Last week, GLORY presented Russian fighter Asadulla Nasipov as the latest participant for its 32-man Last Heavyweight Standing tournament, officially ending almost three years of banishment of Russian fighters in the promotion. In response to an inquiry, a GLORY spokesperson told Beyond Kickboxing:
“GLORY is pleased to confirm that fighters from all countries are welcome to compete in GLORY.”
In June 2022, four months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, GLORY terminated the contracts of all its signed Russian athletes, citing "a variety of obstacles that made it impossible to arrange bouts for Russian fighters."
The ban affected several popular fighters, including Artem Vakhitov, Dmitry Menshikov, and Aleksei Ulianov, who were forced to seek opportunities in other promotions—or, in Vakhitov's case, transition to a different sport.
According to the promotion they were forced into the decision because of the many challenges that erupted with the sanctions towards Russia including travel bans, safety concerns, payment blockages, and unwilling opponents.
Controversy arose however when prominent Russian kickboxers spoke up about GLORY’s decision. Then-light heavyweight champion Artem Vakhitov claimed he first learned about his release through social media and later refuted GLORY’s justification for the ban in an interview—but to no avail.
GLORY has not elaborated on what specifically led to its reversal, leaving it unclear what circumstances have changed for the promotion to reinstate Russian fighters.
ASADULLA NASIPOV
Only 23 years of age, Asadulla Nasipov will be one of the youngest contenders in the Last Heavyweight Standing tournament and certainly a fighter to keep an eye on. In 2021, the Russian won the WAKO World Championship in a strong contender field that included fellow tournament participants Bahram Rajabzadeh, Ahmed Krnjic and Miroslav Vucovic.
Nasipov will be looking to impress the GLORY fans on the 5th of april at GLORY 99 with the technical combinations and footwork that characterize the Russian kickboxing style so much.
