The exciting Joe “Stitch ‘Em Up” Schilling will step back into a Glory kickboxing ring on Friday, October 9, in Denver, Colorado, in the main event of Glory 24. Schilling will be facing Jason Wilnis in what could prove to be an explosive bout.
Schilling—who also competes in Bellator MMA—has a professional kickboxing record of 19-6 with a 5-2 mark in Glory.
He has gained fame for his explosive power and his thrilling fighting style. Wilnis is much more of a grinder. He has only earned a knockout victory in seven of his 25 wins. This is obviously a contrast of styles. Those types of fights can make for the most interesting duels in combat sports.
When: Friday, October 9, at 9 p.m. ET
TV: Spike TV
These two are both in search of a higher standing in the Glory middleweight division.
Aside from that tangible goal, Schilling and Wilnis also fight to earn the respect of their peers. Schilling talked about this motivation in his Glory profile: “There’s a lot of guys on the international circuit that I’ve wanted to fight for some time, and I’ve not been able to get those fights. Now we are all in Glory together so those fights can happen at last. For me, it’s about getting that respect in the international kickboxing world.”
Schilling fights with great heart whether he’s in an MMA cage or a kickboxing ring. That’s his appeal and the reason he has the main event spot in Denver. Schilling loves to bring pressure, and you can bet he’ll pursue the KO finish against Wilnis. The latter’s lack of power will only serve as encouragement for Schilling to stalk him in search of the finish.
Bet on Schilling getting it sometime in the second round.
Aside from the Schilling-Wilnis bout, there’s also an interesting middleweight scrap and a heavyweight tournament that includes Wilnis‘ older brother, Jahfarr.
Here’s a look at the entire card with predictions for each of the televised bouts.
Dustin Jacoby vs. Wayne Barrett
Both Dustin Jacoby and Wayne Barrett are KO artists. Each has a KO percentage of at least 80. With so much power in this middleweight clash, it would be a surprise to see it go the distance.
Jacoby surprised many in the kickboxing community when he slugged his way through the middleweight tournament at Glory 23 in Las Vegas. Jacoby scored KO wins over Casey Greene and Ariel Sepulveda on that evening in Sin City and put himself on the map in the division.
Riding a hot streak, Jacoby will again use his power and aggression to earn a victory over Barrett. After three straight KO wins, Jacoby will be in position to make a serious jump in the rankings. He’s currently ranked 10th, and Barrett is fourth.
A win should vault him into or near the top five.
The Heavyweight Tournament
In one of the bouts, two giants will square off for the right to move on to the finals. Both Benjamin Adegbuyi and Mladen Brestovac stand 6’6″. Each has exceptional power, with a combined 46 KOs in 67 professional fights.
Brestovac has the experience, but Adegbuyi proved his mettle in his last bout. While he came up short against Glory heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven, Adegbuyi did go the distance despite being beat to the punch throughout the fight.
The loss snapped his three-fight win streak in Glory, but it did prove he has a heck of a chin and great resolve. Adegbuyi has been putting in some serious work in a star-studded training camp in the meantime. You’d think he’s picked up some valuable pugilistic tips from the group pictured in this image from Kickboxing Planet:
Brestovac doesn’t have the speed or fluidity that Verhoeven possesses. Look for Adegbuyi to get back on the winning track with a KO win over Brestovac.
In the second heavyweight clash, the powerful Ben Edwards takes on Jahfarr Wilnis in what will prove to be a quick bout. Edwards is one of the more powerful heavyweights in Glory, and Wilnis‘ chin looked suspect against Brestovac back in 2014 when he was knocked out in his last bout in the promotion.
Edwards is my pick to send Wilnis reeling again in another bout that ends in a KO.
In the final, Adegbuyi will enjoy a four-inch reach advantage and a slight edge in speed. Using his length and quickness to keep a less than lean Edwards at bay, Adegbuyi will win a decision and the heavyweight tournament.
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