GLORY 96 will be headlined by Chico Kwasi vs Tyjani Beztati, a match between two reigning champions. The event is set to go down on October 12 at the RTM Stage, in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Let’s take a closer look at the two kickboxing titleholders set for this showdown.
Chico Kwasi vs Tyjani Beztati
The lightweight king will look to capture the welterweight crown in the Chico Kwasi vs Tyjani Beztati matchup. ‘The Wonderboy’ Beztati is the long-reigning lightweight champion who is testing his skills in the stacked welterweight division. ‘Luffy’ Chico Kwasi recently captured the welterweight title by way of a stunning knockout.
Chico Kwasi
As a lifelong fan of anime and manga, ‘Luffy’ Chico Kwasi wears the hat from One Piece during his walkouts and when he gets his hand raised. In the training room when things get tough, his love of the boxing manga Hajime no Ippo will give him the drive to push through.
At just the age of 26, the towering Kwasi has run through the competitive welterweight division in GLORY. Currently, on a ten-fight win streak, he has defeated notable athletes such as the highly skilled Jay Overmeer, Enfusion Champion Robin Ciric, and WAKO champion Sergej Braun, among others.
Most recently, he knocked out Endy Semeleer to capture the welterweight crown. Semeleer had long held the welterweight title and had a series of impressive wins. He is highly skilled and a tricky opponent. The Dutch-Surinamese Chico Kwasi knocked him out in the second round to capture kickboxing gold.
‘Luffy’ Chico Kwasi is an aggressive-forward fighter with heavy kicks and punches, looking to land in combination. Typically, Kwasi has a height and reach advantage against welterweight opponents. His first title defense will be against the lightweight champion, Chico Kwasi vs Tyjani Beztati at GLORY 96.
Tyjani Beztati
‘The Wonderboy’ Tyjani Beztati is a prodigious talent in kickboxing. One of the youngest champions in GLORY’s history, having captured the lightweight throne when he was only 23 years old. He has since defended this crown in five bouts against notable fighters such as K-1 Champions Stoyan Koprivlenski & Enriko Kehl, featherweight champion Petpanomrung Kiatmuu9, and RISE Champion Kaito Ono, among others.
The Moroccan-Dutch striker is known for his aggressive style of fighting, mixing slick punching combinations with fast kicks. He has an impressive pull counter. In the lightweight division, he is highly adept at using his height and length advantage.
Beztati has had impressive knockout wins with lightning-fast punches against Josh Jauncey, or spearing kicks against Petch. But, his most notable match was a fight of year showdown against K-1 Champion Koprivlenski. It was a back-and-forth battle and one of the best fights in kickboxing.
GLORY has been kicking around the idea of shutting down the lightweight division. At 155 lbs, it is a competitive weight class where all kickboxing organizations have a solid division. Since then, Beztati moved up to welterweight and was able to defeat the former champion Semeleer thus cementing himself as a deserving contender for the welterweight crown.
In a prior interview, the Moroccan-Dutch champion said:
I dedicated my whole life to this, my youth, [my] time, everything … I’m blessed that I can do what I do best and that’s perform inside the the ring… Champ way, that’s the only way.
GLORY 96
Chico Kwasi vs Tyjani Beztati is a matchup of a deserving contender and lightweight champion looking to take the welterweight throne. Beztati has a chance to make history as a two-division champion in GLORY. A feat that only Robin van Roosmalen and Alex Pereira have been able to accomplish.
#BREAKING: It’s time! Champ vs. Champ for the GLORY Welterweight World Title at #GLORY96. Chico Kwasi puts his belt on the line against GLORY Lightweight champion Tyjani Beztati on October 12 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands! #GLORY96
Join the presale at https://t.co/mtc7jeEIOh pic.twitter.com/b43raeBEdA
— GLORY Kickboxing (@GLORY_WS) August 13, 2024
