Michael Duut

Michael Duut was just ten years old when an incident occurred which was to change his life forever and start him on the path that has led him to the GLORY World Series light-heavyweight division.

He was coming home from school one day when an older youth picked a fight with him. Bigger and stronger, the older boy easily bested Duut and sent him home in tears. But Duut’s father wanted the older boy deterred from trying the same again.

He made young Michael go back and out and confront him for a second time. Duut channeled his anger and embarrassment, screwed his eyes shut and threw a winging right hand. It had the effect of knocking the older boy down and suddenly he didn’t want to fight any more.

From then on, young Duut was enrolled at the local kickboxing club. His father would take him there every day after school. And before school, Duut was required to go for a run. From his early teens until now, he has been fighting fit and regularly competing out of the famous Meijiro Gym.

Early in 2013 he got a call to join the GLORY 5 LONDON line-up on short notice to face Dustin Jacoby, who had stopped three opponents in one night to win a Road to Glory tournament and a GLORY contract. All eyes were on Jacoby but Duut stopped him in the first round with three knockdowns.

With a highly-aggressive style and a desire to finish each fight inside the distance, every opponent is an incarnation of that childhood bully who first turned Duut towards kickboxing. While he didn’t enjoy the experience at the time, looking back it almost seems like that schoolboy scrap had the hand of fate in it.