1. Early Life and Background
Zelg Galešić was born on February 16, 1979, in Pula, then part of the Socialist Republic of Croatia within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He currently resides in Pula, Istria County, Croatia. His full name in Croatian is Zelg GalešićZelg GaleshichCroatian, with the pronunciation of "Galešić" being closer to the Croatian original than "Galesic" (ガレシックGalesicJapanese), which is a common English reading.
Galešić began practicing Tae Kwon Do at the age of ten and quickly became a master of the sport, achieving a 4th Dan. His amateur career was highly successful, including three ITF European Championship titles, two ITF World Championship titles, and two ITC Full Contact World Championship titles. He was undefeated in amateur rules in the United Kingdom at the Combat Sports Open Trials, where he won all but one of his fights in under a minute. He was initially associated with Team Trojan before later joining London Shootfighters.
2. Mixed Martial Arts Career
Galešić's professional mixed martial arts career spanned various international promotions, showcasing his striking prowess and submission skills across different weight classes.
2.1. Early Career
Galešić made his professional MMA debut on September 12, 2004, at Ultimate Combat 11: Wrath of the Beast. He secured a quick victory against Jim Bentley, with the referee stopping the fight after only 16 seconds due to punches. His first professional loss came on April 10, 2005, at Urban Destruction 1, where he was defeated by Paul Taylor via TKO in the third round. Following this, he went on a winning streak, defeating John Flemming by KO, Michael Holmes by TKO, Curtis Stout by submission, and James Evans-Nicolle by TKO.
2.2. Cage Rage
Galešić achieved significant success in the British promotion Cage Rage. On December 9, 2006, at Cage Rage 19: Fearless, he faced Mark Weir for the Cage Rage British Middleweight Championship. Galešić won the fight by KO due to punches just 50 seconds into the first round, claiming the championship title.
2.3. PRIDE and HERO'S
In 2007, Galešić expanded his career to major Japanese promotions. His debut in PRIDE occurred on April 8, 2007, at PRIDE 34, where he faced Olympic judoka Makoto Takimoto. Galešić lost the bout via submission (kimura) in the first round.
He then transitioned to HERO'S, making his debut on September 17, 2007, at Hero's 10 against another judoka, Yoon Dong-sik. Galešić again suffered a first-round submission loss, this time by armbar. However, he quickly rebounded at HERO'S Korea 2007 on October 28, 2007, defeating Taiei Kin by TKO due to a doctor stoppage in the first round after a high kick caused an elbow injury to Kin.
2.4. DREAM
Galešić's involvement in the Japanese promotion DREAM began in 2008 with his participation in the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix. In the opening round at DREAM 2 on April 29, 2008, he defeated Magomed Sultanakhmedov via submission (armbar) in the first round. He advanced to the second round at DREAM 4 on June 15, 2008, where he had a rematch with Taiei Kin, winning again by TKO in the first round due to Kin's right elbow dislocation. Galešić's run in the Grand Prix ended in the semifinals at DREAM 6 on September 23, 2008, when he lost to Ronaldo Souza by submission (armbar) in the first round.
On October 26, 2009, Galešić faced legendary Japanese fighter Kazushi Sakuraba at DREAM 12, the promotion's first event held in a cage. He lost the fight by submission (kneebar) in the first round. Following this bout, Galešić took a 15-month hiatus from the sport. He returned to action on March 5, 2011, fighting Lee Chadwick at OMMAC 9: Enemies in Liverpool, England, where he secured a first-round knockout victory.
2.5. Bellator Fighting Championships
In 2011, Galešić joined Bellator MMA, competing in their Season 5 Middleweight Tournament. In the quarter-finals at Bellator 50 on September 17, 2011, he was defeated by Alexander Shlemenko via standing guillotine choke in the first round.
Galešić later moved up to the Light Heavyweight division to compete in the Bellator 2012 Light Heavyweight Tournament. In the quarter-finals at Bellator 71 on June 22, 2012, he faced Attila Végh and lost by submission (rear-naked choke) in the first round.
2.6. Super Fight League and UCMMA
After his Bellator appearances, Galešić competed in other promotions. On May 6, 2012, he fought Doug Marshall at Super Fight League's third event, SFL 3, in New Delhi, India. Galešić won the fight impressively via KO early in the first round with a flying knee.
On February 2, 2013, he challenged Linton Vassell for the UCMMA Light Heavyweight Championship at UCMMA 32 in London, England. Galešić lost the championship bout via TKO (punches) in the first round. His last recorded professional MMA fight was on October 25, 2013, at Final Fight Championship 8 in Zagreb, Croatia, where he lost to Ricco Rodriguez via submission (armbar) in the first round in a catchweight bout.
3. Kickboxing Career
Galešić also ventured into professional kickboxing. He made his kickboxing debut against the #12 ranked Glory fighter Makoto Uehara at the R.I.S.E. 100 event on July 12, 2014, in Tokyo, Japan. Galešić dropped Uehara early in the first round with punches and knees but rushed the finish and was ultimately knocked out at 1:25 of the first round.
4. Championships and Accomplishments
Throughout his career in combat sports, Zelg Galešić achieved several notable titles and accomplishments:
- Mixed Martial Arts
- Cage Rage British Middleweight Championship (1 Time)
- 2008 DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix Semifinalist
- Tae Kwon Do
- ITF European Champion (3 times)
- ITF World Champion (2 times)
- ITC Full Contact World Champion (2 times)
5. Fighting Style and Nickname
Zelg Galešić is primarily a striker, with his fighting style deeply rooted in his extensive background in Tae Kwon Do, and incorporating elements of Muay Thai and Karate. He is known for his diverse and unconventional kicking techniques. Standing at 74 in (188 cm) tall with a weight of approximately 185 lb (84 kg) and a reach of 72 in (183 cm), he possessed a favorable physique for his divisions. His entrance theme song was "Crawling" by Linkin Park.
Galešić is known by several nicknames, most notably "Benkei" (弁慶Japanese), a reference to the Japanese warrior monk Musashibō Benkei. This nickname reflects Galešić's pro-Japanese sentiment and his powerful fighting style. He was also sometimes referred to as "Croatian Enchanted Sword" (クロアチアの妖刀Japanese) and "Little Cro Cop," drawing comparisons to his compatriot Mirko Cro Cop.
6. Career Records
6.1. Mixed Martial Arts Record
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 11-9 | Ricco Rodriguez | Submission (armbar) | Final Fight Championship 8 | October 25, 2013 | 1 | 2:10 | Zagreb, Croatia | Catchweight 209 lb (95 kg). |
| Loss | 11-8 | Linton Vassell | TKO (punches) | UCMMA 32 | February 2, 2013 | 1 | 4:31 | London, England | For UCMMA Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Loss | 11-7 | Attila Végh | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Bellator 71 | June 22, 2012 | 1 | 1:00 | Chester, West Virginia, United States | Light Heavyweight debut; Bellator 2012 Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal. |
| Win | 11-6 | Doug Marshall | KO (flying knee) | SFL 3 | May 6, 2012 | 1 | 0:34 | New Delhi, Delhi, India | |
| Loss | 10-6 | Alexander Shlemenko | Submission (standing guillotine choke) | Bellator 50 | September 17, 2011 | 1 | 1:55 | Hollywood, Florida, United States | Bellator 2011 Middleweight Tournament Quarterfinal. |
| Win | 10-5 | Lee Chadwick | KO (punch) | OMMAC 9: Enemies | March 5, 2011 | 1 | 2:40 | Liverpool, England | |
| Loss | 9-5 | Kazushi Sakuraba | Submission (kneebar) | DREAM 12 | October 26, 2009 | 1 | 1:40 | Osaka, Japan | |
| Loss | 9-4 | Ronaldo Souza | Submission (armbar) | DREAM 6: Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 Final Round | September 23, 2008 | 1 | 1:27 | Saitama, Saitama, Japan | DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix Semifinal. |
| Win | 9-3 | Taiei Kin | TKO (elbow injury) | DREAM 4: Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 2nd Round | June 15, 2008 | 1 | 1:05 | Yokohama, Japan | DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal. |
| Win | 8-3 | Magomed Sultanakhmedov | Submission (armbar) | DREAM 2: Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 Opening Round | April 29, 2008 | 1 | 1:40 | Saitama, Saitama, Japan | DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix Opening Round. |
| Win | 7-3 | Taiei Kin | TKO (doctor stoppage) | HERO'S KOREA 2007 | October 28, 2007 | 1 | 0:36 | Seoul, South Korea | Catchweight 209 lb (95 kg). |
| Loss | 6-3 | Yoon Dong-sik | Submission (armbar) | Hero's 10 | September 17, 2007 | 1 | 1:29 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Loss | 6-2 | Makoto Takimoto | Submission (kimura) | PRIDE 34 | April 8, 2007 | 1 | 5:40 | Saitama, Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 6-1 | Mark Weir | KO (punches) | Cage Rage 19 | December 9, 2006 | 1 | 0:50 | London, England | Won Cage Rage British Middleweight Championship. |
| Win | 5-1 | James Evans-Nicolle | TKO (stomp and punches) | Cage Rage 18 | September 30, 2006 | 1 | 2:02 | London, England | |
| Win | 4-1 | Curtis Stout | Submission (armbar) | Cage Rage 17 | July 1, 2006 | 1 | 1:10 | London, England | |
| Win | 3-1 | Michael Holmes | TKO (punches) | Cage Rage 15 | February 4, 2006 | 1 | 1:41 | London, England | |
| Win | 2-1 | John Flemming | KO (punches) | Urban Destruction 2 | July 30, 2005 | 1 | N/A | Bristol, England | |
| Loss | 1-1 | Paul Taylor | TKO (punches) | Urban Destruction 1 | April 10, 2005 | 3 | 1:42 | Bristol, England | |
| Win | 1-0 | Jim Bentley | KO (punch) | UC 11: Wrath of the Beast | September 12, 2004 | 1 | 1:16 | Bristol, England |
6.2. Kickboxing Record
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0-1 | Makoto Uehara | KO (right hook) | R.I.S.E. 100 | July 12, 2014 | 1 | 1:25 | Tokyo, Japan | Kickboxing debut. |