The opening round of GLORY’s Last Heavyweight Standing tournament kicked off in exciting fashion on Saturday night with explosive knockouts and standout performances throughout the evening.
Thirty-two monstrous heavyweights took to the GLORY ring in an all-heavyweight fight card where sixteen moved onto the next round at GLORY 100 this June.
Heavyweight favourite Jamal Ben Saddik (38-9, 29 KO) was victorious in the main event against the durable Cristian Ristea (44-26, 12 KO). ‘The Goliath’ earned a hard-fought unanimous decision victory and punched his ticket onto the next round.
In the co-main event, Bahram Rajabzadeh (71-4, 63 KO) got his seventh GLORY knockout over the veteran Brian Douwes (42-27-1, 31 KO). ‘The Golden Wolf’s’ pace and strength were too much for Douwes, knocking him down three times in the very first round forcing the referee to call a stop to the action.
Former interim champion Tariq Osaro (27-4-1, 14 KO) scored a first-round knockout over Benjamin Adegbuyi (35-9, 20 KO). Fan-favourite ‘Big Sexy’ Nico Horta (24-10, 4 KO) scored a huge upset win against the debuting Rade Opacic (21-7, 16 KO), folding the Serbian with a devastating right hand. France’s Sofian Laidouni (38-4-1, 19 KO) had a career best performance in stopping Ukrainian Oleh Pryimachov (16-6, 5 KO) in spectacular fashion. Serbia’s Miloš Cvjetićanin (12-3, 8 KO) overcame a sixty kilogram weight differential to score an entertaining split decision win over Nabil Khachab (29-6-1, 4 KO).
Other victors moving onto the next round include ‘The Romanian Tank’ Ionut Iancu (31-10, 13 KO) with a patented peformance, Asadulla Nasipov (11-1, 5 KO), Tomas Mozny (22-10, 7 KO), Alin Nechita (17-1, 7 KO), Mory Kromah (32-3-1, 18 KO), twins Asdren Gashi (18-4-1, 9 KO) and Luigj Gashi (16-4, 4 KO), Anis Bouzid (46-4, 37 KO), ‘The Beast’ Colin George (24-12, 22 KO), and Iraj Azizpour (70-7, 28 KO) thanks to a spinning backfist.
GLORY 99: Last Heavyweight Standing Results
Jamal Ben Saddik (38-9, 29 KO) def. Cristian Ristea (44-26, 13 KO) via Unanimous Decision (30-27 x 5).
Bahram Rajabzadeh (71-4, 63 KO) def. Brian Douwes (42-27-1, 31 KO) via KO, round 1, 2:41.
Tariq Osaro (27-4-1, 14 KO) def. Benjamin Adegbuyi (35-9, 20 KO) via KO, round 1, 1:59.
Nico Horta (24-10, 4 KO) def. Rade Opačić (21-7, 16 KO) via KO, round 2, 2:52.
Miloš Cvjetićanin (12-3, 8 KO) def. Nabil Khachab (29-6-1, 4 KO) via Split Decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27, 28-29 x 2).
Sofian Laïdouni (38-4-1, 19 KO) def. Oleh Pryimachov (16-6, 5 KO) via KO, round 1, 1:47
Asadulla Nasipov (11-1, 5 KO) def. Murat Aygün (32-5, 8 KO) via Unanimous Decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27 x 3).
Mory Kromah (32-3-1, 18 KO) def. Nicolas Wamba (75-8, 24 KO) via TKO, round 2, 1:32.
Tomáš Možný (22-10, 7 KO) def. Sina Karimian (16-5, 8 KO) via Unanimous Decision (29-27 x3, 30-26 x2).
Alin Nechita (17-1, 7 KO) def. Ahmed Krnjić (14-4-1, 4 KO) via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-27 x4).
Ionut Iancu (31-10, 13 KO) def. Cihad Kepenek (23-8, 16 KO) via TKO, round 1, 3:00.
Iraj Azizpour (70-7, 28 KO) def. Yuri Farcas (13-4-1, 6 KO) via KO, round 2, 1:17.
Asdren Gashi (18-4-1, 9 KO) def. Nidal Bchiri (19-4-1, 4 KO) via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28 x 4).
Colin George (24-12, 22 KO) def. Miroslav Vujovic (11-8, 8 KO) via KO, round 2, 2:01.
Anis Bouzid (46-4, 37 KO) def. Nathan Cook (7-3, 6 KO) via KO, round 1, 0:28.
Luigj Gashi (16-4, 4 KO) def. Petr Romankevich (29-10, 10 KO) via Unanimous Decision (29-7, 30-26 x4).
GLORY 100 Groups | June 13 & 14
GROUP A
Colin George (24-12, 22 KO) vs. Nico Horta (24-10, 3 KO)
Miloš Cvjetićanin (12-3, 8 KO) vs. Tomáš Možný (22-10, 7 KO)
GROUP B
Mory Kromah (32-3-1, 19 KO) vs. Alin Nechita (17-1, 7 KO)
Bahram Rajabzadeh (71-4, 62 KO) vs. Asdren Gashi (19-4-1, 9 KO)
GROUP C
Tariq Osaro (27-4-1, 14 KO, Nigeria/NL) vs. Luigj Gashi (16-4, 4 KO)
Jamal Ben Saddik (37-9, 30 KO) vs. Sofian Laïdouni (38-4-1, 19 KO)
GROUP D
Ionut Iancu (31-10, 13 KO) vs. Iraj Azizpour (70-7, 28 KO)
Asadulla Nasipov (11-1, 5 KO) vs. Anis Bouzid (46-4, 37 KO)