GLORY kickboxing returns to the States later tonight (Fri., July 22, 2016) with GLORY 32 at Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, Virginia. The five-fight main card will air live starting at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN 3. The card will also air…
GLORY kickboxing returns to the States later tonight (Fri., July 22, 2016) with GLORY 32 at Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, Virginia. The five-fight main card will air live starting at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN 3. The card will also air via delay at 11 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
The six-fight GLORY 32 “Superfight Series” fight card will air on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The GLORY 32 main event features a rematch for the featherweight title between current champion, Serhiy Adamchuck (33-5) and No.2-ranked contender and former champion, Gabriel Varga (26-3).
In the co-main event, local light heavyweight Brian Collette (22-3) will face Myron Dennis (18-4) in a rematch from GLORY 19, where Collette won that bout by unanimous decision.
In addition to those two matchups, GLORY 32 will also feature a one-night, four-man light heavyweight tournament. In the semi-final matchups, Warren Thomspon (11-3) takes on Zinedine Hameur-Lain (54-13) and Pavel Zhuravlev (69-10) will face Ariel Machado (42-6).
Note: Warren Thompson replaces Manny Mancha who withdrew from the bout for undisclosed reasons
MMAmania.com will provide LIVE coverage of the ESPN3 main card, which begins at 10 p.m. ET this evening. In addition, MMAmania.com will also deliver LIVE fight coverage of GLORY 32s “Superfight Series,” which begins at 7:30 p.m ET on UFC Fight Pass.
GLORY 32 Quick Results
Serhiy Adamchuk vs. Gabriel Varga
Tournament Final: Collette/Dennis vs. Thompson/Hameur-Lain
Brain Collette vs. Myron Dennis
Warren Thompson vs. Zinedine Hameur-Lain
Pavel Zhuravlev vs. Ariel Machado
GLORY Superfight Series Quick Results
Chi Lewis-Parry vs. Maurice Greene
Anderson Silva vs. Gordon Haupt
Funda Alkayis vs. Vanessa De Waele
Francois Ambang vs. Michael Stevens
Giga Chikadze vs. Chris Mauceri
U.S. Armed Forces Exhibition bout: Cedric Smith vs. Roger Corbin
GLORY 32 Play-by-Play Updates
Serhiy Adamchuk vs. Gabriel Varga
RD 1
RD 2
RD 3
RD 4
RD 5
Final result:
Tournament Final: Collette/Dennis vs. Thompson/Hameur-Lain
Andrew Sanchez (8-2) won the Light Heavyweight final in dominant fashion at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 23 Finale last night (Fri., July 8, 2016), defeating Khalil Rountree (4-1) via unanimous decision inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Veg…
Andrew Sanchez (8-2) won the Light Heavyweight final in dominant fashion at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 23 Finale last night (Fri., July 8, 2016), defeating Khalil Rountree (4-1) via unanimous decision inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Two judges scored the bout 30-25, with the third scoring it 30-26.
Sanchez, 28, put on a grappling clinic and absolutely dominated Rountree in every possible way. He landed timely takedowns and when he had Rountree on the ground he smothered him and didn’t allow him back up.
Sanchez landed a takedown early on in the opening round, but Rountree got back up to his feet. The Team Claudia member was relentless and got his second takedown of the fight only moments later and stayed on top of Rountree for the majority of the round, landing a few short punches while maintaining control. When Rountree made it back to his feet in the closing seconds, Sanchez took him down once more, this time with a double-leg takedown after missing a high kick.
In the second round, Sanchez wasted no time going in on another takedown attempt. Rountree defended nicely at first, but Sanchez kept working until he eventually got it. The Missouri native kept heavy pressure on the Team Joanna member along the fence and landed short right hands repeatedly for the remainder of the round.
Sanchez went in on another takedown and scored it with an inside trip to get Rountree down to the mat yet again. “El Dirte” sat in Rountree’s open guard and then moved to his back in search of a rear-naked choke. Rountree looked disheartened as he had no answer for the pressure and control of Sanchez. The former RFA middleweight champion rode out the round just as he did in the second by landing right hands on a continual basis.
It was a total woodshedding by Sanchez, who looked dominant for all 15 minutes of the fight and put on as good an Octagon debut as any fighter could possibly hope for. Indeed, a fighter getting two 30-25 scorecards is rarified air in this sport, but that’s how dominant the judges thought he was. Meanwhile, it was a brutal loss for Rountree, who had no answer for Sanchez and no offense either. He loses for the first time in his career.
For complete TUF 23 Finale: ‘Jedrzejczyk vs. Gadelha 2’ results, including play-by-play updates, click here.
St. Louis–Different sport, same result. In a rematch from Bellator 139, where Hisaki Kato (6-2) knocked out Joe Schilling (19-9) inside the Bellator cage (video here), the Japanese fighter accepted the challenge of fighting the veteran kickboxer on his terms this time around and he knocked him out again.
Kato, 33, was in some serious trouble in the second round of the Bellator Kickboxing: St. Louis main event on Friday evening (June 25, 2016), right until he landed a vicious spinning-back fist to Schilling’s jaw, sending him crashing to the canvas inside Scottrade Center for the knockout victory.
“I’ve been working on that in training,” Kato told MMAMania at the post-fight press conference,” spinning-back fist and spinning-back kick because he has been knocked out before the same way: being too confident while trying to finish an opponent.”
Kato told SiriusXM RUSH prior to the fight, “I know I will hurt him. I know I have more power,” and while he remained confident and fought quite well early on in the bout, he found himself under heavy fire in the second round as “Stich ’em Up continued to swarm him with knees and big punches.
Then, when Schilling marched forward again looking to finish Kato off in the waning seconds of the second round and avenge that first loss from last June, the French native slammed the back of his fist into Schilling’s jaw to earn another knockout win over the former No.1-ranked GLORY middleweight.
“I’ve been working on that in training, the spinning-back fist and spinning-back kick because he has been knocked out before the same way: being too confident while trying to finish an opponent,” Kato said.
While pulling off consecutive wins over a seasoned striker like Schilling in both the cage and ring is an incredible accomplishment, don’t expect Kato back in the kickboxing ring any time soon.
“It’s really different. It’s really hard. I’ve been training in kickboxing two months for this fight. I accepted it because it was a good challenge and I like challenges, but I’m more interested in MMA.”
St. Louis–Different sport, same result. In a rematch from Bellator 139, where Hisaki Kato (6-2) knocked out Joe Schilling (19-9) inside the Bellator cage (video here), the Japanese fighter accepted the challenge of fighting the veteran kickboxer on his terms this time around and he knocked him out again.
Kato, 33, was in some serious trouble in the second round of the Bellator Kickboxing: St. Louis main event on Friday evening (June 25, 2016), right until he landed a vicious spinning-back fist to Schilling’s jaw, sending him crashing to the canvas inside Scottrade Center for the knockout victory.
“I’ve been working on that in training,” Kato told MMAMania at the post-fight press conference,” spinning-back fist and spinning-back kick because he has been knocked out before the same way: being too confident while trying to finish an opponent.”
Kato told SiriusXM RUSH prior to the fight, “I know I will hurt him. I know I have more power,” and while he remained confident and fought quite well early on in the bout, he found himself under heavy fire in the second round as “Stich ’em Up continued to swarm him with knees and big punches.
Then, when Schilling marched forward again looking to finish Kato off in the waning seconds of the second round and avenge that first loss from last June, the French native slammed the back of his fist into Schilling’s jaw to earn another knockout win over the former No.1-ranked GLORY middleweight.
“I’ve been working on that in training, the spinning-back fist and spinning-back kick because he has been knocked out before the same way: being too confident while trying to finish an opponent,” Kato said.
While pulling off consecutive wins over a seasoned striker like Schilling in both the cage and ring is an incredible accomplishment, don’t expect Kato back in the kickboxing ring any time soon.
“It’s really different. It’s really hard. I’ve been training in kickboxing two months for this fight. I accepted it because it was a good challenge and I like challenges, but I’m more interested in MMA.”
Two kickboxing bouts have been added to Bellator 157: ‘Dynamite 2.’
Denise Kielholtz (44-2) will face Gloria Peritore (10-1) in a women’s flyweight bout, and Kevin Ross (31-9) will take on Justin Houghton (7-2) in featherweight action….
Two kickboxing bouts have been added to Bellator 157: ‘Dynamite 2.’
Denise Kielholtz (44-2) will face Gloria Peritore (10-1) in a women’s flyweight bout, and Kevin Ross (31-9) will take on Justin Houghton (7-2) in featherweight action. Bellator officials confirmed the news to MMAMania on Thursday evening (June 9, 2016).
Kielholtz defeated Veronica Vernocci by unanimous decision on the inaugural Bellator Kickboxing card in April at The Pala Alpitour in Torino, Italy. Ross also competed on that card in his last bout, picking up a unanimous decision win over Matteo Taccini.
Bellator 157: ‘Dynamite 2’ takes place on Friday June 24, 2016 at Scott Trade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The promotion’s second annual mixed martial arts/kickboxing event will be headlined by a light heavyweight fight between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (36-11) and Satoshi Ishi (14-5-1).
After that card bounces back and forth between cage and ring, a full kickboxing card will take place immediately afterward.
Bellator Kickboxing: St. Louis will be headlined by a middleweight clash between Joe Schilling (21-7 / 2-5 MMA) and Hisaki Kato (6-2 MMA) in a rematch from their first encounter at Bellator 139, last June. Kato knocked out Schilling in the second round of that contest, which took place in the Bellator cage.
Schilling vs. Kato 2 will actually kick off the fight card instead of taking place at its conclusion, with the idea that fans and viewers on Spike TV get to see back-to-back main events from each card.
The second Bellator Kickboxing event will also feature Raymond Daniels (11-3) and Keri Taylor-Melendez (3-1). Their opponents have yet to be announced.
The martial artist/actor spoke to MMAmania.com about his latest film “Never Back Down: No Surrender,” acting with UFC heavyweight Josh Barnett, being mistaken for Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and shared his affinity for current UFC welterweight, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
Case Walker is back and this time he’s headed to Thailand.
Michael Jai White reprises the role of the former MMA champion in the third installment of the “Never Back Down” film series, “Never Back Down: No Surrender.” The film was released on Tuesday by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, and this time around the martial artist/actor was behind the lens in addition to his leading role duties and working along side the likes of UFC heavyweight Josh Barnett, seasoned actor Esai Morales, Stephen Quadros, and his wife Gillian White, as well as his daughter Morgan.
“I was lucky,” White told MMAmania.com recently. “I got the cast I wanted and I got pretty much every thing I wanted out of this film. I was really, really blessed. I got to work with my wife and my real daughter in the movie so that was a blast for me and I didn’t have to act much. I’m acting with Josh Barnett, who is a training partner and a friend, anyway, in real life. We are both jocks/nerds and it was really cool.”
White’s character, Walker, has been keeping a low profile on the regional scene since his arrest from the last film when he bumps into his old friend, Brody James (Barnett), who is cornering another fighter at a local event. James convinces him to come to Thailand to help him prepare for a huge fight against the undefeated and menacing Caesar Braga (Nathan Jones). Walker is reluctant at first, but soon agrees to train his friend.
Things get interesting when Walker meets the head of public relations for the fight, Myca Cruz (Gillian White) and complicated when he must deal with the shady practices of promoter, Hugo Vega, played brilliantly by Morales, who white heaped a ton of praise upon.
“Esai Morales is one of the best actors I’ve ever met,” he raved. “He happens to be one of the funniest guys I’ve met as well. I’m waiting for that guy to do an all-out comedy. He will blow your socks off.”
Of course, most of you aren’t tuning in to watch this film for acting, you are there to see for action, violence and to see how good the fights are. No need to worry because the fight sequences are stellar throughout the film’s entirety from battles at the gym to the final showdown. They are realistic as they are entertaining, and MMA fans will surely appreciate the familiarities and similarities to the moves they’ve grown accustomed to watching every weekend.
White, 48, added some traditional martial arts flavor to the mix and it made for a nice combination.
“Oh absolutely,” said White, who owns a black belt in eight different martial arts including Shotokan, Kyokushin, among others. “And, again, I’m using things that were applicable in real life. I’ve worked out and trained with a lot of MMA champions. I’ve shared a number of concepts that are useful in modern MMA fighting. And so I just chose to actually put the stuff that actually does work in the movie.”
In one clever scene, White practices a Kata in the gym while getting poked fun of by other fighters. Once he steps into the cage to fight, though, all the moves he practiced in the Kata come to fruition in the fight sequence, leaving all in attendance with their jaws dropped.
“I believe every fight scene should tell a story,” he said. “I don’t like fights just for the sake of fighting. That’s like porn. I know the industry and I know the craft too well to bring something that is not contributing anything. I would hope it is very clear as to what story each fight told.”
Jones portrayal of the crazed, steroid-fueled Caesar Braga will give fight fans a treat too, as you get to see the gigantic Australian tangle with White. Jones, who has appeared in “Troy” and “Mad Max: Fury Road” never utters a word in the entire film, he just looks terrifying on screen.
“Some people don’t have to act,” White laughed. “Nathan is a sweet guy, but one of the most frightening people I’ve ever met in my life. He’s the strongest guy I’ve ever met. That guy lifted me like I was a baby. I felt like a child. That guy is just incredibly strong. I couldn’t armbar him. That’s how strong he is. His right arm is so strong I couldn’t armbar him with my entire waist.”
Martial arts films have been around for decades, but fight choreography has grown leaps in bounds in the current crop of actions films. White was asked about films like “John Wick,” which was created by the 87eleven action team that is headed by Chad Stalhelski and David Leitch. It turns out the stunt coordinator from “Never Back Down: No Surrender,” Larnell Stovall–who White has worked with numerous times before–is also a member of that extremely talented team of stunt men.
“We are all from the same group actually,” White explained. “Everyone kind of distilled down from the 87eleven fight team. Larnell Stoval, who was another of the 87eleven crew. It’s pretty much that one family that is doing the bulk of the good action stuff that is out there.”
The star of “Spawn,” “Falcon Rising,” explained what makes that crew stand out from the rest.
“What’s happening is that the guys from 87 Eleven, their work has been seen so they are raising the bar,” he said. “I’m happy about that because now it exposes… the new type of choreography exposes if people can perform the moves or not. In an analogy: Fred Astaire, you could shoot him from top to bottom and just keep the camera on him and he provides the majesty. Nowadays when you have people like Donnie Yen and people that can move and continue the choreography, it steps it up for everybody. It’s kind of like, that’s why Bruce Lee looked as good as he did. It wasn’t a combination of just editing. You are actually seeing him perform. And so with the guys from 87 Eleven, their stunts are performed, and their fights are performed in front of you more so.”
MMA fans and action-film fans can be a fickle bunch, and in the modern day of MMA, White says it’s important to make sure fight scenes look realistic because fans see so many fights nowadays and are keenly aware of what can and can’t happen in a real fight.
“The audience becomes more sophisticated and they start to understand what is real and what is not,” White explained. “SInce MMA and UFC has gotten so popular, people are well versed in what real fights look like. So for me, choreography should start to not look like choreography. It should start looking like real fights.”
What’s an action movie without moments of levity? White, again, shows his sense of humor with some well-timed comedic elements in the film. One of which he took from his actual life. If you aren’t aware, White is often mistaken for former UFC and current Bellator light heavyweight, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
Michael Jai White (R) with Tony Jaa courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
“That is something that actually happens to me,” White revealed. The two will appear in the film “Cops and Robbers” later this year. “I wear an MMA shirt and whenever my head is shaved there are people that wind up thinking I’m Quinton Jackson so I put that in the movie.”
White has trained with some of the best fighters MMA has to offer like Barnett, Jackson, Rashad Evans, so he was asked what fighter he enjoys watching the most these days.
“I have been critical of some technique in a lot of MMA stuff, especially with striking,” he said. “I’ve been happy to see people support my philosophy in how to move and strike. This guy Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, to me, he is really showing the evolution where I think striking is going to be going. He — like me — is a traditional martial artist and I’ve been saying for so many years and showing stuff where this stuff is effective. A lot of things I learned in traditional martial arts are absolutely effective in the ring.”
“While there are more aspects of traditional martial arts striking making their way into MMA with Thompson and a few others, there are more fighters in MMA than there are actual martial artists. White wholeheartedly agreed, and said there is much more to being a martial artist than just fighting.
“You said it perfectly. Fighting is only one aspect of martial arts. The best aspects of martial arts is the discipline that you build from stringent practicing. Doing things that you do not want to do, just like in life you have to train your brain to overcome obstacles. That is the best thing about martial arts, but a lot of that is lost.”
The martial artist/actor spoke to MMAmania.com about his latest film “Never Back Down: No Surrender,” acting with UFC heavyweight Josh Barnett, being mistaken for Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and shared his affinity for current UFC welterweight, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
Case Walker is back and this time he’s headed to Thailand.
Michael Jai White reprises the role of the former MMA champion in the third installment of the “Never Back Down” film series, “Never Back Down: No Surrender.” The film was released on Tuesday by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, and this time around the martial artist/actor was behind the lens in addition to his leading role duties and working along side the likes of UFC heavyweight Josh Barnett, seasoned actor Esai Morales, Stephen Quadros, and his wife Gillian White, as well as his daughter Morgan.
“I was lucky,” White told MMAmania.com recently. “I got the cast I wanted and I got pretty much every thing I wanted out of this film. I was really, really blessed. I got to work with my wife and my real daughter in the movie so that was a blast for me and I didn’t have to act much. I’m acting with Josh Barnett, who is a training partner and a friend, anyway, in real life. We are both jocks/nerds and it was really cool.”
White’s character, Walker, has been keeping a low profile on the regional scene since his arrest from the last film when he bumps into his old friend, Brody James (Barnett), who is cornering another fighter at a local event. James convinces him to come to Thailand to help him prepare for a huge fight against the undefeated and menacing Caesar Braga (Nathan Jones). Walker is reluctant at first, but soon agrees to train his friend.
Things get interesting when Walker meets the head of public relations for the fight, Myca Cruz (Gillian White) and complicated when he must deal with the shady practices of promoter, Hugo Vega, played brilliantly by Morales, who white heaped a ton of praise upon.
“Esai Morales is one of the best actors I’ve ever met,” he raved. “He happens to be one of the funniest guys I’ve met as well. I’m waiting for that guy to do an all-out comedy. He will blow your socks off.”
Of course, most of you aren’t tuning in to watch this film for acting, you are there to see for action, violence and to see how good the fights are. No need to worry because the fight sequences are stellar throughout the film’s entirety from battles at the gym to the final showdown. They are realistic as they are entertaining, and MMA fans will surely appreciate the familiarities and similarities to the moves they’ve grown accustomed to watching every weekend.
White, 48, added some traditional martial arts flavor to the mix and it made for a nice combination.
“Oh absolutely,” said White, who owns a black belt in eight different martial arts including Shotokan, Kyokushin, among others. “And, again, I’m using things that were applicable in real life. I’ve worked out and trained with a lot of MMA champions. I’ve shared a number of concepts that are useful in modern MMA fighting. And so I just chose to actually put the stuff that actually does work in the movie.”
In one clever scene, White practices a Kata in the gym while getting poked fun of by other fighters. Once he steps into the cage to fight, though, all the moves he practiced in the Kata come to fruition in the fight sequence, leaving all in attendance with their jaws dropped.
“I believe every fight scene should tell a story,” he said. “I don’t like fights just for the sake of fighting. That’s like porn. I know the industry and I know the craft too well to bring something that is not contributing anything. I would hope it is very clear as to what story each fight told.”
Jones portrayal of the crazed, steroid-fueled Caesar Braga will give fight fans a treat too, as you get to see the gigantic Australian tangle with White. Jones, who has appeared in “Troy” and “Mad Max: Fury Road” never utters a word in the entire film, he just looks terrifying on screen.
“Some people don’t have to act,” White laughed. “Nathan is a sweet guy, but one of the most frightening people I’ve ever met in my life. He’s the strongest guy I’ve ever met. That guy lifted me like I was a baby. I felt like a child. That guy is just incredibly strong. I couldn’t armbar him. That’s how strong he is. His right arm is so strong I couldn’t armbar him with my entire waist.”
Martial arts films have been around for decades, but fight choreography has grown leaps in bounds in the current crop of actions films. White was asked about films like “John Wick,” which was created by the 87eleven action team that is headed by Chad Stalhelski and David Leitch. It turns out the stunt coordinator from “Never Back Down: No Surrender,” Larnell Stovall–who White has worked with numerous times before–is also a member of that extremely talented team of stunt men.
“We are all from the same group actually,” White explained. “Everyone kind of distilled down from the 87eleven fight team. Larnell Stoval, who was another of the 87eleven crew. It’s pretty much that one family that is doing the bulk of the good action stuff that is out there.”
The star of “Spawn,” “Falcon Rising,” explained what makes that crew stand out from the rest.
“What’s happening is that the guys from 87 Eleven, their work has been seen so they are raising the bar,” he said. “I’m happy about that because now it exposes… the new type of choreography exposes if people can perform the moves or not. In an analogy: Fred Astaire, you could shoot him from top to bottom and just keep the camera on him and he provides the majesty. Nowadays when you have people like Donnie Yen and people that can move and continue the choreography, it steps it up for everybody. It’s kind of like, that’s why Bruce Lee looked as good as he did. It wasn’t a combination of just editing. You are actually seeing him perform. And so with the guys from 87 Eleven, their stunts are performed, and their fights are performed in front of you more so.”
MMA fans and action-film fans can be a fickle bunch, and in the modern day of MMA, White says it’s important to make sure fight scenes look realistic because fans see so many fights nowadays and are keenly aware of what can and can’t happen in a real fight.
“The audience becomes more sophisticated and they start to understand what is real and what is not,” White explained. “SInce MMA and UFC has gotten so popular, people are well versed in what real fights look like. So for me, choreography should start to not look like choreography. It should start looking like real fights.”
What’s an action movie without moments of levity? White, again, shows his sense of humor with some well-timed comedic elements in the film. One of which he took from his actual life. If you aren’t aware, White is often mistaken for former UFC and current Bellator light heavyweight, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
Michael Jai White (R) with Tony Jaa courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
“That is something that actually happens to me,” White revealed. The two will appear in the film “Cops and Robbers” later this year. “I wear an MMA shirt and whenever my head is shaved there are people that wind up thinking I’m Quinton Jackson so I put that in the movie.”
White has trained with some of the best fighters MMA has to offer like Barnett, Jackson, Rashad Evans, so he was asked what fighter he enjoys watching the most these days.
“I have been critical of some technique in a lot of MMA stuff, especially with striking,” he said. “I’ve been happy to see people support my philosophy in how to move and strike. This guy Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, to me, he is really showing the evolution where I think striking is going to be going. He — like me — is a traditional martial artist and I’ve been saying for so many years and showing stuff where this stuff is effective. A lot of things I learned in traditional martial arts are absolutely effective in the ring.”
“While there are more aspects of traditional martial arts striking making their way into MMA with Thompson and a few others, there are more fighters in MMA than there are actual martial artists. White wholeheartedly agreed, and said there is much more to being a martial artist than just fighting.
“You said it perfectly. Fighting is only one aspect of martial arts. The best aspects of martial arts is the discipline that you build from stringent practicing. Doing things that you do not want to do, just like in life you have to train your brain to overcome obstacles. That is the best thing about martial arts, but a lot of that is lost.”
It goes without saying that the ending of the GLORY 27 main event between Simon Marcus and Artem Levin was among the oddest in combat sports history, and certainly one of the strangest as far as kickboxing is concerned.
Levin—who is known for being a notorious holder—got docked a point for the second time in the fight during the third round and proceeded to quit on the spot, and walked out of the ring in truly bizarre fashion.
Marcus became the new GLORY middleweight champion, but was he shocked to see Levin abruptly walk out of the ring?
“Nope, I didn’t feel like at all,”Marcus told MMAmania.com. “To be perfectly honest with you I could feel during the fight. Watching the fight and the fight I was in feels like two different things. Watching the fight I could see we were going back and forth with certain exchanges and it looked a little bit close. Being in the fight I felt like I was dominating him. I could see his will breaking. I could see him getting frustrated. I could see him close to his breaking point, so it wasn’t a surprise that he didn’t want to continue any more. I could see and feel it on him long before he left the ring.”
Method of victory is not important to Marcus, who is now 2-0-1 against Levin all time. However, the Canadian-Jamaican did state that Levin’s exit from the ring was more a result of what he was doing rather than being penalized by referee Al Wichgers.
“I don’t have a preference for what weapons I use; I don’t have a preference in what style I use and I don’t have a preference in how I win,” said Marcus, who defends his title against Dustin Jacoby at GLORY 30. “I’ll take a mental win over a physical win or a spiritual win over a mental win. It doesn’t matter to me. It was all the same to me. A win is a win and I feel I beat him regardless. He walked away–not because of what the ref was doing–but because he couldn’t’ win that fight.”
The middleweight champion’s road to the title didn’t come without some bumps in the road. His GLORY debut came to a screeching halt at the end of a Joe Schilling right hand, which handed him his first career defeat. From there he took two fights in China and suffered a technical knockout loss where he was knocked down four times. The discussion among pundits was that Marcus hadn’t made the successful transition from muay thai to kickboxing and most were dismissing his chances at moving back up the ladder in the division.
That all changed, of course, when “Bad Bwoy” defeated Wayne Barrett and Jason Wilnis in the middleweight “Contender” tournament at GLORY 20 Dubai and fought then champion Artem Levin to a draw at GLORY 21. Many had Marcus winning that bout against Levin, but one thing was clear: he’d overcome his struggles, made the necessary adjustments to implement his game and skill set for GLORY competition, and became among the best in the sport.
So when GLORY CEO Jon J. Franklin and Head of Talent Operations Cor Hemmers placed the middleweight title around his waist, it was a major moment in his life filled with emotion.
“Wow, that was unreal,” Marcus explained. “I mean, it was something that I really, really felt I worked for and earned and I felt that moment had to happen. It’s very difficult to put into words. It’s something that I visualized and was waiting for long time and for that moment to actually come to fruition was very gratifying. Knowing what I put my hard work and my heart and my desire towards I was able to accomplish one more time–not only in muai thai, being a traditional muay thai fighter–but in another sport now, kickboxing, amongst the best in the world on the biggest stage in the world. I only felt it was proper for me to be the champion on the biggest stage because that’s how I feel.”
He continued on describing the feeling: “So it was a feeling like … It was just a dream come true. If anyone can imagine what their dream is and what they love to do and what it would be like accomplishing that, that is what it felt like for me. A little bit surreal, but I really enjoyed every moment leading up to it and every moment after it as well.”
The level of any athlete’s resolve–especially in combat sports–is usually always measured in their ability to handle adversity. How will they come back after defeat? Will they be the same after a brutal knockout, or will they be forever changed? Or will they shake off the cobwebs, dust themselves off, get back to work and make the climb back to the top to prove they belong?
For GLORY’s new middleweight king, it was always the latter.
“There’s two kinds of fighters,” Marcus began to explain. “There’s more than two kinds, but there’s two kinds of categories that I’m speaking of and one is you have very skillful fighters that are good at fighting due to their practice, due to their coaching, due to their work ethic, due to many things. But when you see those kinds of fighters get in dangerous situations in the ring or get hurt or fall down, you see their true character exposed and they are unable to come back from that. Then you have the real champion that I like to model myself as, which is regardless of the situation or what is put in front of you, the circumstance of what happens, you are always going to find a way to fight back and make it to the top and not lose confidence in yourself. So, that was just a perfect example of how someone could do that.”
Marcus, 29, enjoyed some time with longtime girlfriend Nakeeta and their two children Zion and Zaniah, but was back in the gym soon enough to prepare for his first title defense against Jacoby. Marcus left Ajahn Suchart–who was his trainer for many years–prior to his last fight because he sought some changes in his routine. Now he is at New Energy Muay Thai, which is still in Toronto where he resides and in his corner is his good friend Howard Wright, and of course, his very vocal cousin Roger, whose energy and passion has been captured during several GLORY broadcasts.
As for his opponent, Marcus said he’s “most definitely” earned a shot at the middleweight strap and that is due to the GLORY tournament system, which he was very complimentary of.
“GLORY has one of the best systems I’ve ever seen in terms of fighters earning their shot at the title, which is the tournament,” said Marcus. “So he won the ‘Qualifier’ tournament. He won the ‘Contender’ tournament and earned his title shot fair and square. I’m happy to defend the belt against him and happy to show him what it means to be a champion.”
Jacoby is known for his dangerous power, as evidenced by his five-fight knockout streak. However, Marcus says he’s not worried about “The Hanyak’s” ability to put his opponents away in short order and is, in fact, looking forward to the challenge.
“I mean, I’ve seen him knock guys out, but I haven’t seen him knock a guy out that is really fighting back,” said Marcus. “I’ve seen him more overwhelm guys with his physicality, his size and aggression. Most of the guys, if not all the guys he’s knocked out in the past five fights or what not, I feel they are not top-tier guys. They haven’t brought an ‘A’ game like a guy like myself will. What stands out the most to me is that he is a big, strong, aggressive guy and really and truly I love to fight those type of guys. That’s my kind of fight. I love that. I love when guys bring it to me. I’m usually the aggressor. I’m usually the one looking to turn it into a fight because I like to fight, it’s exciting. That’s what I love. When a guy is willingly engaging that is beautiful for me.”
Marcus, who has 24 career victories by way of knockout, explained why his experience will be a key factor against Jacoby in the GLORY 30 main event, which takes place Friday night (May 13, 2016) in Citizens Business Bank Arena.
“The advantage for me is that I’ve fought many guys that bigger than him, his size and bigger, hard hitters, knockout power, heavyweight guys that I’ve fought earlier in my career,” he said. “It won’t be anything that I’ve never experienced before. I’ve fought many guys who can knock you out with one shot. Even with all the guys I’ve seen Jacoby fight, I’ve seen him hit them with great shots, but not put them away with just one shot and mostly it’s due to overwhelming his opponent and them not wanting to fight back, which isn’t going to happen in this case.”
As for the rest of the division, the GLORY middleweight champion had a specific message for all comers vying for a shot at his title:
“Whose ever ready to step up to the plate I’m ready to defend it. I’m just looking to hold my throne as long as possible and keep doing what I’m doing and I truly believe that there is no one in the world and no one in my weight class that is on my level. The thing is in the sport of kickboxing I’m just continuing to get better and better and that is what everyone is going to see from me each fight. You can look forward to years of domination.”
It goes without saying that the ending of the GLORY 27 main event between Simon Marcus and Artem Levin was among the oddest in combat sports history, and certainly one of the strangest as far as kickboxing is concerned.
Levin—who is known for being a notorious holder—got docked a point for the second time in the fight during the third round and proceeded to quit on the spot, and walked out of the ring in truly bizarre fashion.
Marcus became the new GLORY middleweight champion, but was he shocked to see Levin abruptly walk out of the ring?
“Nope, I didn’t feel like at all,”Marcus told MMAmania.com. “To be perfectly honest with you I could feel during the fight. Watching the fight and the fight I was in feels like two different things. Watching the fight I could see we were going back and forth with certain exchanges and it looked a little bit close. Being in the fight I felt like I was dominating him. I could see his will breaking. I could see him getting frustrated. I could see him close to his breaking point, so it wasn’t a surprise that he didn’t want to continue any more. I could see and feel it on him long before he left the ring.”
Method of victory is not important to Marcus, who is now 2-0-1 against Levin all time. However, the Canadian-Jamaican did state that Levin’s exit from the ring was more a result of what he was doing rather than being penalized by referee Al Wichgers.
“I don’t have a preference for what weapons I use; I don’t have a preference in what style I use and I don’t have a preference in how I win,” said Marcus, who defends his title against Dustin Jacoby at GLORY 30. “I’ll take a mental win over a physical win or a spiritual win over a mental win. It doesn’t matter to me. It was all the same to me. A win is a win and I feel I beat him regardless. He walked away–not because of what the ref was doing–but because he couldn’t’ win that fight.”
The middleweight champion’s road to the title didn’t come without some bumps in the road. His GLORY debut came to a screeching halt at the end of a Joe Schilling right hand, which handed him his first career defeat. From there he took two fights in China and suffered a technical knockout loss where he was knocked down four times. The discussion among pundits was that Marcus hadn’t made the successful transition from muay thai to kickboxing and most were dismissing his chances at moving back up the ladder in the division.
That all changed, of course, when “Bad Bwoy” defeated Wayne Barrett and Jason Wilnis in the middleweight “Contender” tournament at GLORY 20 Dubai and fought then champion Artem Levin to a draw at GLORY 21. Many had Marcus winning that bout against Levin, but one thing was clear: he’d overcome his struggles, made the necessary adjustments to implement his game and skill set for GLORY competition, and became among the best in the sport.
So when GLORY CEO Jon J. Franklin and Head of Talent Operations Cor Hemmers placed the middleweight title around his waist, it was a major moment in his life filled with emotion.
“Wow, that was unreal,” Marcus explained. “I mean, it was something that I really, really felt I worked for and earned and I felt that moment had to happen. It’s very difficult to put into words. It’s something that I visualized and was waiting for long time and for that moment to actually come to fruition was very gratifying. Knowing what I put my hard work and my heart and my desire towards I was able to accomplish one more time–not only in muai thai, being a traditional muay thai fighter–but in another sport now, kickboxing, amongst the best in the world on the biggest stage in the world. I only felt it was proper for me to be the champion on the biggest stage because that’s how I feel.”
He continued on describing the feeling: “So it was a feeling like … It was just a dream come true. If anyone can imagine what their dream is and what they love to do and what it would be like accomplishing that, that is what it felt like for me. A little bit surreal, but I really enjoyed every moment leading up to it and every moment after it as well.”
The level of any athlete’s resolve–especially in combat sports–is usually always measured in their ability to handle adversity. How will they come back after defeat? Will they be the same after a brutal knockout, or will they be forever changed? Or will they shake off the cobwebs, dust themselves off, get back to work and make the climb back to the top to prove they belong?
For GLORY’s new middleweight king, it was always the latter.
“There’s two kinds of fighters,” Marcus began to explain. “There’s more than two kinds, but there’s two kinds of categories that I’m speaking of and one is you have very skillful fighters that are good at fighting due to their practice, due to their coaching, due to their work ethic, due to many things. But when you see those kinds of fighters get in dangerous situations in the ring or get hurt or fall down, you see their true character exposed and they are unable to come back from that. Then you have the real champion that I like to model myself as, which is regardless of the situation or what is put in front of you, the circumstance of what happens, you are always going to find a way to fight back and make it to the top and not lose confidence in yourself. So, that was just a perfect example of how someone could do that.”
Marcus, 29, enjoyed some time with longtime girlfriend Nakeeta and their two children Zion and Zaniah, but was back in the gym soon enough to prepare for his first title defense against Jacoby. Marcus left Ajahn Suchart–who was his trainer for many years–prior to his last fight because he sought some changes in his routine. Now he is at New Energy Muay Thai, which is still in Toronto where he resides and in his corner is his good friend Howard Wright, and of course, his very vocal cousin Roger, whose energy and passion has been captured during several GLORY broadcasts.
As for his opponent, Marcus said he’s “most definitely” earned a shot at the middleweight strap and that is due to the GLORY tournament system, which he was very complimentary of.
“GLORY has one of the best systems I’ve ever seen in terms of fighters earning their shot at the title, which is the tournament,” said Marcus. “So he won the ‘Qualifier’ tournament. He won the ‘Contender’ tournament and earned his title shot fair and square. I’m happy to defend the belt against him and happy to show him what it means to be a champion.”
Jacoby is known for his dangerous power, as evidenced by his five-fight knockout streak. However, Marcus says he’s not worried about “The Hanyak’s” ability to put his opponents away in short order and is, in fact, looking forward to the challenge.
“I mean, I’ve seen him knock guys out, but I haven’t seen him knock a guy out that is really fighting back,” said Marcus. “I’ve seen him more overwhelm guys with his physicality, his size and aggression. Most of the guys, if not all the guys he’s knocked out in the past five fights or what not, I feel they are not top-tier guys. They haven’t brought an ‘A’ game like a guy like myself will. What stands out the most to me is that he is a big, strong, aggressive guy and really and truly I love to fight those type of guys. That’s my kind of fight. I love that. I love when guys bring it to me. I’m usually the aggressor. I’m usually the one looking to turn it into a fight because I like to fight, it’s exciting. That’s what I love. When a guy is willingly engaging that is beautiful for me.”
Marcus, who has 24 career victories by way of knockout, explained why his experience will be a key factor against Jacoby in the GLORY 30 main event, which takes place Friday night (May 13, 2016) in Citizens Business Bank Arena.
“The advantage for me is that I’ve fought many guys that bigger than him, his size and bigger, hard hitters, knockout power, heavyweight guys that I’ve fought earlier in my career,” he said. “It won’t be anything that I’ve never experienced before. I’ve fought many guys who can knock you out with one shot. Even with all the guys I’ve seen Jacoby fight, I’ve seen him hit them with great shots, but not put them away with just one shot and mostly it’s due to overwhelming his opponent and them not wanting to fight back, which isn’t going to happen in this case.”
As for the rest of the division, the GLORY middleweight champion had a specific message for all comers vying for a shot at his title:
“Whose ever ready to step up to the plate I’m ready to defend it. I’m just looking to hold my throne as long as possible and keep doing what I’m doing and I truly believe that there is no one in the world and no one in my weight class that is on my level. The thing is in the sport of kickboxing I’m just continuing to get better and better and that is what everyone is going to see from me each fight. You can look forward to years of domination.”
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