Kickboxing fans in the US have for years been forced to watch the sport from the outside. Aside from some efforts by K-1 to run in Las Vegas and Hawaii, kickboxing has largely been an international sport with no foothold in the US market. Today, that’s changing. Top organization GLORY is making moves in the US. On June 22, Glory 9 will be held in New York City. Headlined by Daniel Ghita, this will be the biggest name kickboxing show on US soil in years.
But even before Glory 9, the company is already laying a claim to US fans with their Road to Glory series. This series, designed to spotlight upcoming stars primarily from America, has already run in Oklahoma and New York. This weekend, they come to the Midwest.
This Saturday, May 11 Road to GLORY USA is live from Milwaukee, WI. Titled “Knockout Kings”, the show will feature a one night, 8 man Lightweight tournament. Of particular note is the co-sponsor for this company.
Duke Roufus, famed trainer of Milwaukee’s Roufusport MMA Academy, will be presenting this event. Roufus of course got his start in kickboxing, including fighting in the early days of K-1 against the likes of Mike Bernardo. More importantly, he’s now training a new generation of MMA fighters and kickboxers, bringing his experience to these new fighters.
Kickboxing organizations have long embraced the idea of co-promotions and partnerships, recognizing their value in breaking into a new market. For Glory, this is a perfect match as Roufus brings his name recognition and experience to their maiden voyage in the midwest.
More information, including fight card and tickets for Saturday’s show, available here.
Midwest fans – check it out, and support the growing kickboxing scene in the US!
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