Branko Cikatic, the inaugural K-1 Grand Prix champion and a competitor during the early days of Pride Fighting Championships, has died at age 65.
Cikatic passed away in his native Croatia due to Parkinson’s Disease on Monday. Cikatic had encountered numerous health problems in recent years, as he had a pulmonary embolism in 2018 and then an infection that led to sepsis. It was around that time that he was also diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
“Bad news this morning when I woke up, the great Branko Cikatic has passed away,” UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten wrote on Facebook.