The son of a prominent politician and the grandson of a local chief, the family had to flee due to the recurring conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, resettling in Germany.

A fan of martial arts films starring actors such as Jean-Claude Van Damme and Jackie Chan, Ilunga's main motivation to compete in kickboxing was watching the legendary Remy Bonjasky's fights.

[citation needed] After winning several domestic titles Ilunga entered the four man "1-King" Muay Thai Tournament in Bamberg, defeating both of his opponents on the night by stoppage to claim the Super Heavyweight Championship.

[6] After an extensive winning streak on the local scene, beating fighters such as Karl Glischynski, Danyo lost his first match in a while, dropping a decision to the Dutch based Angolan Henriques Zowa.

As Ilunga covered up and prepared to counter, referee Mufadel Elghazaoui jumped in and stopped the fight, giving Spong the TKO win at just sixteen seconds of the first round.

[20][21][22] Although, it was later revealed that there was a "no standing eight count" rule in effect at the event as per the New York State Athletic Commission's regulations, the stoppage was still deemed premature by much of the kickboxing community.

[23][24] Ilunga defeated Michael Duut by first-round TKO at Glory 11: Chicago - Heavyweight World Championship Tournament in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, US on October 12, 2013.

This allowed Ilunga to get underneath it and come back with a huge counter right hand that floored and took Stoica out, who didn't have his feet beneath him to answer the ten count.