Champion kickboxer who flaunts fleet of golden supercars admits driving offences in Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon
A BRITISH-Iraqi world heavyweight kickboxing champion failed to insure his gold-wrapped Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon.
Riyadh Al-Azzawi, 47, faces an unlimited fine or up to eight points for driving the flash G7 Brabus model, which have starting prices of around £150,000.
He pleaded guilty to the driving without insurance near his home in Battersea, South West London, last May via his lawyer Mr Alex Mincoff.
But ‘The Golden Champion’ failed to turn up to Lavender Hill magistrates’ court himself this afternoon because he is living it up in Dubai.
He often splits his time between there and his home in the UK.
Mr Alex Mincoff, defending, told the court: “He genuinely did believe he did have valid insurance.”
He admitted that Al-Azzawi’s belief he was insured was “incorrect, as it turned out”.
The matter has been referred to a special reasons hearing next month.
Al-Azzawi, who also owns a gold vinyl wrapped £200,000 Ferrari 458 Spider, is often pictured with his flashy G-Wagon around posh parts of London like Knightsbridge.
And he proudly flaunts his super cars all over his Instagram page.
He even once had a photoshoot sitting on a golden throne with each golden car either side of him and surrounded by his heavyweight champion belts.
In one caption under a photo with his G-Wagon on his Instagram he writes: “Work hard, stay humble, smile often, stay loyal, keep honest, be thankful to GOD always.”
In another of him pictured with both his cars, he writes: “Gold is the taste of success and hard work.”
And in a third he writes: “One thing I know in life, whatever life throws at me, I just smile, fight back and I always know how to win.”
He owned the Ferrari first, and then got his G-Wagon in 2017.
Al-Azzawi, was nicknamed “The Golden Champion” after becoming the first ever Arab world champion with a record 34-0 in the 2008 World Kickboxing Network World Championship.
In all, he has had 51 kickboxing wins.
His titles include Iraq CHampion of World Association of Kickboxing Organisations (WAKO), Arab Champion for WAKO, British Champ at the World Kickboxing Network (WKN), European Champion at the World Kickboxing Association and WKN, World Champion at the WKN, International Sport Karate and Kickboxing Association and at the Kickboxing Grand Prix.
He is known for loving the colour gold and has even worn golden kickboxing gloves.
Al-Azzawi began his kickboxing when he was a kid growing up in Iraq and continued his career when he moved to Britain.
In 2016 two friends bagged a trip in his Ferrari after begging for a joyride.
Thomas and Ammar approached more than 50 owners of expensive cars in their quest to see London in the most stylish way possible – before finally getting a yes from Riyadh.
They approached the athlete in a restaurant and filmed their trip. One said afterwards: “I don’t think I can ever top that.”