Did you know that Mate Parlov is the only boxer who, in addition to the Olympic gold, won European and world amateur and professional titles in the same category? He was a multiple national champion from 1967 to 1974.

At the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972, he won the gold medal in the light heavyweight category, and his fight against the Cuban Gilberto Carrillo in the final is considered one of the greatest in world boxing. He also won gold at the first World Championship in Havana in 1974 and at the European Championships in Madrid in 1971 and Belgrade in 1973. He won a silver medal at the European Championship in Bucharest in 1969 and the Golden Glove trophy twice. Of the nineteen matches in which he boxed as an amateur boxer of the national team, he lost only one.

He started his professional boxing career in 1975, winning the title of European champion and the title of world champion organized by the World Boxing Council (WBC) in the light heavyweight category. He was involved in professional boxing until 1980, and returned to it as coach of the national boxing team at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984, where his boxers won one gold, one silver and two bronze medals.