Glory 30 is in the books with an entertaining night of fights behind us. The show saw some newer names in Glory breaking out, and what feels like it could be the start of a dominant run in the Middleweight division. Let’s take a look back at Glory 30 by focusing on the future and these five must-see Glory fights:
1. Simon Marcus vs. Nieky Holzken – It sounds weird to say Marcus has cleaned out the division after one title defense but, well, here we are. He’s beaten Wilnis and Jacoby and Barrett and Levin (and no one wants to see Marcus vs. Levin IV, right?). There’s history with Schilling, but Joe just lost, plus he’s on his way out of Glory. So… Robert Thomas? Mike Lemaire? Filip Verlinden? All sound like terrible options. Marcus is one of the top 3 or 4 kickboxers in the world, so let’s get him in there against someone else who is one of the best in the world. And that answer is Nieky Holzken. You can’t tell me you don’t want to see that.
2. Tiffany Van Soest vs. Iman Barlow – With her win at Glory 30, Van Soest became the first fighter to advance to the semi-finals of the new Glory Grand Prix. And that fight with Emma Hasshass showed that there absolutely is a strong place for this women’s division in Glory, as it delivered quality action. The big fight for the GP is Van Soest against the highly decorated Barlow. Of course, Glory knows this, so they are on opposite sides of the bracket. But it’s the most likely final – let’s just see if we get there.
3. Richard Abraham vs. Murthel Groenhart – Abraham had a great performance in his Glory debut at Glory 27, then topped it here with a tournament win. He was a clear step above the field at Glory 30, and is ready for the next challenge. I was hoping he would get a spot in the upcoming Glory 31 tournament, but that didn’t happen, and he’ll have to wait until the next Welterweight tournament to get a chance at a title shot. In the meantime, a clash with veteran Groenhart sounds like a terrific test – a tough fight no doubt, but one that I see as winnable for Abraham.
4. Marat Grigorian vs. Josh Jauncey/Anaotly Moiseev winner – All three are fighters that have come close to the big win, but never quite made it. Jauncey and Moiseev meet at Glory 31, and all three of these fighters have the potential to reach that spot. This would be a good fight no matter the outcome of Jauncey vs. Moiseev, and would position the winner as a true top Lightweight contender and my pick as next up for the Sittichai vs. van Roosmalen winner.
5. Guto Inocente vs. Chi Lewis Parry – This was originally booked for Glory 30, but an injury to Parry brought in Brian Douwes. Inocente dispatched him, and is now ready for another step-up fight in Glory. This sounded like a terrific fight when first booked, and it still sounds like a great idea now.
What do you think Glory fans? What’s a must-see fight for you after Glory 30?
Next up for Glory is Glory 31 Amsterdam on June 25, headlined by Robin van Roosmalen vs. Sittichai, plus Artem Vakhitov vs. Mourad Bouzidi, Ismael Londt vs. Hesdy Gerges, and much more. Bloody Elbow will have full fight coverage.
About the author
