Deondre “Afro Samurai” Williamson didn’t slip quietly into the Fight For It ecosystem—he kicked the door off its hinges. In his promotional rise to the 205-lb amateur kickboxing crown, Williamson blended a high-IQ jab with layered defense, smart clinch entries, and punishing knees to the body, flipping the rhythm of late rounds and rewriting the pecking order in real time. His composure under fire and ability to “download” an opponent mid-fight signaled more than a new champion; it signaled a stylistic shift that disrupts how heavy hitters in this division will have to win: less trading at the edge of range, more solving in the pocket.
James Parks, by contrast, is part of the promotion’s DNA. A long-time fixture and former heavyweight champion, Parks has headlined multiple Fight For It cards, carrying the banner through title fights and showcase bouts that helped define the brand’s big-man identity. Known for a kick-first arsenal—calf and body kicks that build to a sudden left high kick—plus stance switches and spurts of spinning offense, Parks brought fans into the heavyweight story before many of today’s prospects had even arrived. His tenure isn’t just about past belts; it’s about the standard he set for main-event expectations and the test he’s continued to pose for every would-be contender.
That’s what makes this era compelling: Williamson’s championship style directly challenges the comfort zones that once favored Parks and his generation of technicians. Where Parks built leads at long range, Williamson drags elite opponents into mid-range problem-solving, taxing their bodies, patience, and footwork. The result is a division in motion—its old guard still dangerous, its new champion already forcing adaptations. As Deondre asserts himself and Parks draws on years of Fight For It experience, the heavyweight kickboxing landscape has shifted from familiar territory to a fast-evolving chessboard—and the next move matters more than ever.