09-12 || Win ||align=left|NED Rob van Esdonk || Night of the Stars Tournament, quarter-finals || Rotterdam, Netherlands || KO (right high kick) || 2 || || 37-5-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1994-04-30 || Win ||align=left|JPN Masaaki Satake || K-1 Grand Prix '94, Final || Tokyo, Japan || Decision (unanimous) || 3 || 3:00 || 36-5-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the 1994 K-1 World Grand Prix. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1994-04-30 || Win ||align=left|USA Patrick Smith || K-1 Grand Prix '94, semi-finals || Tokyo, Japan || KO (right overhand) || 1 || 1:03 || 35-5-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1994-04-30 || Win ||align=left|NED Rob van Esdonk || K-1 Grand Prix '94, quarter-finals || Tokyo, Japan || KO (right high kick) || 3 || 1:10 || 34-5-1 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1994-02-20 || Win ||align=left|GER Markus Fuckner || The Night of The Thriller || Amsterdam, Netherlands || KO (right cross) || 2 || 2:21 || 33-5-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Retains the WMTA World Heavyweight (-95 kg/209 lb) Championship. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1993-09-19 || Win ||align=left|NED Rob van Esdonk || The Night of the Gladiators || Amsterdam, Netherlands || KO (right hook) || 4 || 0:56 || |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Retains the WMTA World Heavyweight (-95 kg/209 lb) Championship. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1993-09-04 || Win ||align=left|USA Dino Homsey || K-1 Illusion || Tokyo, Japan || KO (left high kick) || 1 || 1:36 || |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 1993-04-30 || Loss ||align=left|NED Ernesto Hoost || K-1 Grand Prix '93, quarter-finals || Tokyo, Japan || Decision (majority) || 3 || 3:00 || |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1993-03-07 || Win ||align=left|USA Maurice Smith || The Night of the Shock || Amsterdam, Netherlands || KO (right high kick) || 4 || 2:07 || |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1993-01-29 || Win ||align=left|GBR Peter Selkthorpe || The Best of Best || Best, Netherlands || KO (knees) || 1 || 1:14 || |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the European Muay Thai Championship. |- |- bgcolor="#c5d2ea" | 1992-10-04 || Draw ||align=left|JPN Masaaki Satake || Kakutougi Olympics III, Karate World Cup '92|| Osaka, Japan || Decision draw || || || |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1992-09-20 || Win ||align=left|NED Frank Lobman || The Night of The Truth || Rotterdam, Netherlands || TKO (referee stoppage) || 3 || 1:31 || |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the MTBN World Heavyweight (-91 kg/200 lb) Championship. |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Retains the IKBF World Heavyweight (-106.5 kg/235 lb) Championship. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1992-05-16 || Win ||align=left|AUS Adam Watt || Rings: Mega Battle 4th || Tokyo, Japan || KO || 2 || 2:46 || |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1992-04-09 || Win ||align=left|USA Maurice Smith || || Paris, France || Decision || 9 || 2:00 || |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1992-03-22 || Win ||align=left|GER Darius Alibek || Fight of the Heavy Tanks || Amsterdam, Netherlands || TKO (referee stoppage) || 2 || 2:05 || |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1991-11-18 || Win ||align=left|NED Frank Lobman || Night of Fights || Rotterdam, Netherlands || Decision (unanimous) || 5 || 3:00 || |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Wins the WMTA World Heavyweight (-95 kg/209 lb) Championship. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1991-09-22 || Win ||align=left|Morocco Hassan Kassrioui || || Amsterdam, Netherlands || KO || 3 || || |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1991-06-29 || Win ||align=left|GBR Mark Russell || Oranjestad Fight Night 1991 || Oranjestad, Aruba || TKO (referee stoppage) || 1 || 1:40 || |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 1990-11-18 || Loss ||align=left|NED Jan Wessels || The Battle of the Year || Amsterdam, Netherlands || KO (hook) || 3 || || |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1990-04-01 || Win ||align=left|NED Jan Oosterbaan || Holland vs. England|| Amsterdam, Netherlands || TKO (corner stoppage) || 2 || 3:00 || |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Retains the IKBF World Heavyweight (-106.5 kg/235 lb) Muay Thai Championship. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1989-12-16 || Win ||align=left|GER Till Görres || Thai-Kickboxing Gala || Düsseldorf, Germany || TKO (doctor stoppage) || 1 || 0:38 || |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 1989 || Loss ||align=left|NED Andre Mannaart || || Netherlands|| KO || || || |- bgcolor="#FFBBBB" | 1988-11-20 || Loss ||align=left|NED Ernesto Hoost || || Netherlands|| Decision || 5 || 3:00 || |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1987-10-18 || Win ||align=left|NED || || Almelo, Netherlands || KO || 2 || || 4-0 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1987-05-24 || Win ||align=left|NED Yacobi || || Dordrecht, Netherlands || TKO || 2 || || 3-0 |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" | 1987-03-29 || Win ||align=left|NED Nico Krijgsman || || Utrecht, Netherlands || Decision || 2 || 2:00 || 2-0 |-

Mixed martial arts record

| ko-wins= 1 | ko-losses= 0 | sub-wins= 0 | sub-losses= 1 | dec-wins= 0

| | Saitama, Japan | |- | Loss | Shungo Oyama | Submission (heel hook) | K-1 PREMIUM 2005 Dynamite!! | | Osaka, Japan | |- | Win | Wakashoyo Shunichi | TKO (punches) | Hero's 2 | | Tokyo, Japan |

Filmography

References

References

1. "IBK International Kyokushin Budokai - Blak Belts".
2. "K-1 LEGENDS: Peter Aerts".
3. "Best Heavyweight High Kickers".
4. "Top 10 K-1 Fighters of All-Time".
5. [https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/events/75398-oranjestad-fight-night-1991 Oranjestad Fight Night 1991] tapology.com (29 June 1991)
6. [https://blog.xxlnutrition.com/en/peter-aerts-the-dutch-martial-artist/ Interview With Peter Aerts, The Dutch Martial Artist And Lumberjack] {{Webarchive. link. (2021-04-29 xxlnutrition.com (3 June 2017))
7. (4 May 2013). "Peter Aerts gegen Hubert Numrich : Kick Illustrierte Kicksider – Das Kampfsport Archiv Online".
8. "Peter Aerts v. Mike Bernardo I".
9. "Peter Aerts v. Mike Bernardo II".
10. "Peter Aerts v. Mike Bernardo III & IV".
11. "Peter Aerts v. Mike Bernardo V".
12. "Peter Aerts v. Mike Bernardo VI".
13. "K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 Final results". K-1 Official Website.
14. "K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 Final results". K-1 Official Website.
15. "K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 Final results". K-1 Official Website.
16. "K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 Final results". K-1 Official Website.
17. "Bonjasky Wins K-1 World GP; Hari Loses It".
18. (2009-12-05). "A Clean Sweep as Bodies Fall". www.k-1.co.jp.
19. "Kyotaro KOs Peter Aerts for K-1 Heavyweight Title - MMA Edition".
20. (2 October 2010). "K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final 16 Results: Overeem vs. Edwards, More".
21. (11 December 2010). "Alistair Overeem Wins K-1 World Grand Prix Final".
22. "Report: K-1 Grand Prix 2011 Cancelled".
23. (23 August 2017). "LiverKick".
24. (30 January 2019). "LiverKick".
25. (24 February 2019). "LiverKick".
26. (6 May 2019). "LiverKick".
27. (15 November 2017). "LiverKick".
28. (25 May 2018). "LiverKick".
29. (3 August 2018). "LiverKick".
30. (15 April 2019). "LiverKick".
31. "GLORY 8 Tokyo Results and Review: Yuta Kubo Proves Why He is the Number One Japanese Fighter in the World".
32. "Glory 8 Results: Yuta Kubo wins featherweight tournament".
33. (26 October 2018). "LiverKick".
34. "Glory 13 Results and Recap".
35. (21 December 2013). "Glory 13 Tokyo results and gifs".
36. "GLORY 13 Results: Verhoeven, Ghita and Holzken pick up victories".
37. (29 October 2017). "LiverKick".
38. (26 September 2016). "LiverKick".
39. (8 September 2016). "LiverKick".
40. "Badr Hari Wins Big in Dubai, Aerts and Cooper Draw".
41. "Global FC 3 Live Results - Ergebnisse - Stefan Leko, Badr Hari & Peter Aerts -".
42. "Saint-Tropez Fight Night II set for Aug 4th".
43. [https://muaythaitv.uk/news/results-fight-night-saint-tropez-2-n4153.html#sthash.ENzMo3PZ.dpbs Results FIGHT NIGHT Saint Tropez 2] {{Webarchive. link. (2021-04-30 Julien Lanchas, muaythaitv.uk (4 August 2014))
44. "Peter Aerts vs. Ernesto Hoost on October 19th on Osaka".
45. (7 July 2014). "Peter Aerts vs Ernesto Hoost reported for October".
46. [https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/bouts/484790-wko-ernesto-mr-perfect-hoost-vs-peter-the-dutch-lumberjack-aerts Ernesto Hoost vs. Peter Aerts] tapology.com (19 October 2014)
47. [https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2015/6/10/8761753/peter-aerts-retirement-retires-kickboxing-legend-k-1-k1-glory Peter Aerts officially retires: Kickboxing legend calls it quits after 30 years] {{Webarchive. link. (2021-04-30 Fraser Coffeen, [[Bloodyelbow.com]] (10 June 2015))
48. [https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2016/2/10/10958452/sumo-wrestler-baruto-kaito-wants-fedor-fight-in-rizin-sakakibara-mma-news Sumo wrestler Baruto Kaito wants Fedor fight in RIZIN] Karim Zidan, [[Bloodyelbow.com]] (10 February 2016)
49. [https://www.bjpenn.com/video-gallery/video-sumo-champion-dominates-kickboxer-mma-fight/ Sumo champion dominates kickboxing legend in MMA fight] BJPenn.com (21 June 2017)
50. "World Fighting League: Champion vs. Champion - Round1Network".
51. [http://www.mmaplus.co.uk/kickboxing/world-fighting-league-4-preview/ World Fighting League 4 Results: Aerts and Glunder bring the curtain down on their illustrious careers in style] Roberto Reid, mmaplus.co.uk (21 April 2017)
52. [https://www.haberler.com/boksun-devleri-buca-da-ringe-cikti-10503752-haberi/ Boksun Devleri Buca'da Ringe Çıktı] haberler.com (28 January 2018)
53. [https://kickboxingz.com/dutch-legend-aerts-returns-against-soukup/ Dutch Legend Aerts Returns Against Soukup] {{Webarchive. link. (2021-05-01 kickboxingz.com (25 July 2018))
54. [https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/bouts/492317-yangames-fight-night-6-jan-soukup-vs-peter-the-dutch-lumberjack-aerts Peter Aerts vs. Jan Soukup] tapology.com (26 July 2018)
55. [https://la-familia-fightclub.de/sensation-halle Sensation in Halle!] {{Webarchive. link. (2021-05-01 la-familia-fightclub.de)
56. [https://muaythaitv.uk/events/la-familia-fight-night-e8191.html La Familia Fight Night] {{Webarchive. link. (2021-05-01 muaythaitv.uk (4 May 2019))
57. [https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/bouts/472886-heat-46-peter-the-dutch-lumberjack-aerts-vs-jairo-kusunoki Peter Aerts defeats Jairo Kusunoki] tapology.com (19 January 2020)
58. [https://kickboxingz.com/legends-aerts-le-banner-win-in-japan/ Legends Aerts, Le Banner Win In Japan] kickboxingz.com (19 January 2020)
59. "Peter Aerts – Cagematch". Cagematch.
60. (5 February 2020). "Photo of the day: Peter Aerts, professional wrestler".
61. (2 September 2017). "Photos of the day: K-1 keeps it real in IGF".
62. (6 August 2017). "NYE kickboxing fix: Kubo, Noiri win + Aerts, JLB in pro wrestling".
63. "Peter Aerts in Speelfilm: New Kids On The Block".
64. [https://revu.nl/artikel/109518/ik-doe-het-nog-steeds-voor-die-kick ‘Ik doe het nog steeds voor die kick’] Max Moszkowicz, revu.nl (1 April 2020)
65. [https://www.coolesuggesties.nl/najib-amhali-peter-aerts-en-precious-bostelaar-in-nieuwe-familiefilm-de-familie-slim/ Najib Amhali, Peter Aerts en Precious Bostelaar in nieuwe familiefilm ‘De Familie Slim’] coolesuggesties.nl (7 September 2017)
66. [https://www.t-post.com/blog/rallarsving-x-t-post/ RALLARSVING X T-POST] t-post.com (19 December 2016)
67. [http://mixfight.com/cgblog/22883/Vanavond-in-Pauw-en-Witteman-Marloes-Coenen-Peter-Aerts-en-Remy-Bonjaski VANAVOND IN PAUW EN WITTEMAN: MARLOES COENEN, PETER AERTS EN REMY BONJASKI] mixfight.com
68. [https://tvblik.nl/pauw/6-november-2014-1 Pauw] tvblik.nl (6 November 2014)
69. [https://www.instagram.com/p/CHSs_eDAoyM/ Cup Noodle commercial with my K-1 brothers Andy (RIP) and Ernesto] [[Instagram]] (7 November 2020)
70. [http://www.kwunion.com/interesting/peter-aerts-50-kickboxing-given-more-than-took/ Peter Aerts At 50: Kickboxing Has Given Me More Than It Took] kwunion.com (30 October 2020)
71. Peter Aerts. (December 13, 2023). "I am very proud to be announcing the start of my new Kickboxing Organisation LEGEND by Peter Aerts. I want to bring the golden days of kickboxing back with my new promotion. Let's Make Kickboxing Great Again.".
72. Sherdog.com. "Peter".