Van Roosmalen: “I proved I am the best in the world at this weight”

“Andy Ristie is a warrior, but I am just a better fighter.”

That is the verdict from Robin van Roosmalen (34-6, 19 KO’s) as he looks back on his successful defense of the GLORY World Lightweight Championship title in the main event of GLORY 20 DUBAI on Saturday night.

Having suffered a knockout loss to Andy Ristie (44-5-1, 24 KO’s) in the final of the GLORY 12 NEW YORK lightweight tournament, and with Ristie having knocked out two more opponents on his way to this title shot, Van Roosmalen found himself the underdog despite also being champion.

“I defended my belt and won the rematch, what more can I say? I proved I am number one,” he says. “I like to prove people wrong and I like being the underdog, I am comfortable in that role.

“I know how good I am and in my mind I am always the world champion, it doesn’t matter against who. So that was the only pressure for me, I just wanted to prove that I am the best in the world.”

Van Roosmalen feels his head movement and punching were particularly sharp in the fight but also that at times he was “sometimes a little bit sloppy, because I fought with emotion.” As for Ristie, “he has got hard knees, hard punches, but I didn’t go down.”

Ristie did go down though, twice. Both knockdowns were in the fourth round and a third and final knockdown looked to be imminent. But the bell sounded the end of the round right as Ristie beat the second count, buying him a much-needed rest.

“I thought maybe if the round was a little bit longer I would have finished him. I don’t know what I hit him with to put him down but I got two knockdowns so I am happy with that,” says Van Roosmalen.

“He is a great fighter, don’t get me wrong, he is a real warrior , he always comes to fight just like me, but I am just a better fighter.”

The only sour moment of the night for Van Roosmalen was when Ristie came over after the fight to say something. Van Roosmalen assumed he was about to be congratulated but instead found himself on the receiving end of accusations he found offensive.

“He [came over and] was saying that I [must have] used drugs before the fight. That was such a stupid thing to say because I am a really clean fighter. I only use protein… I don’t know if that is drugs, but I always eat healthy and I am not a cheater,” Van Roosmalen scowls.

“I told him we can p--s together and let them check [our samples]. I know I am 100% clean.”

The win means that Van Roosmalen becomes the second GLORY champion to successfully defend a belt (Rico Verhoeven was the first, at GLORY 19). He has also avenged one of his two losses in GLORY. The other was at the hands of Giorgio Petrosyan, which makes that seem like a natural rematch.

Van Roosmalen wants the fight: “For me it doesn’t matter. If GLORY want to put me against Petrosyan or any other fighter, I am ready. I want to prove that I am the world champion so I have to defend the belt against anybody.”

GLORY’s next event takes place Friday May 8 as GLORY 21 SAN DIEGO rolls into southern California with the World Middleweight Championship on the line.

Artem ‘The Lion’ Levin will defend the belt against Simon ‘Bad Bwoy’ Marcus in a bitter grudge rematch - Marcus holds a win over Levin under Muay Thai rules and the two have already been trash-talking in advance of their California encounter.