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.

Wayne Barrett talks win over Mike Lemaire at Glory 9

If you missed Glory 9 on Saturday night then you missed Wayne Barrett make a splash on to the Kickboxing scene. Barrett was brought in to face Road to Glory USA winner Mike Lemaire and many considered him an under dog, but obviously he didn’t get the memo. It took him less than round to establish his dominance in the ring and just over one round to finish off Lemaire. In the second round Barrett stopped Lemaire with a left followed by a right that sent him crashing to the canvas face first. Muay Thai Authority caught up with Barrett to talk about his recent win.

MTA: Huge win this past weekend at Glory 9. You only had one pro fight when you got the call from Glory, but they obviously saw something in you that warranted they give you a shot. What was going through your mind when you were first contacted by Glory?

Wayne: I was excited but I also knew that it was time to get serious immediately.

MTA: You were brought in to fight Mike Lemaire, he was the Road to Glory USA champ in your weight class. How did you feel about facing him?

Wayne: When I first heard the name I said it sounds familiar let me Google him then I saw it was Mike. I'm a honest guy about my feelings I was concerned but not afraid I took him dead serious and being that he was who he was made me want to prove that I could beat him.

MTA: You seemed really comfortable and confident in the ring. Did you study video on Mike at all?

Wayne: I looked at his fights and I saw that as good as he was the biggest thing that no one focused on were his opponents no one moved like me, hit like me or had my speed so my confidence grew in knowing that I was under estimated and I have a lot of tools that guys dont have or dont use. I’m creative in the ring

MTA: A lot of people had you as an under dog but you came out and put on an amazing performance. At what point did you know you had that fight in the bag?

Wayne: I knew I would win when I signed the contract I’m better than a lot of people know and I needed a fight like this to show case my skill. I have always been looked at as not being good enough I dont walk around like a bad ass I love to smile but I LOVE the sport of competition I can turn on a switch that gives me a boost to the next level when I need it.

MTA: You had him hurt and the end of the first and it seemed the bell saved him and then you finished him in the second. Was your goal coming in to score a knockout or was it something that just presented itself and you took it?

Wayne: We thought it was going to be a knock out in the 3rd round actually. He comes out really hard in the fights we saw but then he gets gassed so we knew that he did not know how hard I hit or how fast I was but we would save it for the last round and just pick him off in rounds 1 and 2.

MTA: Can you give fight fans a little background on yourself like how did you get into fighting, where do you train, etc?

Wayne: I came into fighting thanks to my parents I was a hyper kid with tons of energy, I have watch karate movies since I was a baby I would dream about being a kung fu master or samurai all the time. I train my boxing with Kelly Richardson of Gumuboxing and my Thai guy is Rob Rogan out of squared circle NYC. I've been around for a while and I train with great guys that are in the UFC or at the top of the sport. I have known for a while that the ring is where I belong I just did not commit myself 100% so I did not want to go pro until I did. I dont smoke or drink I live in the gym I love to train it’s in my system.

MTA: What's next, has Glory already contacted you about another fight?

Wayne: I dont want to jinx anything but so far it seems that the world will see me again really soon GOD willing but I leave that up to the fans and the Glory organization, I will be ready and waiting with a new bag of tricks for my next opponent.

MTA: Any words for all your supporters out there?

Wayne: For my supporters and to those that just got to know me I fight for the person that wants to be in the ring but have been told they don’t belong and I am here to show that as long as you believe in your self and surround your self with the right people you can make anything happen. Once you start a journey and your serious things fall into place with GOD's grace. That’s why I can take these fights and know I’m going to win

 

*Photo Courtesy of Bauzen

Glory 9 Results and Recap: Tyrone Spong Wins Light Heavyweight Tournament

Glory 9 took place last night at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, NY. The inaugural Glory event in the United States featured and eight man light heavyweight tournament. Tyrone Spong was the heavy favorite coming into the tournament and Danyo Ilunga was considered by many to be the man to challenge Spong for the tournament crown. As expected Spong and Ilunga met in the tournament final.
 

Spong had a scare in his first fight of the tournament as he was knocked down by Michael Duut immediately as their bout started, but moments later after getting back to his feet he delivered a crushing right hand that ended the fight thirty seconds in. Ilunga won his first bout by unanimous decision over Mourad Bouzidi. In the tournament semi-finals both Spong and Ilunga won by unanimous decision to advance to the finals. Spong defeating Filip Verlinden and Ilunga defeated Dustin Jacoby.

Fans were expecting a barn burner in the tournament finale between Spong and Ilunga, but instead were treated to an anticlimactic ending. As the fight began both fighters met in the center of the ring and Spong unloaded a flurry and Ilunga covered up, the referee jumped in and stopped the fight in what was clearly a premature stoppage. Ilunga was not happy with the stoppage and protested as fans in attendance let out a chorus of boos at the referee's decision. With the stoppage Spong sealed the deal and won the Glory light heavyweight tournament and the $200,000 grand prize.

Daniel Ghita and Brice Guidon met in a super fight and it took Ghita less than one minute to score a devastating knockout. Both fighters started off exchanging leg kicks but Ghita was able to corner Guidon and began to unload punches to the body. Guidon was covering up and eventually tried to punch his way out but that left an opening for a crushing left hook from Ghita. Guidon hit the canvas and the fight was waived off by the referee immediately. With the win Ghita ends a two fight skid, while Guidon has now lost three consecutive fights.

Joseph Valtellini welcomed Road to Glory USA welterweight tournament winner Francois Ambang to Glory with vicious leg kicks. After a close first round in which both fighters landed solid combinations and leg kicks, Valtellini took control in the second round. He seemed to have Ambang hurt on more than one occasion near the end of the second round. In the third round Valtellini continued to land his crisp combinations followed by leg kicks and it became evident that Ambang's leg was injured. Valtellini smelled the blood like a shark and went on the attack knocking Ambang down with some nasty low kicks. Ambang was able to get back to his feet but could not walk towards the referee and the fight was called. Another impressive victory for Valtellini who has won three straight fights and is now 2-0 fighting for Glory.

Mike Lemaire came into his fight with Wayne Barrett on a an eight fight win streak including winning the  Road to Glory USA middleweight tournament. On paper Lemaire was easily the favorite having 8 pro fights to Barrett's one, but that was on paper. Wayne Barrett looked phenomenal with great foot work in the ring. In the first round he scored a standing eight count over Lemaire and int he second round he knocked Lemaire down with a knee. Lemaire tried to press forward but could not connect with anything as Barrett was in and out of range in a heart beat. A left hook from Barret rocked Lemaire and he went down face first. The referee halted the action giving Barrett the victory. An amazing performance by Wayne Barrett.

Results:
Light Heavyweight Tournament Finals
Tyrone Spong def. Danyo Ilunga via (T)KO at 0:16 of Rd. 1

Light Heavyweight Tournament Semi-finals
Danyo Ilunga def. Dustin Jacoby via Unanimous Decision
Tyrone Spong def. Filip Verlinden via Unanimous Decision

Light Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinals
Tyrone Spong def. Michael Duut via KO at 0:31 of Rd. 1
Filip Verlinden def. Steve McKinnon via Split Decision
Dustin Jacoby def. Brian Collette via Split Decision

Danyo Ilunga def. Mourad Bouzidi via Unanimous Decision

Super Fights
Rico Verhoeven def. Errol Zimmerman via Unanimous Decision
Daniel Ghita def. Brice Guidon via KO at 0:49 of Rd. 1

Anderson Silva def. Daniel Sam via Unanimous Decision
Joseph Valtellini def. Francois Ambang via (T)KO (Leg Kicks) at 1:24 of Rd. 3

Wayne Barrett def. Mike Lemaire via KO at 1:12 of Rd. 2

Undercard
Brett Hlavacek def. Paul Marfort via Unanimous Decision

Robert Plotkin def. Casey Greene via (T)KO at 1:16 of Rd 1

Andrea DeAngelo def. Laura Byrnds via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Ball def. James Smith via KO at 1:34 of Rd. 3
Chris Mauceri def. Niko Tsigaras via Unanimous Decision
Nick Pace def. Levan Makashvili via Split Decision

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.

Brian Collette talks upcoming Glory 9 light heavyweight tournament

Brian Collette is set to compete in the light heavyweight tournament at Glory 9 this Saturday in New York. The heavy hitter from Virginia will look to blast his way through a tournament that includes names like Tyrone Spong, Danyo Ilunga, Filip Verlinden, and more. Despite not having nearly as much experience as some of the other tournament competitors Collette will look to pull off one of the greatest Cinderella stories in Kickboxing history. Collette took some time to answer a few questions for Muay Thai Authority about the upcoming Glory 9 tournament.

MTA: Brian you are set to compete in the Glory light heavyweight tournament in New York. What goes through your mind when you see you will be competing against the likes of Tyrone Spong, Danyo Ilunga, Filip Verlinden and several other top notch Kickboxers?

Brian: I see this as an opportunity to showcase my skill, and establish a spot as one of the top light heavy weight fighters of the new generation, I believe this will sharpen my game and help me to grow in the future.

MTA: Going into this tournament you are coming off your first career loss, how was it having to deal with losing for the first time, what was going through your mind when it happened?

Brian: I take my first lost as a humbling experience, all champions fall but getting back up is what makes a champion, no matter how corny it sounds. I found some mistakes in my game last fight that I have now corrected

MTA: Dustin Jacoby who defeated you is in this tournament, how much would you like to have a chance to avenge your lone loss?

Brian: Jacoby is a strong fighter, and I didn’t come out with the respect or seriousness that I should of last fight, at the last tournament. I got a little cocky, which was my fault on my behalf, but I'm very anxious to avenge my loss, and demonstrate the improvement in my fight game.

MTA: You last competed at the Road to Glory light heavyweight tournament. Do you think you picked up anything from that tournament as far as strategy that you can use in this upcoming tournament?

Brian: Road to Glory tournament was a great experience, but my trainers and I already have a game plan nothing really special but just a more detailed approach to this tournament

MTA: Coming into a big show like Glory 9, and knowing you will be under the spotlight because of the fighters that are in this tournament, do you feel additional pressure than an average fight?

Brian: I believe performing under high pressure is what truly separates the boys from the men, I got all the feelings of anxiety and being nervous out of my system in my younger days of fighting, now I realize theses are the moments you shine when the opportunity presents itself, so I'm not really affected at all.

Mike Lemaire vs. Wayne Barrett added to Glory 9 in New York

Glory has announced that Road to Glory USA middleweight tournament winner Mike Lemaire will make his first appearance for the promotion since winning the tournament at the upcoming Glory 9 event in New York. Lemaire will be fighting against Wayne Barrett, who most recently defeated Strahinja Ivanovic under the Take-On banner. Barrett will be competing in only his second pro bout, but has an accomplished amateur record and is former Georgia Golden Gloves  champion. 

Glory 9 is the first official Glory fight card that will take place in the United States. In addition to the Lemaire vs. Barrett the card is filled with talented names such as Tyrone Spong, Joseph Valtellini, Brett Hlavacek, Danyo Illunga, and many more. All of the action will take place on June 22nd at the Hammerstein Ballroom.

Fight Card: 

Light Heavyweight Tournament Fighters

Danyo Ilunga 

Mourad Bouzidi

Brian Collette 

Dustin Jacoby

Filip Verlinden 

Steve McKinnon

Tyrone Spong 

Michael Duut

Super Fights

Daniel Ghita vs. Brice Guidon

Rico Verhoeven vs. Errol Zimmerman

Joseph Valtellini vs. Francois Ambang

Brett Hlavcek vs. Paul Marfort

Daniel Sam vs. Anderson "Braddock" Silva

Wayne Barrett vs. Mike LeMaire

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.

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.