10-21-2016, 06:29 PM
Israel Adesanya ready for Glory as Kiwi closes in on prestigious world kickboxing crown
Israel Adesanya is contesting a four-man eliminator tournament in Denver with the winner granted a shot at the Glory ...
Boxer Joseph Parker may not be the only Kiwi fighter set for a high-profile title shot with Israel Adesanya on the verge of challenging for the middleweight championship in the world's premier kickboxing promotion.
Adesanya has been on a tear in China recently and on Saturday (NZ time) the flamboyant Nigerian-born fighter has the chance to make a major statement when he takes part in a four-man contender tournament at Glory 34 in Denver.
Glory features the best kickboxers on the planet with events held across the United States, Europe and Asia. Earlier this year the organisation signed a multi-year broadcasting deal with American sports network ESPN.
Adesanya (31-2, 14 KOs) has been drawn against Canadian Robert Thomas (8-4, 5 KOs), while the opposite bracket features Brazil's Ariel Machado (43-7, 33 KOs) against Dutchman Yousri Belgaroui (18-1, 9 KOs) of the Netherlands.
The winner of the tournament has been guaranteed a shot at middleweight champion, heavy-hitting Dutchman Jason Wilnis.
While Adesanya is only making his second appearance in the promotion, he was won his last four fights, including a unanimous decision over FIlip Verlinden who beat the 27-year-old in his Glory debut two years ago.
His most recent victory was a clinical second-round knockout over Romanian Bogdan Stoica, who is also on the Glory roster, and has been training in Denver since the beginning of the month to acclimatise to the high altitude.
Nicknamed the 'Style Bender' due to his diverse offensive skills and unique movement, Adesanya has no doubt he will be the last man standing on Saturday.
"I'm coming there to shake the place up and claim the throne. I already put them on notice, they know I'm a threat," Adesanya told the Glory Kickboxing website.
"I'm not like these other guys. A lot of them fight like punching bags with arms, they sit there ready to take shots. I fight smart and use my full range of skills to shut guys down. I adapt, adjust and overcome."
Depending on results, Adesanya could square off against Belgaroui in the final, who he oupointed in August to hand the Dutchman his first loss.
Belgaroui was furious after the decision and took aim at Adesanya's corner.
But the Auckland-based fighter was only happy to return serve and believes Belgaroui has little business being in the same ring as him.
"I beat him and I had one of the worst fights in my career," Adesanya added.
"I actually think he's in here because I helped him by fighting such a bad fight and making him look better then what he actually is."
Adesanya is joined on the card by fellow New Zealand-based fighter Mike 'Blood Diamond' Tambo.
Tambo, the 2015 King of the Ring champion, is up against seventh-ranked welterweight, American Richard Abraham.
- Stuff
Israel Adesanya is contesting a four-man eliminator tournament in Denver with the winner granted a shot at the Glory ...
Boxer Joseph Parker may not be the only Kiwi fighter set for a high-profile title shot with Israel Adesanya on the verge of challenging for the middleweight championship in the world's premier kickboxing promotion.
Adesanya has been on a tear in China recently and on Saturday (NZ time) the flamboyant Nigerian-born fighter has the chance to make a major statement when he takes part in a four-man contender tournament at Glory 34 in Denver.
Glory features the best kickboxers on the planet with events held across the United States, Europe and Asia. Earlier this year the organisation signed a multi-year broadcasting deal with American sports network ESPN.
Adesanya (31-2, 14 KOs) has been drawn against Canadian Robert Thomas (8-4, 5 KOs), while the opposite bracket features Brazil's Ariel Machado (43-7, 33 KOs) against Dutchman Yousri Belgaroui (18-1, 9 KOs) of the Netherlands.
The winner of the tournament has been guaranteed a shot at middleweight champion, heavy-hitting Dutchman Jason Wilnis.
While Adesanya is only making his second appearance in the promotion, he was won his last four fights, including a unanimous decision over FIlip Verlinden who beat the 27-year-old in his Glory debut two years ago.
His most recent victory was a clinical second-round knockout over Romanian Bogdan Stoica, who is also on the Glory roster, and has been training in Denver since the beginning of the month to acclimatise to the high altitude.
Nicknamed the 'Style Bender' due to his diverse offensive skills and unique movement, Adesanya has no doubt he will be the last man standing on Saturday.
"I'm coming there to shake the place up and claim the throne. I already put them on notice, they know I'm a threat," Adesanya told the Glory Kickboxing website.
"I'm not like these other guys. A lot of them fight like punching bags with arms, they sit there ready to take shots. I fight smart and use my full range of skills to shut guys down. I adapt, adjust and overcome."
Depending on results, Adesanya could square off against Belgaroui in the final, who he oupointed in August to hand the Dutchman his first loss.
Belgaroui was furious after the decision and took aim at Adesanya's corner.
But the Auckland-based fighter was only happy to return serve and believes Belgaroui has little business being in the same ring as him.
"I beat him and I had one of the worst fights in my career," Adesanya added.
"I actually think he's in here because I helped him by fighting such a bad fight and making him look better then what he actually is."
Adesanya is joined on the card by fellow New Zealand-based fighter Mike 'Blood Diamond' Tambo.
Tambo, the 2015 King of the Ring champion, is up against seventh-ranked welterweight, American Richard Abraham.
- Stuff