Back in October 2013, Danyo Ilunga (57-10, 44 KO's) and Michael Duut (38-6, 17 KO's) were matched on the GLORY 11 CHICAGO card. The fight was taking place just X months after both had taken part in the GLORY 9 NEW YORK Light-heavyweight Contender Tournament, which saw Ilunga lose to Tyrone Spong by stoppage in the final.
That stoppage was a little controversial; Ilunga received an early barrage from Spong but covered up and took most of it on the gloves. Spong's forceful blows were forcing Ilunga to make involuntary movements backwards and sideways though and that prompted to referee to step in and wave the fight off.
Ilunga complained about the stoppage afterwards. That prompted Duut, who lost to Spong by KO in the quarter-finals after having himself knocked Spong down moments earlier, to remark that Ilunga should “stop crying” about the result. Duut said that the referee had “saved” Ilunga and that Ilunga should be grateful.
That didn't go down well with Ilunga so when the two were match for GLORY 11 there was some tension between them and a little trash-talk passed back and forth. Duut promised to knock Ilunga out but it was he who lost by TKO in the first round after a ligament snapped in his arm. The damage seemed to come from Duut over-reaching on a punch but regardless, it was credited to Ilunga.
Duut subsequently went on an injury hiatus. He lost to Igor Jurkovic at GLORY 14 ZAGREB, arguably having come back too soon, and then took a full year off to let his arm recover. He returned to the ring earlier this year to take a win on a show in his native Netherlands and is now set to rematch Ilunga on December 10.
Their fight will take place on the GLORY 36 SUPERFIGHT SERIES card which opens the year-ending GLORY: COLLISION mega-show taking place the Konig-Pilsner Arena in Oberhausen, Germany.
Ilunga was the division's #2 when he met Duut for the first time but is 3-5 since then and has slipped to #8 in the rankings. While his latest result, a split-decision loss to Mourad Bouzidi at GLORY 26 AMSTERDAM, ignited some debate, the fact remains that Ilunga has to get back to doing what he does best if he wants to get back to the top of the table.
The stage is set then for a hard-hitting rematch with some bad blood running through it. Both fighters can be expected to go after a finish from early in the fight and either one is capable of securing it.
Watch GLORY 36 SUPERFIGHT SERIES live on UFC FIGHT PASS on Saturday, December 10. The card will be followed by GLORY 36 GERMANY and the evening will then conclude with the four-fight GLORY: COLLISION pay-per-view headlined by Rico Verhoeven and Badr Hari, priced at $29.95 and available through US providers (DISH, DirecTV, iNDemand) and digitally via UFC.tv
