With Glory 7 on the horizon, Chad Sanderson of Fight Sport Asia and Nathan Aripez of Muay Thai Authority have teamed up to bring you predictions for three fights at Glory 7 they feel are most interesting for fans. As usual the fight card is stacked with top tier talent, but these three stand out. Let us know if you agree or disagree with Chad and Nathan.
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Giorgio Petrosyan vs. Hafid El Boustati:
Chad’s pick – Giorgio Petrosyan
A lot of people aren't giving Hafid el Boustati much chance in this fight. It's understandable, Petrosyan has only looked mortal when he's been either injured or sick, so anyone outside of the very top of the 70kg probably won't pose much of a threat to him. That being said Boustati is a technician, and as we saw in his fight against Fabio Pinca, Petrosyan typically has to work a little harder to impose his dominance against the technically gifted. Don't get me wrong, he still wins pretty easily but it's not an obliteration of epic proportions. I have to go with Petro by decision.
Nathan’s pick – Giorgio Petrosyan
Petrosyan is arguably the best striker in the world. Boustati is a solid striker in his own right, but he's not Giorgio Petrosyan. This should be another routine fight for Petrosyan as he uses his accurate striking and great movement to pick apart Boustati en route to a decision victory.
Murthel Groenhart vs. Robin van Roosmalen:
Chad’s pick – Murthel Groenhart
This is an interesting fight, because it will reveal if there's anyone in the 70kg division that can still challenge Petrosyan for the MAX crown. Roosmalen likes pushing guys to the ropes, cornering them and unloading when they have nowhere to run. But Groenhart is a big, big dude. He usually fights at 77kg and has the power and strength behind to back it up. I don't think Roosemalen will be able to bully him like he does to his smaller opponents, and when that doesn't work it'll come down to a brawl. Roosmalen is built like a brick stove, but Groenhart is such a giant in his weight class that I imagine he'll put 'Pokerface" on his back foot. I'm picking Murthel by decision.
Nathan’s pick – Murthel Groenhart
It's probably a safe bet that Groenhart vs. van Roosmalen will steal the show at Glory 7. Both are aggressive fighters with a penchant for finishing their opponents before the final bell. This is going to be a barn burner as both fighters land some powerful shots, but size is going to be the X factor. Groenhart is the larger fighter and it will be evident as he scores a stoppage in the final round.
Artem Levin vs. Sahak Parparyan:
Chad’s pick – Sahak Parparyan
Until very recently, both Sahak and Levin stood at the heads of their respective divisions. Sahak was recently uprooted by Franci Grasj, and Levin lost his #1 spot to Simon Marcus. Levin will be coming up in weight from 80kg to 85kg in this match and Parparyan is a tough, tough opponent to have for the transition. Both guys love to punch, so I definitely see this being a firefight. That being said, I think Parparyan is a little more comfortable at this weight, and has fought more frequently under kickboxing rules. I'm going with Parparyan by decision in this one.
Nathan’s pick – Artem Levin
Levin will be looking to get back to his winning ways against Parparyan and his boxing will be the key. Levin should be able to use his boxing skills to out strike Parparyan, however, he can't get cocky as he does at times and drop his hands because Parparyan is a heavy hitter. As long as Levin works his boxing and mixes in a few kicks he should take home the decision victory.
Photo Credit: Ben Pointer/GLORY
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