Glory 7 Results: Giorgo Petrsoyan scores another dominant performance

Glory 7 took place today in Milan, Italy. In the night’s main event Giorgio Petrosyan returned to the Glory ring to fight Moroccan Hafid El Boustati, and it was typical Petrosyan performance. Great movement and accurate striking stifled El Boustati for all three rounds and Petrsoyan walked away with a unanimous decision win. It was another dominant performance from “The Doctor”.

In the co-main event heavy hitters Robin van Roosmalen and Murthel Groenhart went the distance. Groenhart drew first blood after landing some vicious knees and opened up a cut on van Roosmalen. Despite taking sustaining the early damage, van Roosmalen landed a right hand that dropped Groenhart after which van Roosmalen seemed to take control of the fight. Van Roosmalen continued to push forward and backed up Groenhart the remainder of the fight and walked away with a unanimous decision.

In other bouts Davit Kiria defeated Yury Bessmertny by unanimous decision, Rico Verhoeven took home a unanimous decision from Jhonata Diniz and Artem Levin defeated Sahak Parparyan in an extra round decision.

Results:
Giorgio Petrosyan def. Hafid El Boustati via Unanimous Decision
Robin van Roosmalen def. Murthel Groenhart via Unanimous Decision
Davit Kiria def. Yury Bessmertny via Unanimous Decision
Rico Verhoeven def. Jhonata Diniz via Unanimous Decision
Artem Levin def. Sahak Parparyan via Unanimous Decision
Chingiz Allazov and Marat Griogrian fight to a No Contest
Kaoponlek def. Sergio Wielzen via Unanimous Decision
Michael Duut def. Steve McKinnon via Unanimous Decision
Karapet Karapetyan def. Roberto Cocco via Unanimous Decision

Photo Credit: Ben Pointer/Glory

Chad and Nathan's Pick 3 - Glory 7 Predictions

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.

For the latest news on combat sports in Asia make sure to visit our friends at FightSportAsia.com, for the latest on the North American Striking scene stay locked on here at MuayThaiAuthority.com.

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

Glory signs deal with CBS Sports Network, Glory 7 set to air on tape delay

Glory has signed a deal with CBS Sports Network to air Glory 7 Milan on tape delay. Glory 7 will feature Giorgio Petrosyan vs. Hafid El Boustati in the main event on Saturday, April 20. The event will air on CBS Sports Network at 1:00 a.m. ET/10:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 21 (Same day delay), as part of Glory's new programming agreement with the national TV platform. Also airing on CBS Sports Network will be Glory 8 Tokyo which will take place next month and feature a 143lb one night 8 man tournament. Mosab Amrani and Liam Harrios will be participating in the tournament as well as Canadian Gabriel Varga.

You can read the official press release from Glory below.

GLORY SIGNS TELEVISION AGREEMENT WITH

CBS SPORTS NETWORK TO SHOWCASE

WORLD’S PREMIER KICKBOXING ACTION

ACTION KICKS OFF WITH TELECAST OF

STAR-STUDDED GLORY 7 MILAN EVENT

SINGAPORE (April 17, 2013) –Glory Sports International and CBS Sports Network have reached an agreement to showcase action from the world’s premier kickboxing league, beginning with the star-studded GLORY 7 event in Milan, Italy on Saturday, April 20.

The CBS Sports Network telecast of the nine-bout GLORY 7 Milan kickboxing event from Mediolanum Forum, headlined by a showdown between world No. 1 ranked lightweight (154 pounds/70 kilograms) Giorgio Petrosyan (75-1, 35 KOs) of Italy and fellow sensation Hafid El Boustati (67-7-3, 18 KOs) of The Netherlands, will air at 1:00 a.m. ET/10:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 21 (Same day delay).

“We look forward to expanding our relationship with CBS Sports Network, a tremendous national sports television platform, and bringing U.S. sports fans some of the hardest-hitting, world-class kickboxing action featuring elite martial arts fighters from around the world,” said GLORY Sports International CEO Andrew Whitaker.

GLORY action on CBS Sports Network continues from Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan with a one-night, eight-man, single-elimination tournament in GLORY’s featherweight (143 pounds/65 kilograms) division that airs Sunday, May 5 at 2:00 a.m. ET/11:00 p.m. PT (Same day delay).  In addition to the tournament, several Superfights, including a heavyweight rematch between all-time great Jerome Le Banner (73-21-2, 59 KOs) of France and Muay Thai champion Koichi (26-8-1, 15 KOs) highlight the card. 

Additional CBS Sports Network telecast dates of GLORY events will be announced soon.

GLORY made its debut on CBS Sports Network from Tokyo on December 31, 2012 with GLORY 4 Tokyo, a one-night, 16-man ‘Grand Slam’ tournament loaded with an unprecedented lineup of the world’s greatest heavyweight fighters.

CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 613 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, and to access the CBS Sports Network channel finder, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.

For more information, visit www.gloryworldseries.com.

Glory 7 fight card

Glory isn’t waiting long for their next event, on April 20th the promotion returns with Glory 7 in Milan, Italy. The nights’ main event will feature the return of Giorgio Petrosyan to the Glory ring as he meets Hafid El Boustati. Petrosyan won the Glory 154lb eight man tournament last year and has fought once since then, a knockout victory over Ole Larsen under the Gotti Promotions banner.

As usual rest of the card is rounded out of some of the biggest names in the striking world. Artem Levin will look to bounce back after his defeat to Simon Marcus when he takes on Sahak Parparyan, Steve McKinnon will take on Nenad Pagonis, Rico Verhoeven will fight Jhonata Dinz, and in a fight that has fireworks written all over it Robin van Roosmalen and Murthel Groenhart will tangle.

Fight Card:
Giorgio Petrosyan vs. Hafid El Boustati
Rico Verhoeven vs. Jhonata Diniz
Artem Levin vs. Sahak Parparyan
Karapet Karapetyan vs. Roberto Cocco
Steve McKinnon vs. Nenad Pagonis
Murthel Groenhart vs. Robin van Roosmalen
Yury Bessmertny vs. Davit Kiria
Chingiz Allazov vs. Marat Grigorian
Sergio Wielzen vs. Kaopon Lek

Giorgio Petrosyan vs. Hafid El Boustati set as main event for Glory 7 in Italy

Glory 7 is set for April 20th in Milan, Italy at the Mediolanum Forum. Glory has just officially announced that night's main event will be a bout between arguably the world's greatest Kickboxer, Giorgio Petrosyan and Hafid El Boustati.

Petrosyan was most recently in action when he knocked out Ole Laursen with a head kick under the Gotti Promotions banner in early March. El Boustati last competed in November of 2012 when he won a decision under the It's Showtime banner against Wallace Lopes.

The remainder of the fight card for Glory 7 has yet to be released. You can read the full press release from Glory below. 

Photo credit: Ben Pontier/Glory

GLORY 7 Milan:

World No. 1 Ranked Italian Superstar Giorgio Petrosyan Collides With Rival Sensation Hafid El Boustati

In Kickboxing Main Event At Mediolanum Forum April 20

Tickets On Sale

SINGAPORE (March 19, 2013) -- World No. 1 lightweight (70 kilograms/154 pounds) Giorgio Petrosyan (75-1, 35 KOs) of Italy will headline the GLORY 7 Milan kickboxing mega-event against fellow sensation Hafid El Boustati (67-7-3, 18 KOs) of The Netherlands on Saturday, April 20 at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan, Italy.

Tickets for GLORY 7 Milan, priced from 29 €, can be purchased online at http://www.oktagon.it/it/biglietti. 

“Giorgio Petrosyan is one of the greatest fighters of his generation, so it is no accident that he is ranked No. 1 in the world,” said Andrew Whitaker, Glory Sports International CEO.  “Milan is perhaps the world’s style capital, so we can expect an especially slick performance from Petrosyan as he headlines GLORY 7 in front of his hometown fans against an emerging and ferocious contender in El Boustati.”

El Boustati rides a seven-fight win-streak into this clash, which marks his GLORY debut. In 2012, he experienced a major breakthrough year that saw him defeat, amongst others, superstar Robin Van Roosmalen in a bout for the now-defunct league, It’s Showtime, which GLORY acquired last Oct.  Ranked No. 2 in the GLORY World Federation rankings, Van Roosmalen was the heavy favorite to win the matchup, but was stopped two minutes into the second round d! ue to cuts sustained.

El Boustati, a strong technician with superior punching power, fights out of Mousid Gym in Amsterdam and counts fellow GLORY stars Mosab ‘Jaguar’ Amrani and Mourad Bouzidi amongst his training partners. The matchup with Petrosyan, known for a highly technical style, represents the biggest opportunity of El Boustati’s career.

“Honestly, I see a lot of weaknesses in Petrosyan’s style,” El Boustati says of his nearly unbeaten opponent. “He fights scared, he avoids the fight. Don’t get me wrong, he is a very good fighter and he doesn’t take damage but he is very defensive and that can be a problem for a fighter when he gets certain opponents.

“He is very technical?  Well I am very technical too,” continued El Boustati, “and I also have power to knock someone out. I know that I need to finish him because, let’s be honest, is there any chance I am going to ! win on points in Italy against Petrosyan? No. So I am going in there to beat him up. I will make him have a real fight for a change.”

Additional bouts for GLORY 7 Milan will be announced soon.  For more information, visit www.gloryworldseries.com. 

About GLORY:

GLORY World Series (www.gloryworldseries.com) is the world's new premiere kickboxing league, producing live events across the globe and offering up to $2 million in prize money to the winners of one-night, 16-man ‘Grand Slam’ tournaments, which are open to only the best fighters in each of six different weight classes. The fight series also includes 8-man ‘Slam’ tournaments and events with traditional single bouts.

With television deals spanning every continent, online live video streaming of all shows and the world's! largest online martial arts library, GLORY is one of the world's most widely distributed sporting organizations.

Owned and operated by Glory Sports International (GSI), the organization has offices in the UK, Netherlands, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and soon in the US. Its personnel include an unprecedented mix of accomplished entrepreneurs and senior level executives from the diverse worlds of finance, sports marketing, television and martial arts fighting.

In 2013, GLORY launched the ROAD TO GLORY tournament fight series to identify and develop new kickboxing talent in the United States, Japan and elsewhere around the globe into future champions and superstars of the sport.