We asked him questions about his preparation for the fight, a possible tournament at Middleweight, his transition from karate to kickboxing and much more. Sergej Braun competes in GLORY’s Middleweight division and is currently the No. 5 ranked middleweight in the Beyond Kickboxing Rankings. Sergej Braun takes on Iliass Hammouche at GLORY 104 which takes place in Rotterdam on October 11th.
The card is headlined by the highly anticipated Tarik Khbabez vs Bahram Rajabzadeh for the vacant GLORY Light Heavyweight title. Also on this card are the qualification matches for both GLORY Last Heavyweight Standing and the GLORY bracket of the GLORY x RISE Last Featherweight Standing.
It’s been a year since we’ve seen you fight in GLORY. How has life been since then? In your last GLORY outing you lost a title fight against GLORY Middleweight champion Donovan Wisse. How did the loss affect you and what have you done since?
In April of this year, I fought at home. I defended my WAKO World Championship title for the fourth time. The fight against Donovan Wisse only made me stronger. I could see that I still need to change a few things in order to come back even stronger.
You are a Kyokushin Karate fighter who transitioned into kickboxing. In the history of the sport there have been a handful of non-Japanese fighters who successfully transitioned from karate to kickboxing. Take for example K-1 World Grand Prix winners Andy Hug and Semmy Schilt. And of course legends like Glaube Feitosa, Nicolas Pettas and Francisco Filho. Did these fighters inspire you to become the fighter you are today? If so, how?
When I was a 13-year-old boy, I sat in front of the TV every Monday because that’s when the K-1 Grand Prix fights were shown in our country. When all those men from Kyokushin Karate fought, it always touched me emotionally. I always thought to myself, I will be just like those guys. These men inspired me a lot. They are still huge role models for me. At Senshi I was lucky enough to meet all of them in person, except of course Andy Hug, who unfortunately passed away far too soon.
At GLORY 104 you will face Ilias Hammouche, a Dutch-Moroccan kickboxer with a high paced Dutch kickboxing style. First of all, what do you think of him and second, how did you prepare for this fight?
He is a good fighter, and at GLORY 104 two different styles will clash. I’m really looking forward to the fight. I’m preparing very hard as always. He recently fought a very good friend of mine, Mesud Selimovic. The two of them put on a great fight. I’m looking forward to meeting a well-prepared Iliass Hammouche in the ring.
It was one of the craziest fights of the year. Hammouche knocked Selimović down twice before getting knocked out with a spinning back fist. What did you think of that fight and did it help you prepare for your match with Hammouche?
I think both of them delivered a very good fight. It was very emotional and really touched me. I also expected that there would be a rematch between the two guys, because they definitely deserve it. Of course, I also watched that fight to see where his strengths are.
You’ll fight Hammouche in his home country. The audience in the arena will most likely be against you. How does this affect you mentally and how will your mindset be when you enter the ring?
By now I’m used to fighting in The Netherlands and having the whole crowd against me. So far, we’ve always managed to win the audience over to our side after the fight. I think it’s great that the people support their fighters so strongly. I’m a guest there, and of course it’s clear that I have to do much more to earn a victory than my opponent who fights in front of his home crowd.
Do you think your fight with Hammouche will be crazy too? And I have to ask this, do you think the fight ends with a knockout?
I will give everything from my side to deliver a strong fight. I also hope he is ready for it. I will give my all to leave this fight as the winner.
According to GLORY’s website you are the number 3-ranked Middleweight on the roster, while Iliass Hammouche isn’t ranked at all. Do you think you deserved a fight with someone from the top 5? For example a rematch with Serkan Ozcaglayan or a trilogy fight with Michael Boapeah?
I also expected to get a fight against one of those three guys, but I was very surprised when they gave me Iliass Hammouche as my opponent. Touchassie called me out loudly after his last fight [against Serkan Ozcaglayan]. I would have no problem having a second fight against him.
If you defeat Iliass Hammouche. Who do you want next and why?
My goal is the GLORY title at 85 kg!
Have you been watching the GLORY Last Heavyweight Standing tournament? You are known for spectacular techniques. In your match with Mohamed Touchassie you broke his jaw with a spinning back kick, dubbed the Braun Buster. Did you see Levi Rigters spinning back kick knockout over Jamal Ben Saddik? What did you think of his technique and the knockout?
I saw the fight and I think it’s great that the guys are trying out new techniques, because that makes our sport much more spectacular. For the audience, I believe it’s very exciting to see such unexpected things, which also have a big impact.
Can we have a prediction: Who do you think wins the Last Heavyweight Standing tournament?
It is very hard to say who will win the tournament. All of the guys are very strong. In a tournament, a lot also depends on how much luck you have in order not to get injured, to move on to the next rounds, and to win. I wish everyone an injury-free tournament, and may the better man win.
This year GLORY has been focusing a lot on the heavyweight division, resulting in less fights for other divisions. Leaving many fighters frustrated because of the lack of fights. Some even left GLORY. What do you think of this? And what does it mean to you that you get a chance to fight at GLORY 104?
It is important that fighters compete regularly in order to show a good level of fights. You need at least four fights a year to stay active as a fighter. Less than that, unfortunately, doesn’t make sense. I think it’s a shame that the other divisions don’t get the opportunity to fight more often at GLORY. Personally, I haven’t fought for a whole year at GLORY now. I would like to see the other weight classes get the same attention as the heavyweights, so that the fighters can also develop well.
Fans have been asking for a tournament in the Middleweight division for a while now. It would be the first GLORY 8-man Middleweight tournament since GLORY Last Man Standing in 2014. Imagine a tournament with fighters like Donovan Wisse, Michael Boapeah, Ulric Bokeme, Serkan Ozcaglayan and yourself. Is this something that interests you? And why (not)?
I would really love to have an 8-man tournament in our weight division. A tournament is very exciting not only for the fans but also for the fighters, because you really need a lot of luck to get through the rounds without injuries. I hope that in the next few months we will see a tournament take place in our weight class.
At 36-years old you are one of the oldest kickboxers on the roster. You are a veteran of the sport. What is your goal in kickboxing going into the future?
My goal is to be a great role model for my children and my students, and to show them that in life you must never give up as long as you are breathing.
Lastly, what do you want to say to your fans?
Enjoy life and be good role models for the young generation.
