Elvis Gashi (19-0,9 KO’s) stormed into the GLORY lightweight division by stopping Josh Jauncey at GLORY 43 NEW YORK back in July. His aggressive style proved an instant hit with the fans. Now he’s preparing to entertain them again as he returns to Madison Square Garden, the scene of that emphatic win, for GLORY 48 NEW YORK on Friday, December 1. “I hope to show another exciting fight that I believe will end in a knockout. I am always trying to put a hammering on my opponents,” says the Bronx resident. “The win over Jauncey felt great! I first remember watching him in GLORY two years ago. He was a young guy fighting at the highest level and doing well. I dreamed of doing the same thing. “Beating him proved to everyone that I deserve to be at that high level also. Giving him his only KO loss in his career is a huge boost for my confidence.” Gashi was born in Peje, Kosovo-Albania but his family was forced to move because of the Kosovo-Serbia war: more than 80% of the buildings in the town were destroyed, including his father's mechanic and garage businesses. Having made a new life for himself in The Bronx, New York, Gashi is one of the 8.5 million people who count themselves as proud New Yorkers. He has as many friends in his new home as he did in his birthplace and he’s looking forward to making all of them proud. “Fighting in New York at Madison Square Garden, for me it feels just like fighting at home in Kosovo. I have a lot of people who support me in Kosovo and a lot of people who support me here. “Fighting at MSG, the mecca where Ali, Tyson and other legends fought, is a dream and an honor.” On December 1, Gashi is facing Nate Richardson (11-2, 5 KO’s). The two share some similarities: they are both 1-0 in GLORY and both have similar backstories: Richardson was born in Liberia but his family were forced to flee a civil war, which is how he ended up in the United States. “I know Nate Richardson has a win over a Serbian champion, but he’s never faced a real Albanian fighter like me. I don't know much else about him. I don’t really care to watch videos of my opponents. I just know what I am going to do and he has to deal with that.” GLORY 48 NEW YORK takes place Friday, December 1 in The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City. Gashi and Richardson will throw down on the Superfight Series section of the card, which airs live worldwide on UFC Fight Pass between 7.30pm and 9.30pm Eastern Time.
