GLORY 96 has come and gone and as the dust settles, let’s take a step back to examine the new GLORY landscape.
Number 5 - Bobo Sacko needs to change his style
The featherweight match-up on the card saw big implications for the division’s rankings as #3 ranked Denis Wosik took on #7 Bobo Sacko. Despite the crowd’s high hopes heading into the fight, ultimately the contest would not live up to expectation with Sacko’s flashes of striking brilliance marred by extensive clinching. Finding it difficult to shake the habit so encouraged by Muay Thai, Sacko received a point deduction in the second round which saw the fight go to a sudden death round which Sacko would ultimately emerge victorious from.
Aside from deducting points Sacko’s clinch-heavy style saw him lose favor with the sold-out Rotterdam crowd who let their displeasure be known with loud boos echoing through the arena. Perhaps what was even more frustrating was how dangerous Sacko looked when he let his hands and feet go and engaged in kickboxing-style striking. He clearly has the makings of a top level kickboxer yet will have to switch from his Muay Thai heavy style if he wishes to get the GLORY fans on board.
Number 4 - A new prospect in the Middleweight division
GLORY 96 saw the emergence of Mihailo Culafic who stamped his name into the middleweight mix with an excellent display against fan favourite Iliass Hammouche. Culafic was relatively unknown heading into the bout and was certainly the underdog leading up to the fight, yet Hammouche was unable to break down the newcomer. Heavily utilizing knees which led to a brutal knockdown and a gruesome cut to Hammouche, Culafic has entered the organization with a bang and is certainly a name to keep an eye on in the future at Middleweight with champion Donovan Wisse desperately needing fresh challengers.
Number 3 - The Importance of the Calf Kick
Another Middleweight bout on the card saw Michael Boapeah cruise to a unanimous decision victory over Mohamed Touchassie. Boapeah heavily utilized calf kicks throughout the fight and completely destroyed the base of Touchaisse who was operating with several compromised mobility by the second round. While the pair exchanged seemingly evenly on the feet it would be Boapeah’s use of leg kicks that set him apart and saw him once again showcase his impressive abilities.
Boapeah has again proven that he is ahead of the pack at Middleweight, seemingly only to current champion Donovan Wisse. With Wisse maintaining his title with a dominant display a rematch seems inevitable between the two with the pair meeting in the ring for a face-off following Wisse’s defense. Wisse has looked untouchable during his reign as champ however, Boapeah is improving massively every single time he gets into the ring and appears to be the only credible threat to his reign at the moment.
Number 2 - Donovan Wisse is too dominant
Touched on briefly in the previous point, Donovan Wisse secured his fifth title defence at GLORY 96 winning every round of his bout against Sergej Braun. Wisse has now defeated every contender in the division and has matched Alex Pereira’s record of 5 Middleweight title defences. While there is one more match up that is appealing at Middleweight (that being the Boapeah rematch) beyond there does not seem to be much competition for a champion as dominant as Wisse.
After fighting Boapeah in the rematch and possibly breaking Pereira’s record at a proposed bout at GLORY Collision 7, it is not unreasonable to think that Wisse might follow the example of fellow champions Tyjani Beztati and Petchpanonrung by moving up to Light Heavyweight and challenging for the crown. With Donegi Abena and Tarik Khbabez set to battle it out for the belt, Wisse may be able to slide in as the number one contender and face the winner.
Number 1 - Kwasi and Beztati must rematch
The main event of the evening saw Chico Kwasi defend his Welterweight strap successfully against Lightweight champ Tyjani Beztati though the experience was anything but easy. Kwasi managed to secure a 10-8 round in the second and emerge victorious in the third to ensure that the fight was scored a draw with Beztati doing enough to secure the other three rounds in the eyes of the judges. While the 5th round was certainly chaotic with both fighters landing heavy blows to their opponent it did appear that Beztati was emerging slightly better from the exchanges and certainly did enough throughout the fight to highlight his skills and warrant a rematch taking place. Two young champions in their prime with everything at stake, Glory 96’s main event may have been the beginning of a beautiful rivalry and must be revisited.
