Kevin Vannostrand (16-1,11 KO’s) and Anvar Boynazarov (91-23-2, 53 KO’s) square off this Friday night in the main event of GLORY 48 NEW YORK, with the interim featherweight championship on the line. Both have placed highly in recent Featherweight Contender Tournaments, Vannonstrand winning his four-man contest at GLORY 43 NEW YORK Featherweight Contender Tournament in July and Boynazarov coming runner-up in the GLORY 47 LYON tournament last month. Vannostrand had originally been set to challenge reigning featherweight champion Robin van Roosmalen for his belt at this Friday’s event, but with Van Roosmalen having suffered an eye injury in his last title defense, and also being in contract renegotiation, the decision was made to schedule an interim championship fight instead. Van Roosmalen will be waiting for whichever fighter wins this Friday’s fight. He expects it to be Boynazarov, based on ‘The Uzbek’s power. Boynazarov forcefully demonstrated that power when he stopped Fabio Pinca in Lyon, the first stoppage loss of the decorated French fighter’s career. “I think Anvar wins it. He’s composed, relaxed, more powerful. Vannostrand has a lot of crazy moves but he doesn’t have the gas tank to keep that up for five rounds, in my opinion,” says Van Roosmalen. “Anvar likes to bang so he would be a great fight for me but Vannostrand wouldn’t be a problem for me either. Whoever wins that interim belt, that’s as close as they are getting. The gold stays with me, silver is all they’re going to touch!” Van Roosmalen (38-7, 21 KO’s) also confirmed that he now has the all-clear from doctors regarding his eye injury and is back in training as he waits to see what’s next for him. In the meantime, he will be paying close attention to this week’s fight between Vannonstrand and Boynazarov, which takes place in The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, this Friday December 1. The event airs live on the US on ESPN 3 from 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT and will replay on ESPN2 at 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT the following evening, Saturday, Dec 2.
