Get a preview of the action on this Saturday’s Glory 39 Superfight Series card on Fight Pass, headlined by a Lightweight title defense.
This Saturday, March 25, Glory presents Glory 39 Brussels, a stacked show featuring two exciting world title fights. The show airs on UFC Fight Pass at 1:00 p.m. ET for the Superfight Series, with the Glory 39 main card to follow at 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN3. Here’s a look at the Fight Pass portion of the card:
C. SITTICHAI SITSONGPEENONG (113-30-5 Overall; 6-1 Glory) VS. #1 DYLAN SALVADOR (49-11-1 Overall; 2-0 Glory) – Glory Lightweight Title
The headliner is an excellent title fight featuring one of the top fighters in the world. Sittichai made his Glory debut in 2015, looking incredible both in Glory and around the globe and taking home Fighter of the Year honors to many analysts. In 2016, he won the Glory Lightweight title that many felt he should already have won. (In an ironic twist, most felt he was robbed of the title in his first shot at champion Robin van Roosmalen, but that he was gifted a win and the title in the rematch. Such is kickboxing.) He suffered a loss outside of Glory last September, then bounced back with a big win over Marat Grigorian to defend the gold. Sittichai has made an exceptional transition to the Glory rules from traditional Muay Thai, though the fights with van Roosmalen show that his style remains a bit of a challenge for Glory judges.
Dylan Salvador is a well-travelled and accomplished Muay Thai fighter. He’s been in there with some of the sport’s best, including Kem Sitsongpeenong, Buakaw, and Saiyok, who he beat in 2012. In 2014/15, Salvador and Sittichai met in a pair of fights, splitting them 1-1. Salvador came to Glory last year and looked amazing in his Glory 36 upset tournament win. It’s only fitting that he and Sittichai have their rubber match with one of the sport’s top prizes on the line.
Predicting this fight is tough because as I said above, Glory judges have historically struggled with Sittichai, and Salvador brings some of the same qualities van Roosmalen did. If this was straight Muay Thai rules, I would pick Sittichai, no trouble. And I suspect that at the end of the day, I, and many others, will think Sittichai won. But I’m not a judge, and I see Salvador’s style as more Glory-friendly.
Prediction: Dylan Salvador by disputed decision
UNDERCARD
The highlight of the rest of the card is #6 Hesdy Gerges (49-18-1; 2-5 Glory) vs. #8 Chi Lewis-Parry (8-1; 4-1 Glory) in a Heavyweight fight. Gerges is a veteran who was around in the late stages of the old K-1, and is a former It’s Showtime Heavyweight champ as well. He’s on a decline, but still legit. Lewis-Parry is the brash, young fighter looking to take out the veteran and keep making his name. With his heavy hands, Chopper Chi is always dangerous, but I see Gerges as just way too technical and fundamentally skilled a fighter for him. Look for a Gerges decision win.
Gerges vs. Lewis-Parry is the most competitive fight, but there are also some good fighters featured here. Chief among them are #2 Lightweight Marat Grigorian (48-10-2; 3-4-1 Glory) and #5 Welterweight Harut Grigorian (43-10; 2-1 Glory) (no relation). Both are top level talents, who should have little troubles against their significantly less experienced opponents. Rounding out the Superfight card are a pair of fights showcasing newer fighters. Tyjani Beztati (11-1; 1-0 Glory) is the highlight there – he’s a good up and comer from the Coliseum Gym who made a successful Glory debut at Glory 36.
Join us here at Bloody Elbow this Saturday for live Glory 39 coverage.
GLORY 39 BRUSSELS FIGHT CARD
Saturday, March 25Main Card (4:00 p.m. ET, ESPN3)
WW Title: Cedric Doumbe vs. Yoann Kongolo
FW Tournament Finals
Guto Inocente vs. Jamal Ben Saddik
Semifinal: Serhiy Adamchuk vs. Nafi Bialovski
Semifinal: Petchpanomrung Kiatmookao vs. Alexei UlyanovSuperfight Series (1:00 pm. ET, Fight Pass)
LW Title: Sittichai Sitsongpeenong vs. Dylan Salvador
Marat Grigorian vs. Anton Petrov
Chi Lewis-Parry vs. Hesdy Gerges
Harut Grigorian vs. Pavol Garaj
Tyjani Beztati vs. Sabri Ben Henia
Junus Majandinov vs. Meng Qinghao