There is often a lot of interest in this fight so i thoughti would post a write up i did for Ko Kickboxing Magazine at the time.....


Rijker fights a man

Rijker, never fully tested by female opposition, is leagues above any other fighter in the world, and has proved it time and time again. It has now become impossible to find competitive competition, and, most contracts against her half the purse money if the fight is over in one round, just to try to stop her opponents quitting as soon as they taste her power.

This lack of availability of creditable contestants prompted her trainer, Johan Vos, to invite a man to fight her, - the champion of New Zealand, a Thai, called Jaidee.

Even a woman with the power that Rijker possesses, obviously could not fight on equal terms with a comparable male opponent, so to make this as 'fair' a contest as possible, Jaidee was 'handicapped' and came to the ring giving away 5 kg to the Dutch lady.


Jaidee, at 21 years of age, is better known in the East than the West and Europe. He is only rated an 'average' international class fighter, unable to gain honours in his native country. Only when he moved to New Zealand did he become a 'National' champion. All these factors (it was hoped by the matchmakers) would equate to a 'fair' contest between man and woman, and, at last, Rijker would be fighting someone on ‘equal terms’.

Face to face in the ring, although younger, smaller and lighter than Rijker, Jaidee gave us a reminder of the anatomical difference between the male and female. The muscular Thai was in excellent condition, and as soon as Rijker felt the power of a man in battle, she crumbled, despite the fact that her training is almost exclusively with and against men in the gym. In the ring it is a different story altogether.

From the first bell Rijker attacked Jaidee, middle kick, right-left kick, low kick, left and right kick again. Jaidee unleashed just one solid low kick, which floored Rijker (for the first time in her life). A few moments later the same happened again, then, Rijker's head flew back from a left kick as the round finished. Jaidee didn't hang about at the start of the second round, heavy kicks to the mid-section and a long left to the head knocked Rijker backwards. As she tried to maintain some form of composure, she took another strong leg kick, unsuccessfully attempting to grab the Thai. Rijker desperately attempted to land a series of left hooks, the Thai banged her on the chin and Rijker collapsed.
After about 20 seconds lay on the canvas, Rijker rose to start hitting Jaidee again, and had to be ushered back to her corner. Despite all efforts to make this a 'fair' fight, it never was. Rijker will have to return to her 'unfair' world of ladies kickboxing - where, there at least, she rules supreme.