Glory 25 Results: Sittichai loses controversial decision to Robin van Roosmalen, Petrosyan successful in Glory return

Glory 25 took place today in Milan, Italy. The promotion made it's debut on ESPN 3 with Robin van Roosmalen and Sittichai Sitsongpeenong fighting for the Glory Lightweight Championship in the main event and Giorgio Petrosyan making his return to the Glory ring in the co-main event.

Sittichai Sitsongpeenong looked sharp against Robin van Roosmalen. He delivered a steady stream of left kicks to the body and legs of van Roosmalen with some strong knees mixed in. He controlled the fight as van Roosmalen didn't seem as active as we have come accustomed to seeing from him. He opened up a bit more in the third round but Sittichai dictated the pace of the fight from start to finish. It seemed a new Glory Lightweight Champion would be crowned, but much to the displeasure of the fans in attendance van Roosmalen was declared the winner by unanimous decision with scores of 48-47 from all three judges. Fans booed the decision and van Roosmalen told them he didn't care if they booed afterwards during his post fight interview. Definitely a controversial ending and an unfortunate one for Sittichai.

In the co-main event Giorgio Petrosyan returned to Glory for the first time in two years. Looking to spoil his return was Canada's Josh Jauncey, but despite his efforts Petrosyan was on point. The Doctor was surgical with his strikes. He was very accurate and his evasive defensive skills were near perfect. Jauncey put forward a valiant effort as he did not back away from Petrosyan, but it was impossible for him to land anything significant on Petrosyan while not being able to avoid Petrosyan's strikes. In the end it was a successful return for Petrosyan who took home a unanimous decision victory.

In the welterweight contender tournament Murthel Groenhart and Karim Ghajji met in the finals to see who would win a shot at Nieky Holzken's welterweight title. Groenhart made it to the finals by scoring a stoppage over Nicola Gallo after a knee opened a cut that forced the fight to be stopped. Ghajji defeated Yoann Kongolo by majority decision in his semi-final bout in a very close fight.

In the tournament final Groenhart came out looking to end things early. A right hand knocked Ghajji down and after he answered the count Groenhart went in for the kill unleashing flurry after flurry trying to put Ghajji out, but he was able to survive the round. In the second Groenhart looked a bit slower than the first and Ghajji started to get back into the fight with some nice combinations. In the third round Groenhart and Ghajji went toe to toe and when it was over Groenhart took home a unanimous decision. With the win Groenhart will now face Nieky Holzken for the Glory Welterweight title.

Glory Featherweight Champion Gabriel Varga was unsuccessful in his first title defense. Serhiy Adamchuck was crowned the new champion with a unanimous decision win in what was a close fight.

Results:

Giorgio Petrosyan def. Josh Jauncey via Unanimous Decision

Serhiy Adamchuck def. Gabriel Varga via Unanimous Decision

Artem Vahkitov def. Danyo Illuna via Unanimous Decision

Vittorio Lemano def. Samir Boukhidous via (T)KO (Cut) in Rd. 2

Stefano Bruno def. Hosam Radwan via (T)KO in Rd. 2

Anatoly Moiseev def. Teo Mikelic via Unanimous Decision

Welterweight Contender Tournament Semi-Finals:

Murthel Groenhart def. Nicola Gallo via (T)KO (Cut) in Rd. 2

Karim Ghajji def. Yoann Kongolo via Majority Decision

Welterweight Contender Tournament Final:

Murthel Groenhart def. Karim Ghajji via Unanimous Decision

Fight Card for Glory 25

Glory 25 takes place this Friday November 6 in Milan, Italy. It will be Glory's first show since officially announcing their events will no longer air on Spike TV. The current information on how the event can be seen is unknown, but the fight card is still stacked.

The main event will feature Glory Lightweight Champion Robin van Roosmalen as he puts his title on the line against Sittichai Sitsongpeenong. This bout will be van Roosmalen's second title defense with his most recent being a decision victory over former champion Andy Ristie. Sittichai won the Glory 22 contender tournament and since then has won four more bouts in other promotions leading to his showdown with van Roosmalen. It should be fireworks between these two.

The co-main event will feature the return of Giorgio Petrosyan as he takes on Josh Jauncey. Petrosyan has not fought for Glory since Glory 12 on November of 2013 where he lost for only the second time in his career. Since the loss Petrosyan has fought only three times with all of them ending in victories. He defeated Erkan Varol, Enriko Kehl, and most recently Xu Yan. Jauncey has taken the Kickboxing world by storm since debuting in 2014. He has gone 4-1 with three of his wins coming by knockout. He last competed at Glory 22 this past June in the lightweight tournament where he won his semi-final bout against Djime Coulibaly by (T)KO, but came up short in a decision to Sittichai Sitsongpeenong in the tournament finals. 

A four man tournament in the Glory welterweight division will take place. The semi-final bouts for the tournament are Murthel Groenhart vs. Nicola Galo and Karim Ghajji vs. Yoann Kongolo.

The Super Fight Series portion of the card will also feature some big names. Glory Featherweight Champion Gabriel Varga will make his first title defense against Serhiy Adamchuk. The pair was previously set to fight on the Bellator 142: Dynamite event, but an injury forced Varga to withdraw from the bout.

Danyo Illunga and Artem Vakhitov will also square off at Glory 25. Illunga was a hot prospect when Glory first launched, but has struggled as of late going 2-3 in his last five fights. Vakhitov most recently competed for Glory at Glory 20 where he dropped a split decision to current Glory Light Heavyweight Champion Saulo Cavalari. Before the loss to Cavalari, Vakhitov had won eight consecutive bouts.

Fight Card:

Robin van Roosmalen (c) vs. Sittichai Sitsongpeenong for Glory Lightweight Championship

Giorgio Petrosyan vs. Josh Jauncey

Gabriel Varga (c) vs. Serhiy Adamchuk for Glory Featherweight Championship

Danyo Illunga vs. Artem Vakhitov

Samir Boukhidous vs. Vittorio Iermano

Stefano Bruno vs. Hosam Radwan

Anatoly Moiseev vs. Teo Mikelic

Glory Welterweight Tournament:

Murthel Groenhart vs. Nicola Galo

Karim Ghajji vs. Yoann Kongolo

Victory Sports League Paris Results: Sittichai defeats Dylan Salvador

Victory Sports League took place this past weekend in Paris. There was some great talent that was competing on the card with a main event that featured Sittichai Sitsongpeenong vs. Dylan Salvador. Sittichai followed up last months tournament win in France at Nuit des Champion with a decision win over Salvador. It is another well respected names to add to the list of fighters that have been defeated by the young Sitsongpeenong representative. 

Also in action at the event was Karim Ghajji who won a decision over Alexander Stetsurenko and Djime Coulibaly who took a decision from Johann Feauveau.

Results:

Sittichai Sitsongpeenong def. Dylan Slavador via Decision

Chigiz Allazov def. Jordan Levrat via (T)KO

Djime Coulibaly def. Johann Feauveau via Decision

Karim Ghajji def. Alexander Stetsurenko via Decision

Harut Grigorian def. Edouard Bernadou via Decision

Thomas Alizier def. Moussa Nyang via Decision

Kenan Gunaydin def. Nizar Galas via Decision

Gary Anad def. Samir Lofti via Decision

Anissa Meksen def. Yolande Alonzo via Decision

Glory 11 Results and Recap

Glory 11 took place tonight at the Sears Center in Chicago, IL and it did not disappoint. The Glory 4-Man heavyweight tournament took place and it was full of surprises. In the first semi-final bout tournament favorite Gokhan Saki was defeated by Rico Verhoeven by majority decision. Verhoeven scored a flash knockdown over Saki in the first round, which Saki protested and even pushed the referee. The fight continued and despite Saki trying to rally Verhoeven did a good job surviving a barrage from Saki and controlling the fight on his way to one of the biggest wins of his career.

In the other semi-final bout Daniel Ghita ran through Anderson Silva after a huge right hook put Silva’s lights out in the first round.

In the tournament final Verhoeven used leg kicks to outpoint Ghita and take home a unanimous decision. It was easily the biggest win of Verhoeven’s career as he beat two of the best heavyweights in the world to capture the Glory tournament victory.

The highly anticipated re-match between Tyrone Spong and Nathan Corbett lived up to expectations. Both men came out throwing heavy punches and kicks and neither was backing down. Despite both fighters throwing heavy shots their technique was crisp. Spong struck first when a left near the end of the first round seemed to rock Corbett, but he made it out of the round. In the second round Spong struck fast as a short left hook knocked Corbett down. Corbett beat the referee’s count and both men went back to throwing heavy leather and moments later another left hook dropped Corbett. The referee began his count and Corbett got back to his feet, when the referee asked if Corbett was okay to continue it seemed Corbett was slow to respond and the referee stopped the fight. Corbett didn’t agree as he stated he was able to continue.

In the night’s co-main event Joseph Valtellini and Karim Ghajji went toe to toe for three rounds. Both fighters were technical and accurate with their attacks, but Valtellini seemed to be landing the cleaner shots more often. As the third round was winding down a spinning back fist by Valtellini rocked Ghajji and Valtellini pounced. The referee jumped in and gave Ghajji a standing eight count. When the fight resumed Valtellini went on the attack and Ghajji was clearly hurt. A head kick from Valtellini connected and the referee stepped in to stop the bout, huge win for Valtellini.

Results:

Glory 4-Man Heavyweight Tournament Semi-Final
Rico Verhoeven def. Gokhan Saki via Majority Decision
Daniel Ghita def. Anderson Silva via KO in Rd. 1

Glory 4-Man Heavyweight Tournament Final
Rico Verhoeven def. Daniel Ghita via Unanimous Decision

Glory 4-Man Heavyweight Tournament Reserve Bout
Errol Zimmerman def. Hesdy Gerges via (T)KO in Rd. 3

Super Fights
Tyrone Spong def. Nathan Corbett via KO in Rd. 2
Joseph Valtellini def. Karim Ghajji via (T)KO in Rd. 3

Under Card
Sergei Kharitonov def. Daniel Sam via Unanimous Decision
Danyo Ilunga def. Michael Duut via (T)KO in Rd. 1
Saulo Cavalair def. Filip Verlinden via Unanimous Decision
Steve Moxon def. Reece McAllister via KO in Rd. 3
Gabriel Varga def. Jose Palacios via Unanimous Decision
Troy Sheridan def. Michael Mananquil via Unanimous Decision
Maurice Greene def. Yang Rae Yoo via Unanimous Decision
Aaron Swenson def. Billy Rose via KO in Rd. 2
Kyle Weickhardt def. Quartus Stitt via Unanimous Decision
Ian Alexander def. Austin Lewis via Split Decision
Axel Mendez def. Jordan Weiland via Unanimous Decision

Joseph Valtellini talks upcoming fight with Karim Ghajji at Glory 11 in Chicago

Joseph Valtellini has taken the Kickboxing world by storm since his debut for Glory at Glory 6 in Istanbul, Turkey earlier this year. His crisp combinations of punches and leg kicks mixed with his move forward style have made him a fan favorite. Valtellini will look to reel off his third straight victory under the Glory banner when takes on Karim Ghajji this weekend at Glory 11 in Chicago. Valtellini was kind enough to take time from his busy training schedule to talk to us about his upcoming fight with Ghajji. 

MTA: Big fight coming up against Karim Ghajji. How has your training camp been going?

Joseph: Training camp went amazing for this fight. I knew for about 10 weeks that I was fighting Ghajji, so I had a lot of time to prepare. My main training partner Troy Sheridan is also fighting on the card, so it was more intense than usually. There was no such thing as light sparring because we continually wanted the best from each other.  We were both pushing each other and peaking at the same time, so I really felt that it really took both of our games to a new level.

MTA: Have you done anything different in this training camp than past training camps?

Joseph: Training camp is basically always the same. Why fix something that isn't broken. The only things that may change are specific areas of focus that my coach believes I can improve on.

MTA: What would you say is the most difficult part of training for your fights and why?

Joseph: My team and I have everything down to a science and created a routine and schedule which works really well for me. But the hardest part for me is balancing my career as a teacher and the extra demands of training. I make sure I really take advantage of my rest days.

MTA: As usual you are the underdog in experience, yet that has not held you back at all in your career. What do you think is the biggest factor in the experience gap between you and your opponents not being a factor?

Joseph: I strongly believe it's the confidence and the belief that my coaches and team have in me. If my coach says I will win, I will go in the ring with 100% confidence. Being surrounded with such supportive and positive people really helps too. Having people believe in you, and most importantly believing in yourself, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

MTA: How familiar are you with Karim; are there any holes in his game that you feel you can exploit?

Joseph: I got to watch Karim fight live at Glory 6 Istanbul against Nieky Holzken. Other than that fight, I didn't really know much about him.  After beating Murat Direkci that night, I told my coaches that I'd like to fight Karim because it would get me closer to #1. 6 months later and that fight came true. Although I may not have the experience on paper, I feel like I'm the more explosive and technical fighter. I also feel I'm better defensively.

MTA: This fight will air on Spike TV, is there any added pressure to put on a great showing knowing that millions of people will be watching this fight?

Joseph: I've been looking at this fight no different than the others. Whether there are 2 people watching or millions, when it's time for battle I'm always focused on what I have to do to be successful. It's important that I don't let other distractions influence my performance. I am excited and motivated to put on exciting fight. This is a good opportunity to showcase myself to a larger audience as well as promote GLORY and kickboxing to North America.  Glory and kickboxing is on the rise in N.A. and it's only a matter of time before it becomes as large or larger than UFC and MMA. People just need the opportunity to watch.

MTA: Both of your fights in Glory have been victories by stoppage, are we going to see a third straight stoppage from you?

Joseph: That is always the goal. A stoppage win against such an experience opponent will push me up the world ranking. I also want to make sure that I cement my spot for the welterweight tournament in Tokyo for Glory 13.

MTA: You are fighting at 170lbs which is about 5lbs more than what you started your career at. Does the 5lbs make any difference for better or worse?

Joseph: It's actually been a lot better. I was always starving my body from putting on more muscle mass. With small changes in my diet and strength program, I was able to take my strength, power and explosiveness to new levels.  I feel a big difference in my energy levels during the camp.

MTA: Best of luck Joe. Any words for your fans and supporters?

Joseph: Thank you for all the continued support. All the Facebook, Instagram and twitter likes and messages mean so much to me.  It pushes me to train harder in the gym and perform to my best ability in the ring. Make sure you follow along with this fight and my career on twitter - @bazookajoev or my Facebook Page - Joseph "Bazooka Joe" Valtellini.

Tyrone Spong vs. Nathan Corbett and more confirmed for Glory 11 in Chicago

It was known that Glory was headed to Chicago, IL with Glory 11, but now Glory has released some info as to who will be in action at the event. Glory 11 will take place October 12th at the Sears Center Arena and mark Glory's live Spike TV debut.

The event will feature a one night four man heavyweight tournament featuring Gokhan Saki (79-16-1), Rico Verhoeven (40-7-1), Daniel Ghita (48-9), and Anderson Silva (36-9-1). The winner of the tournament will take home $250,000.

Also on the fight card is a highly anticipated re-match between Tyrone Spong (72-6-1) and Nathan Corbett (57-3-1). In 2009 Spong and Corbett fought to a controversial no contest at Champion of Champions 2 in 2009. In an exciting fight Spong drew first blood knocking down Corbett in the second round with a right hook. In the third round a short right from Corbett put Spong flat on his back, after Spong made it back up to wobbly feet the referee waived the bout off. Corbett either didn't see the waving off of the fight or thought it meant to resume fighting and he rushed in to finish the fight knocking down Spong again. The fight was then ruled a no contest.

Joseph Valtellini (10-1) will also be taking a huge step up in competition as he takes on Karim Ghajji (85-8-1). Valtellini has looked impressive in his two fights for Glory finishing both Murat Direkci and Francois Ambang in the third round. Ghajji will be looking to rebound from his loss to Nieky Holzken due to a cut at Glory 6.

Fight Card:

Tyrone Spong vs. Nathan Corbett

Joseph Valtellini vs. Karim Ghajji

Four Man Heavyweight Tournament

Gokhan Saki vs. Rico Verhoeven

Daniel Ghita vs. Anderson Silva

Glory 6 results and recap

Glory 6 took place last night in Istanbul, Turkey and the main event bout between Gokhan Saki and Daniel Ghita lived up to all the hype and more. Widely considered the second and third best heavyweights in the world, the winner would get a title shot against current champion Semmy Schilt. The first round was pretty even, and at one point Saki caught a kick from Ghita and threw him down to the canvas. It seemed Ghita injured his arm on the throw, but the bout continued. In the second round against the round seemed pretty even until Saki unloaded a 12 punch combination that ended with a right hand that floored Ghita. After Ghita was able to get back to his feet and the bout resumed, a left hook from Saki sent Ghita back to the canvas. Saki knew he had Ghita hurt and as soon as the referee restarted the action he rushed in and continued to unload shots on a visibly hurt Ghita until the referee stepped in and stopped the fight, awarding Saki the victory and earning him a title shot against Semmy Schilt.

In the night’s co main event Fabiano Cyclone and Mourad Bouzidi was expected to be full of fireworks, and although it was a solid bout it ended prematurely. Cyclone came in with his right knee wrapped, and it would end up playing a factor in the fight. Bouzidi looked sharp in his bout and he looked to have Cyclone hurt at one point in the opening round. In the second round Cyclone came out aggressive, but after the action slowing down Bouzidi landed a few body punches and as Cyclone backed away it looked as if his knee gave out and he fell to the canvas. He got back to his feet and immediately Bouzidi went for his leg and Cyclone’s corner threw in the towel.

Marc De Bonte scored an impressive knockout of L’houcine Ouzgni in the first round. De Bonte exploded with a perfectly timed jumping knee that floored Ouzgni and ended the fight about a minute in. Great win for De Bonte.

Nieky Holzken and Karim Ghajji fought for three hard rounds and it seemed that Ghajji might be on his way to victory as the time was ticking away in the third round, but a wild exchange with Holzken proved costly. Holzken landed a night one two combination and Ghajji went down to the canvas. He was able to recover and the judges called for an extra round. In the extra round Holzken landed a knee to the face of Ghajji which opened a huge gash over his eye. The ringside physician was brought in to look at the cut and the bout was stopped and Holzken was awarded the (T)KO victory.

North America’s Joseph Valtellini made his Glory debut and it was nothing short of impressive. Fighting the more experienced Murat Direkci things seemed a little hairy in the opening minute as Direkci came out aggressive and landed some clean shots on Valtellini, but Valtellini was able to weather the storm and drop Direkci with a right hand before the first round ended. In the second round Direkci once again came out aggressive, but Valtellini was more than happy to stand and trade with him as he put together some great combinations. Punches and leg kicks were flying from Valtellini, and then he began to find an opening with his uppercut. A head kick dropped Direkci and after beating the referee’s count, a leg kick followed by a punch dropped Direkci again. The round ended but it was clear that Direkci was in trouble and as soon as the third round started Valtellini went in for the kill landing a head kick and then a nice punch combination before Direkci’s corner threw in the towel. Valtellini has now won seven of his eight pro wins by stoppage. It will be interesting who he is matched up with for his next fight in Glory.

Results:
Gokhan Saki def. Daniel Ghita via (T)KO (Referee Stoppage) in Rd. 2
Mourad Bouzidi def. Fabiano Cyclone via (T)KO (Corner Stoppage) in Rd. 2
Filip Verlinden def. Lucian Danilencu via Unanimous Decision
Marc De Bonte def. L’houcine Ouzgni via KO (Knee) in Rd. 1
Nieky Holzken def. Karim Ghajji via (T)KO (Cut) in Rd. 4
Andy Ristie def. Alessandro Campagna via Unanimous Decision
Joseph Valtellini def. Murat Direkci via (T)KO (Corner Stoppage) in Rd. 3
Max Baumert def. Ismail Uzuner via KO (Head Kick) in Rd. 1
Dongsu Kim def. Naoki Yasuda via Unanimous Decision
Jahfarr Wilnis def. Oguz Ovguer via KO in Rd. 1
Orhan Karalioglu def. Cleber Algente Albes via KO in Rd. 2
Samet Keser def. Muzzafer Gemici via KO in Rd. 1
Kenyan Gunaydin def. Zurab Khistani via KO in Rd. 3

Glory 6 Live Play by Play and Results

If you can't be in Istanbul, Turkey or catch the online stream for Glory 6 make sure to tune in here to keep up to date with all the action going down on the main card. Gokhan Saki vs. Daniel Ghita will be the night's main event and it should be another great fight.

Also North American fans should be excited to see Canada's Joseph Valtellini make his Glory debut against Murat Direkci. So keep checking back here for the play by play and results.

Dongsu Kim vs. Naoki Yasuda

Round 1

Kim with a right to start things off. Kim the aggressor early. Low kicks by Kim. Left hook by Yasuda wobbles Kim. Action start to pick up but it is a close first round.

Round 2

These guys are swinging. It’s looking more like a brawl as they both are slinging leather. Mainly punches not kicks. Yasuda sneaks in a knee though. These guys are really going at it. Fast paced fight. Neither guy is budging and it is a pretty even round this far with both fighters landing solid punches. Solid punches by Yasuda as the round ends.

Round 3

Knee by Yasuda, These guys continue to sling the leather. Yasuda lands a few clean ones. This is an all out war. Yasuda seems to have more gas left in the tank as Kim seems to be slowing down. Knees from Yasuda. Kim seems to be in defensive mode but he is still letting the leather fly. 

Result: Dongsu Kim def. Naoki Yasuda via Unanimous Decision

Max Baumert vs. Ismail Uzuner 

Round 1
Baumert right away with a left hand, but Uzuner answers. High kick by Uzuner then they both throw leg kicks. Baumert goes to the body with punches. Uzuner pushing the pace now. Knee from Uzuner. Left by Baumert. These guys are not holding anything back. Right hand by Baumert. Nice uppercut sneaks in by Uzuner. Leg kick by Uzuner. Head kick by Baumert lands and sends Uzuner to the canvas and it’s over. Great knockout for Baumert.

Result: Max Baumert def. Ismail Uzuner via KO (Head Kick) in Rd. 1

Joseph Valtellini vs. Murat Direkci

Round 1
Valtellini with a low kick. Clinch and they both land knees. Right hook by Direkci lands. Direkci is fast and landing several shots. Has Valtellini moving backwards. Nice left from Direkci lands but Valtellini fires back. Right hand from Direkci lands. Leg kick from Valtellini. Direkci is pressing the action early. Right hand from Valtellini knocks Direkci down. Leg kick from Valtellini. Leg kick from Valtellini to end round.

Round 2
Big exchanges early and again Direkci comes out aggressive but Valtellini answering. Leg kick from Valtellini. Nice combinations from Valtellini ending in with low kicks. Body kick by Valtellini. Uppercut from Valtellini lands. Valtellini landing clean shots. Uppercut twice by Valtellini hurts Direkci. Head kick by Valtellini knocks Direkci down. Another knockdown by Valtellini from a leg kick and punch. Round ends.

Round 3
Uppercut and leg kick by Valtellini to start. Head kick by Valtellini. Direkci’s corner throws in the towel as Valtellini lands a nice combo. Huge win for Joseph Valtellini.

Result: Joseph Valtellini def. Murat Direkci via (T)KO (Corner Stoppage) in Rd. 3 

Alessandro Campagna vs. Andy Ristie

Round 1
Ristie with a leg kick. Right hand by Campagna. Body kick by Campagna. Right hand by Ristie lands. Both throwing but nothing clean landing. Compared the two previous fights this one is very slow paced.

Round 2
Risite letting some winging punches fly, but nothing is landing. Leg kick by Campagna. Right hand by Campagna lands. Campagna pushing the pace a bit. Nice right hand by Campagna. Both fighters looking a little sloppy.

Round 3
Ristie come out aggressive in the third round landing some hard punches. Ristie is looking for the knock out but Campagna doing a good job defending. A hard left hand from Ristie connects. Very sloppy fight at this point. Knee from Campagna lands. Ristie lands a hard left. Campagna is bleeding from his right eye.

Result: Andy Ristie def. Alessandro Campagna via Unanimous Decision
 
Karim Ghajji vs. Nieky Holzken

Round 1
Kick from each fighter to start things off. Holzken slips on a kick attempt. Low kick and left hook from Holzken. Leg kicks from Ghajji. Punch followed by leg kicks from Ghajji. Spinning heel kick blocked by Holzken. Ghajji is pressing the action and throwing a lot but Holzken doing a good job defending. Flying knee from Ghajji. Leg kick by Holzken lands. Knee to the body by Holzken. Left hook by Holzken. Uppercut sneak through the guard of Holzken. Pace is starting to be picked up by both fighters as the round ends.

Round 2
Ghajji starts the round with a one two. Body shot by Ghajji. Right hand by Ghajji. Both guys letting the leather fly. Left hook from Ghajji lands. Body shot by Holzken. Leg kicks by Ghajji. Uppercut by Holzken lands clean. Holzken working the body. This is a close round as both fighters and landing clean shots. Knees by Holzken. Some light punches by Ghajji.

Round 3
Ghajji with kicks to the boyd. Ghajji pressing the action early and Holzken lands a nice body shot followed by a one two to the head. Ghajji more active in this round. Body shot by Holzken. Right hand by Holzken lands followed a by an uppercut. Left hook to the body by Holzken. These guys are slugging it out right now and Ghajji gets knocked down with a nice one two from Holzken. Knee from Holzken and two left hooks from Holzken. Fight ends with a short left from Holzken. Fight will go to an extra round.

Round 4
Leg kicks from both fighters to start the round. Right straight from Holzken lands. Leg kick by Ghajji. Left straight by Ghajji. Knee to the body by Holzken. Ghajji the more active fighter in this round. Left from Holzken lands. Leg kick from Holzken. Right by Holzken. Left hook to the body and then to the head by Holzken. More body shots by Holzken. Leg kicks exchanged. Fight is over after a knee from Holzken opens a cut over Ghajji’s eye.

Result: Nieky Holzken def. Karim Ghajji via (T)KO (Cut) in Rd. 4  

Marc De Bonte vs. L'houcine Ouzgni

Round 1
Ouzgni starts with a leg kick. Right hand lands from Ouzgni. Uppercut from De Bonte. Both land jabs. Right hand by De Bonte. A knee from De Bonte send Ouzgni down and it is over. Perfectly timed knee.

Result: Marc De Bonte def. L’houcine Ouzgni via KO (Knee) in Rd. 1

Filip Verlinden vs. Lucian Danilencu

Round 1
Danilencu a lot smaller. Verlinden with a jab and low kick. Low kick by Danilencu. Right hand by Verlinden. Body kick by Verlinden. Leg kick followed by a punch lands from Verlinden. Right hand by Danilencu. Knee from Verlinden lands and looks like it wobbled Danilencu. Leg kick by Verlinden again. Jab by Verlinden. Nice combinations from Verlinden, he is in control this round.

Round 2
Leg kicks exchanged by both fighters. Danilencu getting out boxed by Verlinden. Nice right hand by Danilencu lands. Liver punch and high kick land for Verlinden. Leg kick by Verlinden. Leg kick and knee land for Verlinden. This fight is all Verlinden up to this point. Jab by Verlinden and he seems to slow down a bit.

Round 3
Danilencu need to do something because this fight is all Verlinden up to this point. Body kick by Verlinden. Right hand by Verlinden lands. Right hand by Danilencu lands. Leg kick by Verlinden. Jab by Verlinden. Jab by Danilencu. Knee to the body by Verlinden lands. Nice combination ended with a leg kick lands by Verlinden. Body shot and leg kick by Verlinden land and he follows it up with a knee to the face of Danilencu. All Verlinden this fight as it ends.

Result: Filip Verlinden def. Lucian Danilencu via Unanimous Decision 

Fabiano Cyclone vs. Mourad Bouzidi 

Round 1
Fast paced start by Bouzidi. Cyclone has his right knee wrapped. Could be something to look at in this fight. Bouzidi going to the body. Leg kick by Bouzidi. Right hand by Cyclone, but low kick by Bouzidi lands. Nice punch and low kick combination by Bouzidi. Nice left hook by Bouzidi then he goes to the body and it seems like Cyclone is in trouble. Another left look lands and Cyclone is hurt. Jab by Bouzidi and Cyclone answers with a straight.

Round 2
Cyclone comes out firing and he is looking more aggressive this round. Nice jab and low kick by Bouzidi. Body kick by Bouzidi. Cyclone slowing down know. Leg kick by Bouzidi. Knee by Cyclone. Nice body shots by Bouzidi. Cyclone falls to the canvas and it looks like his knee gave out. He is back up and Bouzidi goes for a leg kick and Cyclone’s corner throws in the towel.

Result: Mourad Bouzidi def. Fabiano Cyclone via (T)KO (Corner Stoppage) in Rd. 2

Gokhan Saki vs. Daniel Ghita

Round 1
Leg kick by Saki to start it off. Right by Saki lands. Leg kick by Saki but he misses with punches. Body kick by Ghita answered with a body kick from Saki. The crowd is alive for this fight. Saki catches a kick and throws Ghita to the canvas and he looks injured like he hurt his arm. The referee starts a count and Ghita says he can continue. Body kicks by Ghita. Saki with a nice punch combination. Left hook by Saki lands. Leg kick by Saki. Body kick from Ghita lands. Both fighters picking their shots. Left hook by Saki high kick by Ghita. Close first round. 

Round 2
Leg kick by Saki. Body kick by Ghita. Leg kick by Ghita. Body kick by Ghita. Nice punch combination by Saki. Leg kick exchanged. Jab by Saki. Neither fighter is giving an inch and they exchange several kicks. Nice left hook by Saki lands. Ghita with a left hook of his own. They are starting to let the leather fly. Nice left hook from Saki and he is unloading and Ghita goes down after a right hook lands. Left hook sends Ghita down again and he gets back up. Right hand by Saki rocks Ghita and he unloads on him before the referee steps in to stop the fight. Huge win for Saki.

Result: Gokhan Saki def. Daniel Ghita via (T)KO (Referee Stoppage) in Rd. 2 

3 fights to make sure you don't miss at Glory 6 in Istanbul this weekend

Glory 6 takes place this weekend in Istanbul, Turkey and as usual Glory is bringing some serious talent to the card. There are several interesting bouts on Glory 6, but were going to focus on the three fights that we feel are cannot miss fights. You can purchase a stream for Glory 6 this weekend on the official Glory website.

Gokhan Saki vs. Daniel Ghita
This is a re-match of their 2010 bout which Saki won in an extra round decision. The winner of this bout takes a big step up the Glory Heavyweight ladder and there are some interesting possibilities. Tyrone Spong has expressed interest in fighting both fighters, it would be even more interesting if Saki wins and he fights Spong. He knocked out Spong in 2009. Both fighters throw heavy leather and nothing less than an exciting bout featuring two of the elite heavyweights in the world should be expected, and as always when dealing with heavyweights the changes of a knockout happening are significantly higher.

Joseph Valtellini vs. Murat Direkci
North American fans should be excited to see Valtellini’s Glory debut. Known as a heavy hitter that pieces together great combinations, Valtellini definitely has his work cut out for him. Direkci has ten times the amount of fights Valtellini has and he has been in the ring with some of the best. Direkci has been in the ring with some of the best including Nieky Holzken, Artur Kyshenko, and Robin van Roosmalen. Coming off of four consecutive losses, Direkci will definitely be looking to welcome Valtellini to the big show and add knockout number 58 to his resume. If Valtellini can pull out the win it will be a huge arrival for him on the international stage, not only because he beat a legitimate more experienced fighter, but because the international kickboxing scene will get to witness his exciting fighting style.

Nieky Holzken vs. Karim Ghajji
Holzken is always and exciting and dangerous fighter and he will be looking to stop the surging Ghajji who is currently riding a seven fight win streak. He scored an exciting and huge knockout over Thai powerhouse Aikpracha Meenayothin this past February and adding a name like Holzken’s to his resume would only continue to move Ghajji up the kickboxing ladder. Both guys have knockout out power and both like to let their limbs fly in the ring. This could end up easily being the fight of the night.

Le Nuit Des Titans 2013 Results: Karim Ghajji KO's Aikpracha Meenayothin to win tournament

Many thanks to MuayThaiGalaxy.com for the results.

Le Nuit Des Titans 2013 took place tonight in France. The event featured a 4-man 160 lb tournament with Aikpracha Meenayothin, Karim Ghajji, Yohan Lidon, and Yuri Bessmertny. In the semi-finals of the tournament Aikpracha Meenayothin defeated Yuri Bessmertny by extra round decision, and Karim Ghajji defeated Yohan Lidon by decision.

In the tournament finals Ghajji scored a huge victory when he knocked out Aipracha in the first round. Aikpracha had been steam rolling his competition over the last few years, so for Ghajji to be able to stop him in one round is huge.

In other action Fabio Pinca defeated Yak Dam from Thailand by decision.

Results:

160lb 4-man Tournament Semi-Finals
Karim Ghajji def. Yohan Lidon via Decision
Aikpracha Meenayothin def. Yuri Bessmertny via Extra Round Decision

160lb 4-man Tournament Final
Karim Ghajji def. Aikpracha Meenayothin via KO in Rd. 1

Super Fights
Fabio Pinca def. Yak Dam via Decision
Super X def. Azize Hlali via (T)KO in Rd. 1
Yazid Boussaha def. Mahfoud Nafi via (T)KO in Rd. 3
Hovik Zakarian def. Steve Polifonte via (T)KO in Rd. 1