Legacy Kickboxing 2 Full Card

Legacy Kickboxing is back with their 2nd event with a full main card to be aired live on AXS TV Friday, May 29th.  

The event features a mix of Legacy Kickboxing and Glory World Series veterans in Brian Collette vs. Marcus Sursa and Myron Dennis vs. Warren Thompson, together with Clint Rhodes vs. Francois Ambang. MMA striker Andrea Lee looks to make her pro kickboxing debut against Lindsey Marino who is yet to be defeated in 2 pro kickboxing appearances.

Fight Card:

Main Card:
Tommy Diekmann  vs George Pacarariu
Dustin Johnson vs Bruno Carvalho
Brian Collette vs Marcus Sursa
Myron Dennis vs Warren Thompson
Lindsey Marino vs Andrea Lee
Clint Rhodes vs Francois Ambang
Kendrick Williams vs David Bosnick

Preliminary Card:
Nicolas Jacksonvs Christian Fulgium
Kenia Rosas vs Andy Nguyen
 
MMA – Tony Kelley vs Levi Mowles
MMA – Albert Tapia vs Matt Schnell 
MMA – Mathew Ramos vs Loren Thibodeaux
Ammy MMA – Zach Albritton vs Mark Plata
Ammy MMA – Jared Owen vs Mike McGhehee

Glory 19 Full Card Update

Glory 19 releases the full lineup for their 19th event, revealing the full superfight card, set for Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia.

With a few new names on the roster in Stephen Richards, Cedric Smith, Myron Dennis, and Everett Sims for the Glory 19 Superfight Series, we see the return of stars of the promotion in Josh Jauncey and Andy Ristie.  

Jauncey last fought for Glory at their 18th event in Oklahoma against Jae Gil Noh with a TKO victory.  With a victory over Max Baumert, Jauncey will go to 3-0 in the Glory books.

Andy Ristie made his last appearance for the organization against Ky Hollenbeck at Glory 17, securing a KO victory and adding a win to his record now at 7-1 for Glory.

Fight Card:

Main Card:

Rico Verhoeven vs. Errol Zimmerman
Joe Schilling vs. Robert Thomas

Welterweight Tournament

Nieky Holzken vs. Murthel Groenhart

Raymond Daniels vs. Jonatan Oliveira

Superfights:

Mitch Aguiar vs. Cedric Smith

Josh Jauncey vs. Max Baumert

Andy Ristie vs. Steve Moxon

Francois Ambang vs. Stephen Richards

Brian Collette vs. Myron Dennis

Xavier Vigney vs. Everett Sims

Action Pro Gear KO of the Week: Raymond Daniels vs. Franocis Ambang

The first Action Pro Gear KO of the Week for 2015 features a spectacular spinning heel kick by Raymond Daniels. Known for his flashy kicks, Daniels, still has the ability to catch other fighters with amazing moves like this spinning heel kick he used against Francois Ambang.

The pair fought at Glory 16 in Denver and it only took one round for Daniels to hit a home run. The knockout immediately went viral. Daniels was coming off his first career loss and the the knockout was the perfect way for him to get back on the winning track.

Make sure to visit ActionProGear.com for all the best prices on training and fight gear.

Combat Sports Challeng Set for CSC 39

Combat Sports Challenge is set for CSC 39 in Richmond, Virginia March 22, 2014. UFC veteran Pat Berry will make his return to kickboxing when he returns to face Edward Burris. Berry originally started his martial arts career in kickboxing before focusing on mma, which he has become well known for. Since his release from the UFC, Berry makes another serious run in the kickboxing world, beginning with CSC 39.

Also on the card are Glory veterans Eddie Walker and Francois Ambang, Ambang set to face Armen Saponivan, while Walker faces Georgiv Iliev. Lindsay Scheer makes her return to the ring to face Maria Bastasin in what should be an exciting female bout. This fight will be the American Scheer's first MuayThai/Kickboxing professional bout in the United States.


Fight Card:
Zaravkh Abashev vs. Joe Cox
Razmik Ghulinyan vs. Chris Mauceri
Niko Greko vs. Kevin VanNostrand
Elvis Gashi vs. Jeremy Carper
Maria Bastasin vs. Lindsay Scheer
Georgiv Iliev vs. Eddie Walker
Armen Saponivan vs. Francois Ambang
Tim Woods vs. Warren Thompson
Edward Burris vs. Pat Berry

Glory 12 Results and Recap: Andy Ristie shocks the world with two huge knockouts

Glory 12 took place tonight in New York and it was a night full of surprises. In the Glory lightweight tournament most were expecting to see a tournament final featuring Giorgio Petrosyan who has not lost since 2007, but Andy Ristie had other plans. In a fight that was pretty even things changed in a heartbeat in the third round when Ristie landed a left uppercut that knocked Petrosyan out. Despite Petrosyan's effort to get back to his feet he was clearly on wobbly legs and could not continue.

In the night’s other semi-final bout Robin van Roosmalen out pointed Davit Kiria for three rounds to win a unanimous decision. In the final, however, van Roosmalen would not see things go his way. Not only did Ristie not get the memo that Petrosyan was supposed to win this tournament, he also didn’t get the memo that van Roosmalen is a wrecking machine not to be messed with. Ristie knocked van Roosmalen down in round one and then again in round two with van Roosmalen not being able to answer the referee’s count in the second round thus giving Ristie the win. This was a huge night for Ristie as he not only beat the top two fighters in Glory’s lightweight division, but he knocked them both out.

In other action Glory middleweight tournament champion Joe Schilling took on Wayne Barrett. Schilling was considered the favorite, but like with Ristie it seems that Barrett did not get the memo. This was Barrett’s fourth pro fight, but you wouldn’t know it as he looked confident in the ring. Barrett struck first in the second round when he knocked Schilling down not once, but twice.The first knockdown came from an over hand right and the second early in round two and the second from a right hook as the round ended. In the third round Schilling was able to gain some ground back when he connected with a knee that dropped Barrett, but he was able to beat the count. The fight went to the judges and Barrett was awarded a unanimous decision victory in a huge win for his young career.

In another of the night’s super fights Australian Ben Edwards scored a third round knockout over Moroccan Jamal Ben Saddik. In the tournament reserve bout American Ky Hollenbeck used his unorthodox style to out point late replacement Warren Stevelmans to earn a unanimous decision victory.

In the night’s under card Francois Ambang scored a (T)KO over Eddie Walker due to leg kicks in the third round and Brian Collette scored a tremendous head kick knockout over Warren Thompson in the first round. Artem Vakhitov also scored a unanimous decision over Nenad Pagonis and Saulo Cavalari scored a devastating knockout over Mourad Bouzidi.

Full Results:

Glory Lightweight Tournament Final
Andy Ristie def. Robin van Roosmalen via KO in Rd. 2

Glory Lightweight Tournament Semi-Finals
Robin van Roosmalen def. Davit Kiria via Unanimous Decision
Andy Ristie def. Giorgio Petrosyan via KO in Rd. 3

Glory Lightweight Tournament Reserve Bout
Ky Hollenbeck def. Warren Stevelmans via Unanimous Decision

Super Fights
Wayne Barrett def. Joe Schilling via Unanimous Decision
Ben Edwards def. Jamal Ben Saddik via KO in Rd. 3

Undercard
Artem Vakhitov def. Nenad Pagonis via Unanimous Decision
Brian Collette def. Warren Thompson via KO (Head Kick) in Rd. 1
Jhonata Diniz def. Igor Jurkovic via (T)KO in Rd. 1
Francois Ambang def. Eddie Walker via (T)KO (Leg Kicks) in Rd. 3
Saulo Cavalari def. Mourad Bouzidi via KO in Rd. 3
Thiago Michael def. Paul Marfort via Unanimous Decision
Alexy Filyakov def. Mohamed Fanzy via KO in Rd. 1
John Bowman def. Villi Bello via (T)KO in Rd. 3
Niko Tsigaras def. Dominick Biondo via KO in Rd. 1
Casey Greene def. John King via KO in Rd. 1
Anna Shearer def. Andrea D'Angelo via Unanimous Decision

4 more fights confirmed for Glory 12 in New York

Glory has officially confirmed four more fights for Glory 12 in New York. The bouts are Eddie Walker vs. Francois Ambang, Brian Collette vs. Warren Thompson, Artem Vakhitov vs. Nenad Pagonis, and Dustin Jacoby vs. Makoto Uehara. As previously announced Glory 12 will host the promotions lightweight tournament which will feature Giorgio Petrosyan vs. Andy Ristie, and Robin van Roosmalen vs. Davit Kiria.

Both Walker and Ambang will be looking to get back on the winning track. Each fighter lost their last fight by (T)KO due to leg kicks. Walker at Glory 5 against Steve Wakeling, and Ambang at Glory 9 against Joseph Valtellini. Both are known for their heavy hands and it should be an exciting fight between two heavy hitters.

Collette will look to build upon his win over Randy Blake at Glory 10 by welcoming Glory new comer Thompson. The Atlanta based Thompson has competed in both Muay Thai and MMA and most recently was featured on the Enfusion reality TV series.  

Vakhitov will be looking to build on his impressive win at Glory 9 where he made his promotional debut with a body shot knockout over Luis Tavares. Pagonis will look to have an impressive promotional debut as he steps into the Glory ring for the first time.

Jacoby made his pro Kickboxing debut by winning the Road to Glory light heavyweight tournament. Formerly an MMA fighter, Jacoby has done well building a solid 4-2 mark for Glory. His last competed at Glory 9 where he went 1-1 on the night in the Glory light heavyweight tournament, beating Brian Collette in the quarter finals and losing to Danyo Ilunga in the semi-finals. Uehara will be making his Glory debut, the Japanese fighter holds wins over the likes of Stefan Leko and Glory fighter Kengo Shimizu.

Fight Card:

Glory Lightweight Tournament

Giorgio Petrosyan vs. Andy Ristie

Robin van Roosmalen vs. Davit Kiria

Glory Lightweight Tournament Reserve Bout

Ky Hollenbeck vs. Shemsi Beqiri

Super Fights

Jamal Ben Saddik vs. Ben Edwards

Eddie Walker vs. Francois Ambang 

Brian Collette vs. Warren Thompson

Artem Vakhitov vs. Nenad Pagonis

Dustin Jacoby vs. Makoto Uehara

Eddie Walker vs. Francois Ambang set for Glory 12 in New York

Atlanta based Eddie "Showtime" Walker will return to the ring at Glory 12 to face Francois Ambang. Walker announced the news on his official website EddieShowtime.com. Walker will be making his 170lb debut. Walker who has spent most of his career fighting at around 180 plus pounds will look to make the drop to the Glory welterweight division.

Both Walker and Ambang will be looking to get back on the winning track. Each fighter lost their last fight by (T)KO due to leg kicks. Walker at Glory 5 against Steve Wakeling, and Ambang at Glory 9 against Joseph Valtellini. Both are known for their heavy hands and it should be an exciting fight between two heavy hitters.

Glory 12 takes place at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden on November 23rd in New York.

Fight Card:

Glory Lightweight Tournament

Giorgio Petrosyan vs. Andy Ristie

Robin van Roosmalen vs. Davit Kiria

Glory Lightweight Tournament Reserve Bout

Ky Hollenbeck vs. Shemsi Beqiri

Super Fights

Jamal Ben Saddik vs. Ben Edwards

Eddie Walker vs. Francois Ambang

Updated Super Middleweight Rankings 10/14/2013

Only one change since the last super middleweight rankings update. Previous number two ranked Joseph Valtellini jumps tot he number one spot after his huge win over Karim Ghajii at Glory 11. Valtellini has now won four consecutive fights, three of them under Glory. All three of his wins in Glory have come by (T)KO. 

Former number one Gregory Choplin drops to the number two spot in the rankings after going 1-1 in the last year.

1. Joseph Valtellini (10-1) (@BazookaJoeV)

Since suffering the first loss of his career over a year ago to Gregory Choplin, Valtellini has been on a tear. Now on a four fight win streak with his most recent victory being a very impressive stoppage of Karim Ghajji at Glory 11 it is safe to say that “Bazooka Joe” has arrived. While a re-match with Choplin would be nice it seems like Valtellini has his eyes set on currently Glory #1 Nieky Holzken. Rumors are that Valtellini will be participating in the Glory 4-man tournament in Japan at the end of the year, which could lead to the match up with Holzken.

2. Gregory Choplin (56-11)

Since the last update the Miami based Choplin has gone 1-1 with his loss coming at the hands of Yodsanklai Fairtex by (T)KO at Lion Fight 8. What is next for Choplin is currently unknown. Recently a scheduled bout in France against Duochonlek fell through for this past September.

3. Francois Ambang (9-3)

After winning the Road to Glory tournament Ambang was chopped down by Joseph Valtellini leg kicks in his official Glory debut. Despite the setback, Ambang is a dangerous fighter with KO power. His next fight is currently unknown, but it shouldn’t be long before we see this heavy hitter back in the ring.

4. Brett Hlavacek (7-1) (@BrettXThreat)

Hlavacek rebounded from his first career loss in the Road to Glory tournament with a unanimous decision win over Paul Marfort at Glory 9. Hlavacek is one of the east coast’s top up and coming fighters. It should be interesting to see who he fights next, the right fight could really put Hlavacek on the map for fans not familiar with the east coast striking scene.

5. Anthony Nieves (7-3)

Nieves has suffered back to back losses for the first time in his career. He lost a decision to Steve Hall at Bangkok Fight Night GP this past September and lost another decision to Marcus Fisher in the quarterfinals of the Road to Glory USA welterweight tournament this past March. Nieves was set to re-match Hall at Bangkok Fight Night: All Stars, but the event was cancelled. When he will step in the ring again is unknown.

Rankings qualification - Muay Thai and Kickboxing bouts are all taken into consideration for the rankings. These rankings are not only based on Muay Thai Fights as many fighters compete in both full rules Muay Thai and Kickboxing bouts. Fighters are not to be inactive for any period longer than 12 months or they will be dropped from the rankings unless a fight is schedule within a month from the date they become ineligible. Fighters must be born in North America or permanently reside in North America and be active in the North American fight circuit are eligible for the rankings.   

Matches to make after Glory 9

Glory 9 took place in New York this past weekend and it was filled with excitement from start to finish. Some of North America’s top talents were in action on the night as well as some of the biggest names in the sport of Kickboxing.

Joseph Valtellini continued to prove to fight fans that he is the real deal with another (T)KO stoppage, Wayne Barrett put fight fans on notice, and Randy Blake made a successful Glory debut. There were some great performances from the North American based fighters.

Below are a few match-ups we think would make sense as the next possible fight for the North American winners at Glory 9, as well as some of the fighters that tasted defeat.

Joseph Valtellini vs. Gregory Choplin

Valtellini’s lone loss of his professional and amateur career combined came at the hands of Gregory Choplin at Lion Fight 7. Valtellini has since won three consecutive fights, two by stoppage under the Glory banner. Choplin is no stranger to Kickboxing bouts and it would make a nice match up. Will Valtellini be able to implement his crisp boxing combinations followed up by leg kicks or will Choplin once again use his experience to take home a victory over the younger Valtellini? Either Choplin beats the red hot Valtellini and jumps right into the Glory mix, or Valtellini avenges his lone loss to a highly touted and respected striker.

Wayne Barrett vs. Andrew Kapel

Wayne Barrett surprised many people with his knockout of Mike Lemaire. Unless you knew him you probably weren’t picking him to beat Lemaire, especially considering he only had one pro fight coming into the bout. Now Barrett is in the unique position that he only has two pro fights yet he beat one of the Road to Glory USA champions. Do you throw him into the mix with the top strikers in the world or bring him up accordingly. The best bet here would be to give him a hard nosed veteran of the North American striking scene. Andrew Kapel is as hard nosed as they come, tough durable and likes to get in your face. He dropped a razor thin split decision in the Road to Glory tournament to Lemaire, a bout in which he knocked Lemaire down early in the fight. Kapel would be a good measuring stick for Barrett, if he can beat two of North America’s top cruiserweights it would be a big accomplishment.

Brett Hlavacek vs. Stephen Richards

Hlavacek and Richards were set to fight at the Warriors Cup a few months back, but both fighters ended up pulling out of the match up. Now would be a great time for it to happen. Hlavacek rebounded nicely form his first career defeat by scoring a decision victory over Paul Marfort at Glory 9, and Richards most recently scored a win over highly regarded Alex Berrios. Bother Hlavacek and Richards are both strong fighters who normally impose their will in the ring so it would be interesting to see who would dictate the action in this bout.

Randy Blake vs. Dustin Jacoby

Blake won at Glory 9 against Koichi Pettas in a super fight, while Jacoby defeated Brian Collette in the opening round of the Glory Light Heavyweight Grand Slam and then dropped a decision to Danyo Ilunga in the semi-finals. The pair previously met in the opening round of the Road to Glory Light Heavyweight Tournament, a bout which Jacoby won by third round (T)KO. Blake was the favorite in the tournament and Jacoby surprised many by not only beating Blake but winning the tournament. The first fight was entertaining and there is no reason the second bout wouldn’t be.

Francois Ambang vs. Anthony Nieves

Ambang hung tough against Joseph Valtellini but eventually succumbed to leg kicks in the third round. He was able to land some clean shots on Valtellini, and kept a nice head and body defense for most of the fight, but left his legs open for attack. Valtellini does attack his opponent’s legs more than the average fighter, so it shouldn’t be something Ambang needs to worry about too much, he defended well early but the damage just accumulated. Valtellini was definitely a good measuring stick for Ambang. A fight against another strong North American based fighter should follow for Ambang. Nieves dropped a decision in the opening round of the Road to Glory USA tournament that Ambang won, but would present a strong test for Ambang.

Mike Lemaire vs. Afam Egbochuku

Lemaire went into his fight with Wayne Barrett a heavy favorite, but when it was over he was left face down on the canvas. Lemaire didn’t look good in his previous outing before fighting Barrett despite taking home a victory, and now his performance against Barrett raises some questions. A fight against a fighter like Afam Egbochuku who just happens to be based in San Diego like Lemaire would be a nice little in town rivalry, but would also be a good fight to see how Lemaire rebounds after his first professional loss. Egbochuku has power to test Lemaire’s chin but half the amount of fights.

Chad and Nathan's Pick 3 - Glory 9 Predictions

With Glory 9 set for this Saturday in New York; Chad Sanderson of Fight Sport Asia and Nathan Aripez of Muay Thai Authority have teamed up once again to bring you predictions. The three fights we are giving our predictions on this time around are Daniel Ghita vs. Brice Guidon, Joseph Valtellini vs. Francois Ambang, and the winner of the Light Heavyweight Grand Slam. Let us know if you agree or disagree with our dashing duo.

For the latest on the Asian combat sports scene be sure to visit our friends at FightSportAsia.com, and the latest news on on the North American striking scene stay right here at MuayThaiAuthority.com.

Daniel Ghita vs. Brice Guidon:

Chad’s Pick: Daniel Ghita
In all honesty, this fight is will more than likely be serving as the introduction of Daniel Ghita to the American fanbase. The Savage Samurai is coming off two knockout losses to Semmy Schilt and Gohkan Saki, while Guidon has found himself on the losing end of two bouts with Schilt. While Guidon is a master game-planner and has the potential to out-manuever some of the best fighters in the division, I don’t think it’s a coincidence he’s not ranked inside GLORY’s top 10 heavyweights, and yet finds himself facing the number three HW in the world. I predict that Daniel Ghita doesn’t let this one go the distance.

Nathan’s Pick – Daniel Ghita
Both Ghita and Guidon will be looking to end two fight skids. Ghita lost his last two fights by (T)KO, one to Semmy Schilt and the other to Gokhan Saki. Guidon has lost both of his past two fights to Semmy Schilt, once by decision and once by (T)KO. These are heavyweights here so they both posses fight ending power, but you have to give the edge to Ghita. He has fought better competition through out his career and before his current two fight skid he had won ten consecutive fights with nine of those wins coming by (T)KO and all against solid competition.

Expect this fight to be close early, but midway through the second round Ghita will begin to pull away and should be able to get a stoppage before the final bell.

Joseph Valtellini vs. Francois Ambang

Chad’s Pick: Joe Valtellini
This is sort of a difficult pick to make, considering that Valtellini has proven himself on the GLORY stage and Francois Ambang is relatively untested. While he pulled off some great wins against Marcus Fisher and Brett Hlavaceck at the Road to Glory lightweight tournament, it’s hard to say how good he’ll look in the face of a true kickboxing veteran. While “Bazooka Joe” hasn’t been around very long himself, we at least got to see his handiwork in GLORY when the Canadian dismantled the grizzled Murat Durekci in his kickboxing debut.

Both guys have a ton of power, but I believe that Valtellini is the smarter fighter, while Ambang is the more aggressive one. We saw in Istanbul that Joe not only has the ability to give a beating, but he can take punishment as well. Again, this fight is hard to call, since we’ve never seen Ambang take a solid hit (In kickboxing). While I think Francois is skilled enough to land a knockout shot, I’m going with Joseph Valtellini to win the fight by Knockout in the first round.

Nathan’s Pick – Joseph Valtellini
This fight has knockout written all over it, both Valtellini and Ambang are known for their heavy hands. Valtellini last competed at Glory 6 in Istanbul where he defeated veteran Murat Direkci by (T)KO. Ambang was last in action when he won the Road to Glory USA welterweight tournament, Ambang scored two (T)KO’s on the night.

Valtellini is the more technical fighter of the two, blending crisp punching with leg kicks to create some of the best combinations around. Ambang is a little less polished with his striking and tends to open up a bit when unloading on his opponents. This will give Valtellini an advantage; he is not only an offensive power house but also has a pretty strong defense. Expect to see Ambang unloading early trying to end the fight, but Valtellini’s guard will hold up and he will find his own opening to end Ambang’s night early. Expect a stoppage victory for Valtellini in the second round.

Glory Light Heavyweight 8-Man Grand Slam:

Chad’s Pick: Tyrone Spong
I don’t think there’s anyone in this tournament, or at 95kg in general (With the exception of Nasthan Corbett) that can beat Spong. He’s the most technically sound fighter in the division, one of the biggest, one of the most hard hitting, and one of the fastest. The only question now with Spong is how he’ll deal with fighters that are younger, faster, and stronger than his last couple opponents (Remy Bonjasky and Peter Aerts). Also, how Spong’s mma training has conflicted with his kickboxing regimens will be out for debate.

If anyone has a chance to beat the Dutch fighter in this tournament, I’d put my money on either Danyo Ilunga, who recently won via nasty knee KO against Stephane Susperegui, or Steve McKinnon, who seems re-energized after his debatable loss to Michael Duut. Again, similarly to Daniel Ghita, I think this tournament will serve as Spong’s American introduction to NYC.

Nathan’s Pick: Tyrone Spong
You could have said this tournament was up for grabs, then it was announced that Tyrone Spong would be competing. Spong has to be considered the heavy favorite to win this tournament. He is technical and powerful with his striking and any one that fights him in the tournament is in for some punishment.

This is a tournament and anything can happen, but with his experience and skill set it would be fool hearted to bet against Spong. Although if Spong was not in this tournament I would say Danyo Ilunga would be pulling out the tournament victory.

Tyrone Spong confirmed as final participant for Glory 9 light heavywieght tournament in New York

Tyrone Spong has been rumored to be on the June 22nd Glory 9 card in New York, and today Glory has officially confirmed that Spong will indeed be fighting at Glory 9. Spong will be part of the one night 8-man light heavyweight tournament taking place at Glory 9. 

Spong last competed in Kickboxing at Glory 5 when he knocked out Remy Bonjasky. Spong joins a tournament field that includes Michael Duut, Steve Mckinnon, Mourad Bouzidi, Filip Verlinden, Danyo Ilunga, Brian Collette, and Dustin Jacoby.

Other bouts slated for Glory 9 are Daniel Ghita vs. Brice Guidon, Joseph Valtellini vs. Francois Ambang, and Brett Hlavacek vs. Paul Malfort. All of the action will take place at the Hammerstien Ballroom.

HARD-HITTING SUPERSTAR TYRONE SPONG

ENTERS GLORY 9 NEW YORK

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT KICKBOXING TOURNAMENT

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

FOR HISTORIC, STAR-STUDDED EVENT AT

MANHATTAN’S HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM

ON SATURDAY, JUNE 22

SINGAPORE (May 7, 2013) – Twenty-seven year-old martial arts fighting superstar Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong (69-6-1 43 KOs) of Boca Raton, Fla. via Suriname will compete in the one-night, single-elimination GLORY 9 New York tournament featuring a lineup of the world’s top light heavyweight (209 pounds/95 kilograms) kickboxers, at Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center in New York City on Saturday, June 22, Glory Sports International (GSI) announced today.

“We are excited to enter Tyrone into this historic, first GLORY championship series event in the U.S. that will determine who is physically and mentally the top athlete in kickboxing’s light heavyweight division,” said Glory Sports International CEO Andrew Whitaker. 

“Tyrone’s recent performances in the ring have distinguished him as one of the best and most powerful martial arts fighters in the world who can showcase our great sport at its highest level,” continued Whitaker, “so we look forward to seeing him compete against the other superstars who have been enlisted for action in the tournament.”

In his last GLORY start on March 23, Spong, a member of the vaunted Blackzilians fight squad that boasts the likes of fellow martial arts fighting greats Rashad Evans, Alistair Overeem and Vitor Belfort, triggered a changing of the guard in the ring at ExCel Arena in London, England, decimating Remy “The Flying Gentleman” Bonjasky, a three-time champion of the old K-1 series and one of kickboxing’s greatest athletes of all time, with a vicious right hook in the second round (2:02) of their highly-anticipated main event showdown.

The explosive KO marked Spong’s fifth consecutive kickboxing victory.  One fight prior, on June 30, 2012, Spong toppled another icon of the sport and future Hall of Famer, Peter Aerts, scoring a thunderous KO on Aerts in the third round (2:10) of their matchup in Brussels, Belgium.

Since turning professional as a middleweight in 2003 and winning 12 fights that year, Spong, a former protégé of retired heavyweight kickboxing legend Ernesto Hoost, has since climbed his way to the top in four different weight divisions.  He has faced and defeated a host of top-ranked rivals in addition to Bonjasky and Aerts, including Kaoklai Kaennorsing, Ray Sefo and Melvin Manhoef. 

Tickets for GLORY 9 New York, priced from $48 (plus handling fees), are on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000.

Also slated for battle in the star-studded, eight-man single-elimination tournament, are hard-hitting KO artist Brian Collette (19-1, 16 KOs) of Norfolk, Va.; developmental Road To GLORY USA light heavyweight tournament winner Dustin Jacoby (9-3, 7 KOs) of Arenzville, Illin.; four-time world champion Danyo Ilunga (51-4, 41 KOs) of Germany; Muay Thai sensation Filip Verlinden (40-9-1, 16 KOs) of Belgium; Aerts-protégé Mourad “The Silent Power” Bouzidi (75-20-2, 34 KOs) of Tunisia; world Muay Thai and Karate champion Steve McKinnon (42-5, 29 KOs) of Australia; and Michael Duut (38-3, 17 KOs) of The Netherlands.

The GLORY 9 New York light heavyweight tournament’s quarterfinal stage matchups will be announced soon.

In one of several Superfights also scheduled for the event, heavyweight superstar and former secret service agent Daniel “The Savage Samurai” Ghita (46-9, 35 KOs) of Romania will face Muay Thai champion Brice Guidon (28-8, 13 KOs) of France.

In other Superfight action, hard-hitting “Bazooka” Joseph Valtellini (8-1, 7 KOs) of Toronto, Ontario Canada will square off with fellow rising star Francois Ambang (9-2, 4 KOs) of Mechanicsville, Va. in a welterweight (170 pounds/77 kilograms) matchup. 

Valtellini has earned six of his eight professional career victories in New York.   Ambang emerged the winner of the development, eight-man, developmental Road To GLORY USA tournament, created to identify new talent and potential future champions for GLORY’s championship series, at New York City’s Capitale on March 22.

Phil Nurse protégé Brett Hlavacek (8-1, 3 KOs) of New York, N.Y., the runner-up in the developmental Road To GLORY USA  tournament on March 22, will face three-time Muay Thai titlist Paul Marfort (10-5, 4 KOs) of Orlando, Fla. at welterweight. 

Additional Superfights will be announced soon.

Doors at Hammerstein Ballroom will open at 5 p.m. EST and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m.

For more information, visit www.gloryworldseries.com.

North American Super Middleweight Rankings 4/30/2013

Quite a few changes since the original super middleweight rankings were published. With Gregory Choplin eligible for the rankings now he jumps into the number one spot. Joseph Valtellini drops to the number two spot after his loss to Choplin and Francois Ambang enters the rankings in the number three spot after winning the Road to Glory USA tournament. Dorian Price falls off the rankings due to inactivity. With Choplin and Ambang’s additions, former number five Cyrus Washington falls out of the rankings as Anthony Nieves slides down into the number five spot.

1. Gregory Choplin (55-10)

Now permanently residing in the United States, Choplin has fought consistently in America and Canada in the last few years. After winning four consecutive fights including wins over Chris Ngimbi, Chaz Mulkey, and Joseph Valtellini, Choplin lost to Yodsanklai Fairtex by knockout at Lion Fight 8. Regardless of the loss to Yodsanklai, Choplin remains one of the top fighters based out of the United States and North America. He most recently defeated Gil Silva by decision at Le Choc des Légendes 2013 in France, and is currently set to fight Luis Reis at Championnat Du Monde on May 4th.

2. Joseph Valtellini (8-1) (@BazookaJoeV)

After suffering his first career loss at the hands of Gregory Choplin by decision at Lion Fight 7 in October of 2012, Valtellini bounced back with a one sided drumming of Mehdi Baghdad at Muay Thai in America: In Honor of the King in December. Valtellini was then signed by Glory and made his debut for the promotion at Glory 6 in Turkey with an impressive (T)KO victory over Kickboxing veteran Murat Direkci. Valtellini is slated to return to action in June at Glory 9 in New York when he takes on Road to Glory USA welterweight tournament winner Francois Ambang.

3. Francois Ambang (9-2)

Ambang recently won the Road to Glory USA welterweight tournament by scoring two (T)KO victories and one decision in the process. He defeated the like of Marcus Fisher and Brett Hlavacek to win the tournament, and is now slated to face Joseph Valtellini in June at Glory 9 in New York. Ambang packs power in his punches and it should be interesting to see him matched up with another heavy hitter like Valtellini.

4. Brett Hlavacek (6-1) (@BrettXThreat)

Hlavacek was seen by many as the favorite to win the Road to Glory USA tournament but came up short in the finals against Francois Ambang. Despite the loss Glory was impressed and he is now set to fight at Glory 9 in New York this June. Hlavacek will be taking on Florida’s Paul Malfort. Fans should be interested to see how Hlavacek rebounds from his first career loss.

5. Anthony Nieves (7-3)

Nieves has suffered back to back losses for the first time in his career. He lost a decision to Steve Hall at Bangkok Fight Night GP this past September and lost another decision to Marcus Fisher in the quarterfinals of the Road to Glory USA welterweight tournament this past March. When Nieves will step back in the ring is currently unknown. 

 
Rankings qualification - Muay Thai and Kickboxing bouts are all taken into consideration for the rankings. These rankings are not only based on Muay Thai Fights as many fighters compete in both full rules Muay Thai and Kickboxing bouts. Fighters are not to be inactive for any period longer than 12 months or they will be dropped from the rankings unless a fight is schedule within a month from the date they become ineligible. Fighters must be born in North America or permanently reside in North America and are active in the North American fight circuit are eligible for the rankings. 

Glory 9 set for New York on June 22nd with light heavyweight tournament, Ghita vs. Guidon and Valtellini vs. Ambang set as super fights

Glory has officially announced that they will be headed to New York. Glory 9 will take place at the Hammerstein Ballroom on June 22, and will feature and eight-man light heavyweight tournament. In addition to the tournament three super fights have been made official, Daniel Ghita vs. Brice Guidon, Joseph Valtellini vs. Francois Ambang, and Brett Hlavacek vs. Paul Malfort.

Ghita will be returning to action after his recent (T)KO loss to Gokhan Saki at Glory 6. Guidon will be returning to action since his loss to Semmy Schilt in the Glory Heavyweight Grand Slam this December. Both fighters have lost their last two fights, and will undoubtedly be doing everything in their power come fight time to avoid suffering a third consecutive loss.
 

Canadian Joseph Valtellini was last in action when he made his Glory debut at Glory 6. Valtellini scored a (T)KO over seasoned veteran Murat Durekci. Ambang was last seen in the Road to Glory middleweight tournament in which he bested seven other fighters to be declared the Road to Glory middleweight champion. Both fighters are known for their knockout power and this should be and exciting fight with fireworks.

Hlavacek returns to action after falling short in the finals of the Road to Glory middleweight tournament. Hlavacek will be taking on Florida’s Paul Malfort.

Competitors for the light heavyweight tournament currently include Brian Collette, Danyo Ilunga, Filip Verlinden, Mourad Bouzidi, Steve McKinnon, and Koichi.

You can read the official press release form Glory below.

GLORY HITS NEW YORK CITY’S HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM WITH WORLD-CLASS KICKBOXING EVENT FEATURING

EIGHT-MAN, LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNAMENT

SATURDAY, JUNE 22

PLUS SUPERFIGHTS:

DANIEL GHITA VS. BRICE GUIDON

JOSEPH VALTELLINI VS. FRANCOIS AMBANG

BRETT HLAVACEK VS. PAUL MARFORT

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

SINGAPORE (April 23, 2013) – GLORY, the world’s premier kickboxing league that is home to the greatest martial arts stand-up fighters on the planet, today announced that it will bring its championship fight series to The United States for the first time ever with a one-night, eight-man, light heavyweight (209 pounds/95 kilograms) tournament at Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center in New York City on Saturday, June 22. 

In one of several Superfights also scheduled for the event, heavyweight superstar and former secret service agent Daniel “The Savage Samurai” Ghita (46-9, 35 KOs) of Romania will collide with Muay Thai champion Brice Guidon (28-8, 13 KOs) of France. 

Tickets for GLORY 9 New York, priced from $48 (plus handling fees), are on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000.

“We are thrilled to kick off the expansion of GLORY’s world championship kickboxing series to the U.S. with such a high-caliber event in the sports and entertainment epicenter that is New York City,” said GLORY Sports International CEO Andrew Whitaker.  “We are looking forward to establishing the GLORY brand in the U.S. with this debut event that will showcase the product for what it is – the most exciting and elite form of world-class kickboxing, or martial arts stand-up fighting.”

Slated for battle in the single-elimination tournament, thus far, are hard-hitting KO artist Brian Collette (19-1, 16 KOs) of Norfolk, Va.; four-time world champion Danyo Ilunga (51-4, 41 KOs) of Germany; Muay Thai sensation Filip Verlinden (40-9-1, 16 KOs) of Belgium; Peter Aerts-protégé Mourad “The Silent Power” Bouzidi (75-20-2, 34 KOs) of Tunisia; world Muay Thai and Karate champion Steve McKinnon (42-5, 29 KOs) of Australia and granite chinned Koichi (26-8-1, 15 KOs) of Japan   The remaining two tournament competitors will be announced soon.

In other Superfight action, hard-hitting “Bazooka” Joseph Valtellini (8-1, 7 KOs) of Toronto, Ontario Canada will square off with fellow rising star Francois Ambang (9-2, 4 KOs) of Mechanicsville, Va. in a welterweight (170 pounds/77 kilograms) matchup and Phil Nurse protégé Brett Hlavacek (8-1, 3 KOs) of New York, N.Y. will face three-time Muay Thi titlist Paul Marfort (10-5, 4 KOs) of Orlando, Fla. at welterweight. 

The 27-year-old Valtellini, a high school teacher by day, has become a familiar face in New York, winning six of his pro Muay Thai bouts in The Big Apple, all by way of (T)KO.  Valtellini, who also holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, made a splash, first start in the GLORY ring in Istanbul, Turkey on April 6, stopping Murat Direkci, a veteran with more than 10 times as many fights under his belt than Valtellini, in the third round of their matchup.

Ambang, a 26-year-old native of Cameroon, made a mark in New York City for the first time on March 22, winning the one-night, eight-man development Road To GLORY USA welterweight tournament at Capitale to earn a multi-fight contract with GLORY.  Using heavy body attacks, Ambang defeated three consecutive opponents – two by way of TKO – including a first round stoppage of Hlavacek in the tournament’s championship round.

The 29-year-old Hlavacek reached the championship round of the tournament after scoring a stunning, 41-second TKO on Ryan Parker in the quarterfinal stage of the eight-man affair and earning a unanimous decision over Eric Utsch in the semifinal stage. 

A draw to determine the GLORY 9 New York light heavyweight tournament’s quarterfinal stage matchups will be held on a date to be announced soon.

Doors at Hammerstein Ballroom will open at 5 p.m. EST and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m.

For more information, visit www.gloryworldseries.com.

Pictures: Road to Glory welterweight tournament

Our friend Bauzen was on hand at the Road to Glory welterweight tournament in New York last night. He did a great job capturing all of the night's action. Francois Ambang was the last man standing when the night was over and for his efforts he took home the $20,000 grand prize and a Glory contract. Here are a few pictures from the night's event. You can see the full gallery at the WKA USA facebook page.