GLORY Kickboxing’s ‘Last Heavyweight Standing’ tournament is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious events in combat sports history. The 32-man heavyweight tournament, set to begin at GLORY 99 on Apr. 5 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. It promises a year-long spectacle of kickboxing action.
Last Heavyweight Standing Matches Announced
The opening-round matchups were revealed today following a random draw. The tournament will feature 16 bouts on the opening night, with participants representing a diverse range of countries and styles. Matchups include:
- Ionuț Iancu (Romania) vs. Cihad Kepenek (Turkey)
- Ahmed Krnjić (Bosnia and Herzegovina) vs. Alin Nechita (Romania)
- Uku Jürjendal (Estonia) vs. Nicolas Wamba (France)
- Tariq Osaro (Nigeria) vs. Benjamin Adegbuyi (Romania)
- Bahram Rajabzadeh (Azerbaijan) vs. Brian Douwes (Netherlands)
- Jamal Ben Saddik (Morocco) vs. Cristian Ristea (Romania)
- Rade Opačić (Serbia) vs. Nico Pereira Horta (Cape Verde)
- Murat Aygün (Turkey) vs. Asadulla Nasipov (Russia)
- Sofian Laidouni (France) vs. Oleg Pryimachov (Ukraine)
- Yuri Farcaș (Italy) vs. Iraj Azizpour (Iran)
- Anis Bouzid (Morocco) vs. Nathan Cook (United Kingdom)
- Luigi Gashi (Albania) vs. Petr Romankevich (Belarus)
- Colin George (Suriname) vs. Miroslav Vujovic (Montenegro)
- Nidal Bchiri (Morocco) vs. Asdren Gashi (Albania)
- Sina Karimian (Iran) vs. Tomáš Možný (Slovakia)
- Nabil Khachab (Morocco) vs. Miloš Cvjetićanin (Serbia)
Osaro, a former interim GLORY heavyweight champion, takes on veteran Adegbuyi in one of the most anticipated fights of the first round. Ben Saddik, a former title contender making his return after three years at GLORY 98, will face Ristea in a battle of powerhouses. Jürjendal, an Estonian KO artist with a perfect finish rate in GLORY, will test his skills against Wamba. Rajabzadeh, well known for his aggression and high KO ratio, faces the experienced Douwes.
Other intriguing pairings include Murat Aygün (Turkey) vs. Asadulla Nasipov (Russia), Sofian Laidouni (France) vs. Oleg Pryimachov (Ukraine), and Sina Karimian (Iran) vs. Tomáš Možný (Slovakia).
Each fight offers unique stylistic matchups that could lead to huge finishes. The tournament format is designed to test endurance and skill over five events throughout 2025. The winners of the first-round bouts will advance to qualifying tournaments later in the year, culminating in a one-night finale featuring the final eight competitors battling for the title of “Last Heavyweight Standing.” The prize pool exceeds $1 million, adding extra stakes for the fighters.
Interestingly, reigning GLORY heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven is absent from the bracket. While GLORY CEO Marshall Zelaznik explained that the tournament assumes Verhoeven won’t participate, there remains a possibility for him to join as a wildcard or continue defending his title separately. This tournament not only marks a historic moment for GLORY but also sets a new standard for heavyweight kickboxing globally.