Born to Fight: Podcast with Mattia Faraoni
🥊 Two-time ISKA World Champion | Italian FPI boxing champion
31 wins (14 KOs) in kickboxing — 8 wins in professional boxing
The only athlete in history to simultaneously hold the Italian boxing and kickboxing titles in CONI federations.
From karate in Montagnola, Rome, to arenas in Tokyo: the mindset of a champion who never stopped.
Mattia Faraoni is not just a champion: he is the fighter who changed the rules of the game for Italian kickboxing. Two world belts, an Italian boxing title, his K-1 debut in Tokyo, and half a million followers — all built from the outskirts of Rome with discipline, sacrifice, and an unquenchable hunger.
In this episode of Born to Fight, we get inside Faraoni's head: the preparation, the moments of crisis, his relationship with defeat, and the mentality needed to compete at the highest world levels. Watch the podcast to discover what drives a champion when the lights go out.
Who is Mattia Faraoni: from karate to two world titles
Mattia Faraoni was born in the Montagnola neighborhood, on the southern outskirts of Rome. He started karate at 7, moved to Shinseikai full-contact karate at 14, achieving a 2nd dan black belt. At 15, he entered boxing with Team Boxe Roma XI, accumulating 62 wins out of 69 amateur bouts — a journey that built the foundations of his unique style.
In 2014, he became the only athlete in history to simultaneously hold the Italian title in both boxing (FPI) and kickboxing (FIKBMS), both federations recognized by CONI. A record that no one has yet matched.
The turning point in his career came in 2022: after an emergency hospitalization the night before his world title match (collapse from weight cut), Faraoni returned 42 days later and won the ISKA Super Cruiserweight world title by defeating Australian Charles Joyner with a unanimous 50-45 decision on all scorecards. From there, he had four consecutive defenses and won a second world title in Super Heavyweight in Courmayeur in 2025.
Outside the ring, Faraoni earned a degree in Medical Radiology Techniques — confirming that discipline and planning are not just words, but a way of life.
Main Titles and Achievements
- 2× ISKA World Champion (Super Cruiserweight -95 kg and Super Heavyweight +100 kg)
- Italian Cruiserweight FPI Champion (professional boxing, 2021)
- 3× Italian K-1 FIKBMS Champion
- Golden Glove and Italian university boxing champion (2013)
- Bronze at WAKO World Championships 2013 (defeated in semi-final by Alex Pereira)
- Bronze at WAKO European Championships 2014 (Bilbao)
- K-1 World Grand Prix debut in Tokyo (2024)
- Top Creators Award Forbes Italia 2025 (Sport category)
A Unique Fighting Style
Faraoni's style is the product of the convergence of three disciplines: Shinseikai karate gives him spectacular kicks — axe kick, spinning back kick, tornado kick — with unconventional attack angles; professional boxing built his heavy hands and pugilistic-level punch combinations; athletic conditioning allows him to compete from -90 to +100 kg.
The KO against Akira Jr. with a first-round tornado kick, in front of a packed PalaPellicone, is the perfect emblem of this hybrid and devastating style. Not by chance, Combat Press called him "the perfect type of kickboxer."
Beyond the Ring: Media, Social Commitment, and Family
With YouTuber Simone Cicalone, he co-stars in "Quartieri Criminali" (Criminal Neighborhoods), a docu-series that explores Italy's most marginalized areas, garnering millions of views per episode. He has appeared on Rai 1, La7, and Radio Romanista. His brother Francesco Faraoni is a professional boxer and a statistics graduate: athletic and academic discipline is a family trait.
He trains at the San Gabriel Gymnasium (EUR, Rome) with the Raini Clan led by masters Manuele and Milo Raini, under the management of promoter Carlo Di Blasi (Fight1 / Oktagon).
FAQ – Mattia Faraoni
Who is Mattia Faraoni?
Mattia Faraoni is a Roman professional kickboxer and boxer, two-time ISKA world champion and Italian FPI boxing champion. With over 500,000 followers on Instagram, he is the most followed Italian fighter of his generation.
How many world titles has Faraoni won?
Two ISKA world titles: Super Cruiserweight (-95 kg, won in 2022) and Super Heavyweight (+100 kg, won in 2025 in Courmayeur). Both are currently in his possession as of March 2026.
What is Faraoni's record?
In professional kickboxing: 31 wins (14 by KO) and 6 losses. In professional boxing: 8 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw.
Did Faraoni fight Alex Pereira?
Yes, at the WAKO World Championships 2013 in Brazil. Pereira defeated him in the semi-final by split decision, before becoming UFC middleweight and light heavyweight champion.
Where does Mattia Faraoni train?
At the San Gabriel Gymnasium in the EUR area of Rome, home to the Raini Clan led by masters Manuele and Milo Raini.
What is "Quartieri Criminali"?
A docu-series on YouTube with Simone Cicalone that explores Italy's most degraded outskirts — from Tor Bella Monaca to Scampia — with millions of views per episode and an educational and social focus.
Born to Fight – The Podcast
Alessio Sakara
BKFC World Champion, MMA legend and face of combat sports in Italy.
Listen to the episode →Giorgio Petrosyan
The "Doctor" of world kickboxing, multiple GLORY and ONE Championship titleholder.
Listen to the episode →Mattia Faraoni
Two-time ISKA kickboxing world champion and Italian cruiserweight boxing champion.
Listen to the episode →
