From a young gunslinger making his debut onto the world stage to an all-action finisher looking for redemption, here are five fighters to watch at GLORY 99: Last Heavyweight Standing. The tournament takes place on April 5th in Rotterdam.
5. AHMED KRNJIC
Ahmed Krnjic (14-3-1) vs. Alin Nechita (16-1)
Bosnia’s Ahmed Krnjic looks to make his GLORY debut an impressive one as he takes on Romanian youngster Alin Nechita. Krnjic is returning to kickboxing after a brief foray into professional boxing, where he knocked out his countryman Djordje Tomic back home in Sarajevo.
Representing Bosnia and Herzegovina, Krnjic’s 14-3 (1NC) record includes wins over current SENSHI top contender Bruno Chaves and Estonian power puncher Uku Jurjendal.
A former SENSHI champion himself, the highlight of Krnjic’s career so far is his one round dismantling of fellow tournament participant and GLORY veteran Brian Douwes. “Bosnian Steel” showed his mettle from the opening bell, taking command of the ring and bulldozing Douwes with knees and punches to the body and head.
Douwes barely had time to catch his breath before a left high kick crashed into the side of his head and sent him to the canvas. Despite partially blocking the kick, Douwes could not make the count, and the fight was stopped with less than 60 seconds of the first round to go.
Krnjic’s combination work is incredibly impressive. Where some athletes fall in love with their power and only look for highlight reel knockouts with a single shot, Krnjic utilises a full kickboxing arsenal to dismantle his opponents from the ground up, punishing them with brutal body work to set up a deadly high kick.
His ability to bully fighters in the ring and dangerous knockout power throughout his arsenal makes Ahmed Krnjic an intriguing prospect in his GLORY 99 contest.
4. ALIN NECHITA
Alin Nechita (16-1) vs. Ahmed Krnjic (14-3-1)
Though Alin Nechita is the youngest of the five Romanian athletes lacing up the gloves on Saturday, don’t mistake his youth for naivety as he takes on Ahmed Krnjic in his opening round contest.
A punishing power puncher, Nechita fights like a young Mike Tyson or Gokhan Saki, landing sickening overhands and hooks before swarming his wounded opponent, looking for a kill shot.
What happens if he can't finish the fight early?
Nechita knows how to fight like an old pro; his fight with Winfried Jops saw the judges’ scorecards after three tough rounds, and both fighters were drenched in sweat as the result was told.
It was Nechita's ability to work in the clinch that secured him the win. As Jops looked to impose his massive size on the younger man, Nechita continued to stay busy and punished him for any attempts to stall.
The ability to work in the clinch and dole out punishment is vital for Nechita. Standing at 5 foot 9 inches, he is a man amongst giants in the heavyweight division.
But the bigger they are the harder they fall, and when you have power like Nechita, the big men tend to fall hard.
As Nechita and Krnjic face off in the opening round, one of them will face the uncertainty of the phase two qualifying stage in order to continue in the tournament. We could be about to witness the underdog of the year in this bout between two young gunslingers.
3. RADE OPACIC
Rade Opacic (21-6) vs. Nico Pereira Horta (23-10)
A natural heavyweight standing at 6 foot 7 inches, Rade Opacic has developed from a raw gem to a polished diamond as he enters his matchup with “Big Sexy” Nico Horta.
Arriving in GLORY off the back of two wins in SENSHI and a 7-1 record in ONE FC, Opacic has tested himself against the world's elite and passed with flying colours.
His most impressive performance saw him produce a second-round knockout of Errol Zimmerman in his ONE FC debut, showing the world just how dangerous this bruiser from Belgrade can be.
A K-1 veteran with over 100 contests on his resume, Zimmerman looked to rough up his much younger foe in the early exchanges, battering the Serb's legs with inside low kicks.
Whatever Zimmerman threw, Opacic responded with power, targeting Errol’s body with vicious kicks and forcing the Dutchman to respond with looping punches to try and get close to his opponent.
The fight ending shot arrived like a freight train in the second round: a picture-perfect spinning heel kick crashed into Errol’s jaw at high speed, sending him with a first-class ticket to the canvas.
Stopping a legend like Zimmerman bodes extremely well for Opacic in the Last Heavyweight Standing tournament.
Not only does it take great skill to defeat a legend like Errol, the composure and lack of fear on display will be something he will look to harness in the tournament.
GLORY’s heavyweight tournament roster includes K-1 veterans, tournament winners and psychological warriors, so Opacic cannot be caught up in the bright lights and the spectacle if he is to be successful in Rotterdam and beyond.
If he performs like he did against Zimmerman, it will be Rade Opacic’s name in the bright lights, and it will certainly be a spectacle.
2. MORY KROMAH
Mory Kromah (30-3-1) vs. Nicolas Wamba (43-9)
Stepping up to the plate for his heavyweight debut in GLORY on the biggest stage of them all is no small feat, but Mory Kromah wouldn’t have it any other way.
A natural showman, Kromah’s intricate walkouts are beautifully choreographed and show off a flair that he carries with him into the ring.
Standing at 6 foot 4 inches, “The Black Ghost” will not be undersized at heavyweight as he enters the GLORY ring. Whereas many of his opponents are big and bulky, Kromah is all about being silky and smooth.
Kromah’s best asset is his ability to fire lightning-fast high kicks and knees with brutal stopping power, something former opponent Mohamed Amine found out the hard way.
Entering hostile territory in Antwerp to a chorus of boos, Kromah viciously attacked Amine early with knees to the body, moving in and out of space like a cobra preparing to dig its fangs into a rat.
After acquainting Amine with the canvas multiple times across the opening two rounds, commentators Todd Grisham and Joseph Valtellini questioned if Kromah’s power was still there as the second stanza came to a close.
Kromah provided the crushing crescendo with 12 seconds left, flattening his Moroccan opponent with a flying knee to end the contest with a flourish.
At 25 years old, Kromah is still a young man in his kickboxing career. If he continues to improve at his current rate, we could be looking at a future champion at either Light-Heavyweight or Heavyweight.
Possessing speed, power and flair, Mory Kromah is definitely one to keep an eye on in the GLORY Last Heavyweight Standing tournament.
1. BAHRAM RAJABZADEH
Bahram Rajabzadeh (70-4) vs. Brian Douwes (44-32)
A kickboxing cyclone who destroys everything in his wake, Azerbaijan’s Bahram Rajabzadeh will look to leave no man left standing as he faces K-1 veteran Brian Douwes at GLORY 99.
Donning his iconic gladiatorial shorts in the ring, “The Golden Wolf” evokes the days of the Roman colosseum whenever he enters battle, entertaining the adoring crowd with his relentless pressure and devastating knockout power.
A deadly combination of speed and power has overwhelmed his opposition inside the GLORY ring and beyond, with 61 of his 70 wins ending without the need for the judges’ scorecards.
Opponents such as Luis Tavares and Ibrahim El Bouni were swept aside by “The Golden Wolf’s” power, with Tavares hitting the canvas after a crushing high kick and El Bouni being brutalised with four knockdowns before the fight was mercifully stopped.
Entering both GLORY’s Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight tournaments since his permanent arrival in the promotion in 2023, Rajabzadeh was the dark horse of many to pick up at least one of the two tournament titles.
The fact he didn’t win either tournament and still is one of the most feared fighters on the roster shows just how dangerous he is. Despite losing to Levi Rigters and Donegi Abena, Rajabzadeh left a trail of destruction on his way to the finals.
Expectations for Bahram are sky high after his destructive performances; the question remains about his high output style and how that will last as he has two or three fights in one night.
Bahram will want to make up for his previous losses more than anyone else, as he is aware that he lost in the semi finals and final of tournaments before and will look to adjust accordingly.
Arguably the most exciting fighter on the entire GLORY roster, Bahram Rajabzadeh will have the eyes of the kickboxing world on him when he takes on Douwes at GLORY 99.
