Headlined by a heavyweight showdown between superstars Remy Bonjasky (77-15, 40 KO’s) and Tyrone Spong (68-6-1 42 KO’s), the first-ever GLORY show in the UK brings together a host of additional icons for the most stacked kickboxing card ever to grace a British venue.
“When GLORY decided to stage a show in London, we knew we would have to put together a special card for the British capital. Fans have wanted to see a fight between Remy Bonjasky and Tyrone Spong for some time, but the two have never met in the ring - until now,” says Marcus Luer, GLORY CEO.
“Bonjasky is an idol to fight fans around the world and Spong has been on a steady rise to the top - he’s a fighter that everybody is talking about right now. They are both incredible athletes with explosive power. Bonjasky’s flying knees and Spong’s hands are capable of stopping a fight in an instant. Don’t blink.”
Known as ‘The Flying Gentleman’, the 1.93 meter/6-foot-3, 108 kilogram/238 pound Bonjasky is a household name among kickboxing fans. His illustrious career has seen him win numerous top honors, including three K-1 Grand Prix championships, but this will be the first time that British fans have the opportunity to see him fight live.
One of the most athletic fighters ever to step into the ring, Bonjasky has provided some of the most enduring images of the sport with his flying knee attacks and wide range of dynamic kicks. Among his career achievements are wins over superstar rivals Badr Hari, Peter Aerts, Alistair Overeem and Jerome LeBanner.
Like Bonjasky, Spong, a native of Amsterdam who recently relocated to Boca Raton, Fla. to train with the famed ‘Blackzilians’ fight squad, is a stellar athlete. The 1.88 meter/6-foot-2, 103.5 kilogram/228 pound Spong started his career as a middleweight and has retained his speed and fluidity while gradually moving up to heavyweight.
With explosive power in his hands, nearly two-thirds of Spong’s wins have been by stoppage, including his June KO of the legendary Aerts, also a three-time winner of the old K-1 Grand Prix tournament series. Prior to moving up to heavyweight, Spong held the light-heavyweight (95 kilograms/210 pounds) title in top European organization It’s Showtime, which GLORY purchased in October 2012.
Jordan Watson (29-5-1, 14 KO's) and Liam Harrison (67-13-2, 38 KO’s), two of the best kickboxers the UK has ever produced, will both see action on the card. Hailing from the Bad Company gym in Leeds, England, they have fought all over the world and have been among the few foreigners to find success in the fighting rings of Thailand.
Harrison faces Mosab ‘Jaguar’ Amrani (48-7-4, 14 KO’s), a Dutch-Moroccan fighter who combines ferocity with exceptional technicality, in a featherweight bout (65 kilograms/143 pounds). Amrani’s skills will provide the toughest test of Harrison’s career to date. Watson faces an equally tough test in the shape of Australia’s ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Moxon (29-4-1, 16 KO's), a KO machine with a sky-high finishing ratio, in a lightweight contest
In other action on the star-studded, 11-bout GLORY 5 London kickboxing card, all-time great
Albert Kraus (66-16-3, 39 KO’s), winner of the first ever K-1 MAX tournament, will face the sensational Andy Ristie (43-2, 16 KO’s) in a bout that will help determine a top lightweight (70 kilograms/154 pounds) contender.
Light-heavyweight (95 kilograms/209 pounds) Bonjasky protégé Danyo Ilunga (41-4, 34 KOs) will make his UK debut against top French talent and fellow power striker Stephane Susperregui (32-4-1, 27 KOs) in a fight that is very unlikely to go the distance.
All GLORY 5 London bouts are comprised of three, three-minute rounds.
The complete fight card is as follows:
Heavyweight
Tyrone Spong (Suriname) vs. Remy Bonjasky (Netherlands)
Lightweight
Andy Ristie (Suriname) vs. Albert Kraus (Netherlands)
Light-Heavyweight
Stephane Susperregui (France) vs. Danyo Ilunga (Congo)
Featherweight
Liam Harrison (UK) vs. Mosab Armani (Morocco)
Lightweight
Jordan Watson (UK) vs. Steve Moxon (Australia)
Light-Heavyweight
Raymond Daniels (USA) vs. TBC
Heavyweight
Singh Jaideep (UK/India) vs. Yong Soo Park (South Korea)
Middleweight
Steve Wakeling (UK) vs. Simon Marcus (Canada)
Welterweight
Maxim Vyrovski (Russia) vs. Duoli Chen (China)
Lightweight
Johann Fauveau (France) vs. Warren Stevelmans (South Africa)
Catchweight
Reece McAllister (UK) vs. Tim Thomas (UK)
No comments:
Post a Comment