GLORY: COLLISION 7 Preview and Predictions

On Saturday, Dec. 7, GLORY Kickboxing returns to the Gelredome in Arnhem, Netherlands with a blockbuster event. GLORY: COLLISION 7 features two title fights and a stacked card that has at least one top-10-ranked kickboxer in almost every bout. From Rico Verhoeven defending his heavyweight crown against Levi Rigters to Donegi Abena and Tarik Khbabez settling their light heavyweight trilogy, this event has all the makings of a classic.

The GLORY: COLLISION 7 preliminary card airs live on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET, followed by the main card on Bally Live at 1 p.m. ET. Here’s a breakdown of the night’s most anticipated matchups, as well as predictions.

Rico Verhoeven’s last kickboxing loss came in 2015; can Levi Ritgers dethrone the champion?

‘The King of Kickboxing’ Rico Verhoeven has shown weaknesses over his historic title reign, but these holes will likely not be exploitable by Levi Rigters. Verhoeven has been dropped by heavy combination punchers such as Jamal Ben Saddik and Badr Hari but excels against distance kickers such as Rigters.

Levi Rigters is a near-perfect kicker who has TKO wins via leg kicks. Kickboxing and Muay Thai classes should use Rigters as a frame to study perfect kicking techniques.

Throughout the course of a fight, an athlete will get exhausted and hurt but each has the skill to hide this. However, Rigters has terrible body language when he is hurt or exhausted which remains a weakness one can exploit. Their first fight was at the end of a one-night Grand Prix, and you would never know that by looking at Verhoeven in that matchup. He looked like he just warmed up and could run a marathon.

Verhoeven easily picked apart and dominated the exhausted Rigters when they fought except for a single spinning backfist which scored an impressive knockdown. As usual, Verhoeven can be knocked down but his grit and toughness are never in doubt. Despite being knocked down, he quickly recovered and won the fight via knockout within one minute.

With active feinting, pulling on his opponent’s high guard, and pressure, Rigters will likely suffer the same fate of losing by way of knockout.

Tarik Khbabez and Donegi Abena have fought twice before with Abena winning one contest; does that trend hold true with the light heavyweight championship on the line?

In their first meeting, Donegi Abena really won the fight but officially lost. Odd judging and a point dedication forced him to lose his title. The Surinamese-Dutch striker was particularly dominant in the first two rounds, soundly outstriking his Moroccan opponent.

Their second fight was part of a one-night Grand Prix, each man had already fought once that evening. Earlier in the night, Tarik Khbabez fought the heavy kicker Pascal Touré and could hardly stand while Abena knocked out the Romanian puncher Ștefan Lătescu. The Surinamese-Dutch striker quickly kicked out his opponent’s already compromised legs.

This time around, in the trilogy rubber match, both men will enter the ring at one hundred percent health. Abena has been steadily improving in between each fight and mixing his training camps with boxing alongside the Fury family. Khbabez is a pressure fighter who overwhelms his opponents with volume.

While he will have to go through hell to earn it, Donegi Abena will likely win the match by picking his shots and evading his aggressive opponent.

Bahram Rajabzadeh has dropped two consecutive fights; will be get back on track by defeating Daniel Stefanovski?

Bahram Rajabzadeh has quickly become one of the most popular figures in kickboxing due to his aggressive style. He looks to swarm with punches and knees in close range and teep kicks at a distance. If you punch him, he complains you didn’t hit him hard enough.

Despite losing two in a row officially, context is important. In a one-night Grand Prix, Rajabzadeh dominated two matches and then was knocked out when attempting a flying knee against Abena. Next, he lost when he went up to heavyweight competing in a title eliminator. On Dec. 7, he will be going back to his normal weight class of light heavyweight.

Rajabzadeh likely wins this match by knockout.

Which fight is the sleeper match-up on this card?

Endy Semeleer vs. Jay Overmeer, a former champion facing a former contender in a rematch in which both need a win to stay in the title picture. Their first two matches were back-and-forth wars. Shockingly, this fight will be a free match on the undercard and could be the best fight of the night.