For the welterweight division, GLORY 42 PARIS will be one of the most important cards of 2017. Five of the world's top ten welterweights are appearing on the card and the event also marks the debut of Yohan Lidon (92-35-1, 55 KO's).
Lidon has multiple world and French national championships to his name from such governing bodies as the ISKA, WKN and WAKO. But now he wants to make his mark in GLORY and capture the GLORY World Welterweight Championship to make himself the undisputed best in the world at this weight.
Standing opposite him in the GLORY 42 SUPERFIGHT SERIES headliner will be Yoann Kongolo (64-9, 46 KO's), two-time GLORY title challenger and current occupant of the #1 contender slot in the rankings. A win over Kongolo, who is coming off a failed attempt to take the belt from Cedric Doumbé, would be huge for Lidon.
The main event of GLORY 42 PARIS features Doumbé defending his title against Nieky Holzken, who he took the belt from at GLORY COLLISION back in December. Lidon holds a 2014 decision win over Doumbé and is confident he can repeat the feat, but Kongolo also held two prior wins over Doumbé prior to the one-sided loss to him at GLORY 39 BRUSSELS earlier this year.
But before either fighter can think about another meeting with Doumbé, they must first contend with each other. This will be the first time they have fought and stylistically they are very well suited. Kongolo, who is also a professional boxer, tends to use his hands and press forwards while Lidon, who comes from a Muay Thai-focused gym, tends to kick and counter-kick heavily.
For a perfect example of what Lidon can do to a fighter coming forward trying to batter him with punches, look at his finish of one-time GLORY title challenger Karapet Karapetyan last year. That head kick, perfectly set up by an earlier body kick, is the only stoppage loss of Karapetyan's entire 14-year career.
At the same time, there are few fighters in kickboxing right now who can bring the kind of hand-skills and pressure that Kongolo does. And whichever fighter can force the other to play his game on the night will be the one who takes the win in Paris.
