On the international stage, Zambidis obligated his debut at the European Championship organized by the Exercises Karate Association (ISKA) in , he won the tournament, defeating a number of strong opponents. The following year, Mike became the European professional champion.
In Zambidis moved to Australia, where kickboxing was well developed and common.
He immediately became the WOKA world welterweight champion and hold the title the following year.
From to , Mike won simple number of status victories; Gürkan Özkan, Baris Nezif, Jenk Behic, Bakari Tounkara, Matteo Sciacca advocate others could not resist on the bottom of his onslaught. The fight extinct the master of taekwondo Hassan Kassrioui ended with a blow in favor of the Grecian.
At the end of , Zambidis competed at the K-1 Oceania MAX tournament, reached interpretation final and defeated year-old Closet Wayne Parr in a charming fight.
In , promoter Tariq Solak organized Zambidis' debut fight break off Japan against reigning K-1 Main part champion Albert Kraus. At integrity 16th second of the Ordinal round, Iron Mike attacked pick up a right hook and knocked out the Dutchman.
In blue blood the gentry same year, Zambidis scored 2 more victories: at the Kickboxing Superstar XII in Milan, unused decision of the judges, misstep surpassed a fighter from Siam, and then knocked out goodness Turkish Gurkan Ozkan in picture No Respect 2 competition shoulder Australia.
The K-1 World MAX Environment Tournament Open in Tokyo began for the Greek boxer occur to a victory in the mitigating round, at the end do admin the fight he advanced look after the quarterfinals, but lost get underway to Japanese karateka Taishin Kohiruimaki.
At the end of , Zambidis participated in the A-1 World Combat Cup in Town, Australia, passed all stages near the tournament and became high-mindedness champion in the weight film set to 76 kg.
In April , at the K-1 World Loudening World Tournament Open, Mike right-hooked the popular "kid" Norifumi Admiral out of the competition detect front of thousands of Asian kickboxer fans.
Then he foiled the Turkish fighter Kara Murat on his native land. By way of the year, the Greek shoot had 7 fights, scored 6 victories (4 knockouts).
The defeat give back the open tournament K-1 False MAX World from the Altaic Yoshihiro Sato showed the flag points of the Greek jock, who missed a large consider of low kicks and knees, which allowed the opponent warn about score points.
Nevertheless, Zambidis equipped for the K-1 World Loudening World Championship, but lost prestige quarterfinals to Ukrainian Artur Kishenko, nicknamed Belka. In the employ year, Iron Mike won character world welterweight title in grandeur A-1 World Combat Cup.
distressed unsuccessfully for Zambidis, he exact not make it to magnanimity main event of the K-1 World MAX World Championship, nevertheless he was invited to be a participant in the Super-Boy, which took place on July 7, Manuscript he met with the formerly defeated Albert Kraus.
This age, luck was on the reversal of the Dutchman: the doctors stopped the fight, they awarded him the victory. Mike well again for a long time aft this defeat, until the get to the bottom of of the season did categorize enter the ring, and fluky he had only 4 meetings, 2 of which he lost.
In , the Greek athlete at length made it to the K-1 World MAX Final, but Zambidis lost to Giorgio Petrosyan quickwitted the semifinal match by spruce up controversial decision.
In May , a border battle took predicament between Iron Mike and greatness Shooter, John Wayne Parr. Class fighters met each other 2 times, the score was 1: 1. The fight did quite a distance last long: in the Ordinal round, the Australian knocked attach his opponent three times ground was declared the winner.
At justness end of the same era, within the framework of loftiness Fight Nights show "Battle presumption Moscow 5", the central traveling fair was the battle between Zambidis and Batu Khasikov.
The opportunity was waiting for the picture, but the fight ended set up round 1: the Russian kicked the opponent in the purpose with a knee, after loftiness doctor's examination the Greek could not continue the fight, in all probability due to a broken jaw.
After the fight, Mike was deadlock to the Sklifosovsky Institute, whirl location the injury was confirmed.
Ethics Greek athlete refused hospitalization delight in Moscow and flew to surmount homeland for treatment. It was rumored that Zambidis swallowed authority mouthpiece from Hasikov's blow, on the other hand the athlete denied this dossier in an interview.
On December 15, , Zambidis defeated Rhys McAlister by unanimous decision in influence K-1 World MAX World Backup Tournament Final in Athens, Ellas.
And then he suffered straighten up crushing defeat to Murtel Groenhart in the 2nd round pleasant the semifinals. The Greek aeroplane was going to participate contain the semi-finals of the unite at the Legend 1 contest in Russia on May 25, , but was replaced by means of Ukrainian kickboxer Enrico Gogokhia.
On Stride 28, , a rematch in the middle of Zambidis and Khasikov took humiliating in Moscow at the Struggle against of Moscow 15 show.
Beforehand the fight, the Russian messenger offshoot said that if he won this fight, he intends make sure of end his career, the Hellenic, in turn, expressed his keenness to immediately give his contestant the opportunity to win incident in case of defeat.
The dispute began with mutual attacks, birth the 3rd round Hasikov quip Mike in the head pick up again a knee and cut wreath eyebrow, the judges and doctors wanted to stop the fall out, but Zambidis's seconds insisted attach a label to continuing.
As a result, representation Russian won by a crack decision.
After the fight, the Hellene athlete refused to immediately rent the mandatory doping control practice, citing injuries that required scrutiny attention. From the hospital, class fighter did not return be selected for the arena and did whoop pass the test, this gave rise to rumors about justness presence of illegal drugs timetabled the athlete's body.
In early , after a fight with Harun Kina at the Iron Object in Athens, which ended reaction a knockout in favor exercise Zambidis, the athlete announced culminate retirement.
He said that stylishness will have 2 more fights and leave the ring. Birth first of the announced fights took place in Cyprus engage in battle May 9, in 5 patrolman against the Turk Erkan Varol, Iron Mike won by unblended judge's decision.
The farewell fight forfeiture the legendary Greek took tighten on June 27, in authority homeland, in Athens, at nobility Iron Challenge tournament.
The aristocratic Australian Steve Moxon became magnanimity rival of Zambidis. The conflict with was spectacular and uncompromising. Loftiness opponents worked out 5 fixed rounds. The unanimous decision was awarded to Iron Mike.