BROOMFIELD Colo.–Robin van Roosmalen (36-6-1) is the new GLORY featherweight champion and his punching power is cause for alarm among the division.
In the main event of the GLORY 34 Superfight Series last night (Fri., Oct. 21, 2016), the former lightweight champion knocked down Gabriel Varga (27-4) twice in the second round inside 1STBANK Center. Van Roosmalen scored a technical knockout (TKO) victory after the fourth round concluded when Varga did not answer the bell for the fifth and conceded defeat.
Varga, who didn’t have a mouth piece in during the opening round, seemed to have some type of issue with his jaw or perhaps his mouth.
“I already saw after the first round that he was busy with his teeth,” van Roosmalen told MMAMania after the bout. “I think I broke his jaw or knocked one of his teeth out or something. I knew it was only a matter of time because I was going to hit him more. After the fourth round I think I rocked him at the end again, so I almost finished him there too.”
Varga looked good in the first round, but van Roosmalen explained he was feeling Varga out.
“In the first round I wanted to test him because he is a crafty fighter,” the Dutch champion explained. “He’s got good punches. I wanted to see what his distance was and his speed and everything.
Van Roosmalen, 27, changed the whole complexion of the fight when he dropped the Canadian with a huge right hand in the beginning of the second frame, sending him down to the canvas.
“I told you before, they can’t handle the power and explosion at this weight,” van Roosmalen said, sitting ringside showing off the featherweight strap. “Everybody thought this weight cut was going to be hard, but I made this weight easy and without doing anything on the morning of the weigh ins.”
Later on in the second, “Pokerface” knocked Varga down for a second time after ripping a punch to the body of the Canadian.
“He has a tall body and I knew after that first knockdown he was focused on his head, so I went to the body,” he said.
The TKO loss was first of Varga’s professional career.
“Somebody has to be the first,” said van Roosmalen, smiling. “I’m happy about it. Nothing bad about him. He’s a great fighter. I’m glad he gave me this chance. I respect him as a fighter.”
After the bout concluded, the newly-crowned champion told Todd Grisham he wants to win the lightweight title back and become a two-division champion. He was asked about that statement.
“I want to be a two-division champ. For me, I think I’m still the Lightweight because I still think they robbed me the last time,” he said, referring to the split-decision loss to Sittichai Sitsongpeenong at GLORY 31. “For me, I’m the two-division reigning belt, but I need a new belt to show everybody else so I can shut them up.”
Will GLORY be okay with him fighting in both divisions?
“I don’t know. I don’t think they have a choice.”
For complete GLORY 34 ‘Holzken vs. Groenhart 3’ results, including play-by-play updates, click here.