Albanian heavyweight {Francesko Xhaja} returns to the beach arena in Varna on July 11 when he faces England's {Nathan Cook} in a super fight at SENSHI 32 Grand Prix, with the 32-year-old aiming to build on his recent momentum at the Bulgarian promotion.
Xhaja, who fights out of SB Gym and represents Albania, carries a professional record of 21 wins and 8 losses, with 8 of those victories coming by knockout. He has competed at the highest levels of the sport, ONE Championship, WGP Kickboxing, and now SENSHI, over a 14-year career that began after a friend introduced him to kickboxing during what he describes as a difficult stretch of his life.
"In a very difficult moment in my life, where I didn't know what to do, a friend introduced me to kickboxing, and I started from there," Xhaja said.
You can watch the SENSHI 32 Grand Prix live and free worldwide on SENSHI's YouTube channel and TrillerTV. Viewers in the United States and Canada can tune in via Swerve Combat, while fans in Bulgaria can watch on Bulgaria ON AIR, DIEMA, and Max Sport 1.
His most recent SENSHI run has been impressive. He knocked out Marius Munteanu in May 2025 and followed that up with a KO win over Abdarhmane Coulibaly in July 2025, but then ran into Rhys Brudenell at SENSHI 28 in September and was stopped by TKO in the second round. He bounced back at SENSHI 30 in February 2026, outworking Giannis Stoforidis over three rounds to earn a unanimous decision win. That makes the Cook bout his second outing of 2026, and he is not hiding his ambitions for what lies ahead.
"I would like SENSHI to take me higher and higher, just as it is already doing, with the tournament in December as my goal for 2026," Xhaja explained ahead of this bout.
Standing 194 cm and walking in at around 115 kg, Xhaja fights in the heavyweight division, he describes his style as a "complete" fighter. Meaning someone who can read and adapt to whoever stands across from him. "What makes me more dangerous is my complete fighting style and knowing how to adopt it to whoever I have in front of me," he said. His favourite weapon is the flying knee, and his biggest strength, in his own words, is his mindset.
When it comes to Cook specifically, Xhaja is measured in what he gives away: "He's a good opponent. I don't know much else about him, but we'll find out in the ring."
On the other side of the mat is Nathan "Bone Setter" Cook, 29, from Reading, England, a fighter who genuinely lives up to the nickname. Cook holds a master's degree in osteopathy from Swansea University and works as a registered osteopath alongside his fighting career. "It's a bit of a contrast, I always joke that I spend my days fixing and my evenings breaking," Cook explained.
Cook earned his credentials on the British Muay Thai circuit before stepping into kickboxing. He is the MTGP British Muay Thai Champion, a Muay Thai European champion, and an ISKA British champion. He entered GLORY's 32-man Last Heavyweight Standing tournament at GLORY 99 in April 2025 as the sole British representative, describing it as a moment of unexpected patriotism. "This whole experience has brought out a kind of patriotism I didn't even know I had," he said. "I don't see it as pressure, I see it as something special." His run ended abruptly, however, as Anis Bouzid stopped him in just 28 seconds in the first round.
Cook trains at Allstyles gym, stands 198 cm tall, and weighs in around 117 kg, making him the slightly taller and heavier man going into this matchup. While Xhaja has been a SENSHI regular, this will be Cook's debut on the promotion. The contrast in styles sets up an interesting tactical puzzle: Xhaja's full kickboxing background against a fighter whose base is rooted in the clinch-heavy, technical game of Muay Thai.
For Xhaja, the fight carries significance beyond just adding a win. He has spoken about wanting his name to mean something in kickboxing long after his career ends. "I want my name to be remembered when people talk about kickboxing," he said. Among the highlights he points to is his split decision win over Andrei Stoica at ONE Fight Night 7 in Bangkok in February 2023, a result that came in Thailand, on Stoica's terms, on the ONE Championship stage. He also cites his world title challenge against Guto Inocente in Brazil in 2019, facing what he describes as the number three heavyweight in the world at the time, on his home turf, at just 25 years old.
"Perhaps the one in Brazil against Guto Inocente for the WGP World title, because I was going to face the number three in the world at the time in his country," Xhaja said of the bout that stands out most in his career.
He is also candid about what the sport has cost him. "Fighting has taken away a lot of time with my loved ones and many normal life experiences, but every sacrifice has shaped who I am today."
Source: beyondkick.com