Muay Thai champion Niclas Larsen (39-6-1, 18KOâs) will face Andy âThe Machineâ Ristie at this weekendâs GLORY 10 LOS ANGELES event.
He replaces young Swedish prospect Sanny Dahlbeck, who has had to withdraw from the bout for personal reasons.
Ristie (38-3-1, 19 KOâs) is ranked #3 in the world but Danish lightweight Larsen has made a career of stepping in at late notice to take big fights and actually considers the practice to be lucky for him.
âI got the call Sunday, my trained phoned me and asked if I wanted to fight for GLORY and I said âYes of course!â - its a huge opportunity. I thought âWell, why not?ââ he explains.
âIn April I fought for a world title on two weeks notice and won. I also recently fought for SuperPro in Europe on one week notice and won the fight. I like that kind of pressure. I train all the time so I am always ready to take an opportunity.
âI really think he is a strong opponent and I like his way of fighting, its similar to my fighting style. I think it makes for a good match-up. I really want to show that when I fight people who are aggressive I really fit that style, its perfect for me. It couldnât be better, I think its lucky for me really.â
And while Ristie might have a full training camp behind him for this weekendâs event, Larsen doesnât necessarily think that is an advantage. Ristie has been preparing for a tricky southpaw; Larsen is tricky but orthodox.
âI donât think thereâs too many similarities between me and Sanny. Heâs a southpaw so I donât think we have similar styles. I donât think thereâs anything that Ristie can have prepared for Sanny which will be directly applicable to me,â Larsen says.
Despite the tough task ahead of him, Larsen maintains that all he is thinking about is a great fight. Ristie is well known for being flamboyant and so is Larsen, thanks to his penchant for flying knees and flying kicks.
âMostly I fought in Muay Thai but I have fought under similar rules to GLORY before. I like to be creative, I move a lot. I use my knees a lot, just like Ristie, thatâs one way we are similar, and I like to make a good show for the fans,â he says.
Also joining the GLORY 10 card on late notice is Robert Plotkin, who formed part of the GLORY 9 NEW YORK undercard and impressed the organization with his skills and aggression. After scoring a first-round TKO of Casey Greene he was told to keep himself ready and await his next GLORY call-up; now he has it.
He faces Wayne Barrett in a middleweight tournament reserve match. The two have met once before, when they were on the amateur circuit in the New York area. Now their skills have brought them to the worldâs premier professional league. Barrett won the first meeting - can Plotkin settle the score as a pro?
GLORY 10 LOS ANGELES takes place this Saturday September 28 at the Citizen Bank Arena in Ontario, Los Angeles, California. The eventâs centerpiece is a four-man middleweight tournament which will see a new champion crowned.
