The fight game is all about seeing new contenders emerge to challenge champions for their belts and every year GLORY has had an exciting new crop of talents. This year was no exception, with numerous fighters joining the ranks and wasting no time in establishing themselves as one to watch. But which of them has been 2015's standout debutant?
Serhiy Adamchuk
Featherweight
Adamchuk made his debut on just 24 hours notice and one weight-class higher than he usually fights when he faced and beat Marat Grigorian at GLORY 22 FRANCE in June. He then made his featherweight debut in September with a win over Anvar Boynazarov and was rewarded with a title shot.
He beat Gabriel Varga at GLORY 25 MILAN to win the World Featherweight Championship and become the new champion, a remarkable run in such a short space of time. The Amsterdam-based Ukrainian will make his first defense of the belt when he faces Mosab Amrani early in 2016.
Sittichai Sitsongpeenong
Lightweight
Raised in a Muay Thai boxing camp from a young age, Sittichai has fought nearly two hundred times in his native Thailand under Muay Thai rules. His style is suited to kickboxing, which is faster-paced and places more emphasis on finishes, and he has had considerable success in both sports.
Sittichai debuted at GLORY 22 FRANCE by winning the Lightweight Contender Tournament with a stoppage of former champion Davit Kiria and a decision over Josh Jauncey. He then faced champion Robin van Roosmalen at GLORY 25 MILAN and lost a close decision.
The result sparked some controversy. Plenty of fans thought Sittichai should have gotten the nod and that he should now be champion. He doesn't disagree, and if he secures another title shot in the 2016 season you can be sure he will be trying to take the result out of the judge's hands.
Xavier Vigney
Heavyweight
Vigney started the year with a stoppage win at GLORY 19 VIRGINIA back in February, making his official debut for the organization in style. He followed that by winning the GLORY 21 SAN DIEGO Heavyweight Qualification Tournament in May with back-to-back stoppage victories, putting his finish rate in GLORY appearances at 100%.
(Note: Vigney did compete on the local undercard of the GLORY 10 LOS ANGELES card, a card arranged by the local promotion partner and made up of fighters who, at the time, were not signed to GLORY nor part of the rankings, hence it is not counted as his debut).
Yoann Kongolo
Welterweight
Switzerland's Kongolo debuted at GLORY 22 FRANCE with a decision win after a solid performance and was then invited to participate in the GLORY 25 MILAN Welterweight Contender Tournament. There he lost a decision in the semi-finals to the hugely experienced Karim Ghajii of France, though the fight was a war and the decision really could have gone either way.
Kongolo bounced back at GLORY 26 AMSTERDAM with a win over the one-time title challenger Karapet Karapetyan, an impressive victory which sees him finish the year 2-1 in GLORY and in a good position to start his 2016 campaign towards a title shot.
Four nominees for Newcomer of the Year but only one can win – which fighter is your choice? Let us know your pick via the comments box below, our Facebook page or our Twitter feed. Winners will be announced at the start of January.