The return of the eight-man, one-night tournament takes place on Saturday June 21 as GLORY presents ‘Last Man Standing’. The event airs on pay-per-view directly after GLORY 17 LOS ANGELES airs live and free on Spike TV.
These eight middleweights are willing to lay it all on the line for the World Title, but only one can emerge as champion.
#1 ARTEM LEVIN (47-4-1)
Ranked #1 in the world, Russian standout Levin has been the uncrowned champion of the division for some time. A decorated Muay Thai champion, he was the favorite to win the four-man GLORY 10 tournament last year but was upset by Joe Schilling. He goes into this tournament looking for the world championship and revenge.
#2 JOE SCHILLING (16-5-0)
Los Angeles-based Schilling is an experienced Muay Thai fighter who has held multiple world titles. He scored a huge upset win when he beat Kengo Shimizu and Artem Levin to become GLORY’s first Middleweight Tournament winner. An aggressive and dynamic fighter, Schilling will have big crowd support here in his hometown.
#3 WAYNE BARRETT (4-0-0)
Don’t let the record of Wayne Barrett fool you – this American fighter is a serious threat. An experienced amateur boxer, karate fighter, and Muay Thai stylist, Barrett made his professional debut just last year, and has fought all but one of his pro fights under the bright lights of GLORY. His GLORY run includes two major highlight reel KO’s and a win over Joe Schilling, who was fresh off his own tournament victory. A potential Schilling vs. Barrett rematch is one of the big stories to watch for here.
#4 FILIP VERLINDEN (41-11-1)
This Belgian fighter is an accomplished veteran who has fought at the highest levels of the sport. An incredibly durable fighter, Verlinden has gone the distance with the world’s very best, including Tyrone Spong, Danyo Ilunga, and Remy Bonjasky. Verlinden has fought more of his career in the higher weight classes. At GLORY 15 Gokhan Saki showed that a fighter dropping down in weight can make a big impact. Can Verlinden replicate that success here?
#6 ALEX PEREIRA (13-1-0)
Brazil’s Pereira earned this spot by winning the GLORY 14 Zagreb Middleweight Contender tournament. An underdog in that event, former professional boxer Pereira punched his ticket with a brutal KO of Dustin Jacoby and a hard fought win over the world-class Sahak Parparyan. One of the tallest fighters in the division, Pereira will look to use his height and deceptive power to score another upset tournament victory.
#9 BOGDAN STOICA (38-5-0) Glory debut
The “Bucharest Bad Boy” Bogdan Stoica is a product of the excellent kickboxing scene in Romania. There, alongside his brother and fellow Glory fighter Andrei Stoica, Bogdan earned quite a reputation thanks to his fearsome power and exciting style. In 2012, a motorcycle accident nearly ended Stoica’s career, but he has since made a full recovery and is back to his hard-hitting ways. Watch out for his high-flying antics and his ability to end a fight at any given moment.
MELVIN MANHOEF (37-11-0 Overall) Glory debut
Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef is a veteran fighter who has competed for K-1, Strikeforce, and many more. This ferocious pitbull of a fighter made a name for himself in both MMA and kickboxing through his extremely heavy hands and brutal style. Just how heavy are Manhoef’s infamous hands? In 2008, he KO’d the famously iron-chinned Mark Hunt in just 18 seconds. Don’t blink when No Mercy hits the ring.
SIMON MARCUS (39-0-1 Overall) Glory debut
Rounding out the tournament is another huge signing for Glory whose record speaks for itself. 40 fights, no losses. Marcus holds wins over tournament participants Levin, Schilling, and Verlinden plus numerous high-level wins literally all over the world. Make no mistake, this multi-time world champion could very well take GLORY gold back to Canada on his first night in the organization.
By Fraser Coffeen, BloodyElbow.com / SBNation.com
