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GLORY 8 Tokyo: Superstars Align For Featherweight Slam Kickboxing Tournament On May 3‏


Kevin Ross, Abdellah Ezbiri, Mosab Amrani, Marcos Vinicius and Road To GLORY Japan winner slated for action in eight-man, single-elimination tournament


GLORY, the world’s new premier kickboxing league, will return to Tokyo, Japan with a one-night, eight-man, single-elimination ‘Slam’ tournament featuring a collection of the brightest stars in the featherweight (65 kilograms/143 pounds) division, at Ariake Coliseum on Friday, May 3.

American superstar Kevin “El Pr! esidente” Ross (37-9, 12 KOs) of Dublin, Calif. will make his highly-anticipated GLORY debut in the tournament field where he will be faced with an assembly of cutthroat competition in three-time French kickboxing champion Abdellah Ezbiri (32-6, 11 KOs) of Morocco via France, world Muay Thai champion Mosab “The Jaguar” Amrani (48-7-4, 14 KOs) of Holland and The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil reality series contestant and KO artist Marcos Vinicius (MMA Record: 20-4-1, 7 KOs) of Curitiba, Brazil.

Joining the first four elite fighters thus far confirmed for the tournament that will award its competitors with a total of $180,000 in prize money, including $100,000 to the winner, will be the victor of the inaugural, eight-man, development series ROAD TO GLORY Japan tournament at Differ Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Sunday, March 10, as well as three additional competitors to be announce! d soon.

“With the fighter selection process for the GLORY 8 Tokyo featherweight Slam tournament underway, we are assembling what could very well be the most competitive tournament field in the history of kickboxing’s featherweight division,” said GLORY Sports International Managing Director Marcus Luer. “We are bringing together the best possible group of talent from all parts of the wo! rld in order to determine who the reigning king of this division is.”

Ross, the 2010 Muay Thai North American Fighter of the Year, is widely recognized as the face of kickboxing in the U.S. During his stellar career, the 32-year-old technician has faced and defeated a host of top-ranked rivals, including decorated Thai champions Malaipet “The Diamond” Sasiprapa and “Coke” Chunhawat.

The 25-year-old Ezbiri has made waves both in his native Europe as well as in Japan where he was the winner of another eight-man tournament in 2011 and finished as runner-up after a controversial decision loss in the championship stage of a 67 kilogram/148 pound tournament at the hands of Japanese phenom Yuta Kubo on Jan. 14.

Amrani, a 25-year-old, former intercontinental Muay Thai champion, rose to power after stopping Thai champ! ions Anuwat Kaewsamrit and Bovy Sor Udomson in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Amrani also boasts a victory over Moroccan southpaw phenom Ibrahim Chiahou. His tournament start marks a drop in weight after a stint at 70 kilograms/154 pounds.

Vinicius has gained widespread acclaim for his power since earning ‘KO of the Night’ honors at UFC 147 where he decimated Wagner Campos with a barrage of punches and knee strikes in the third round of their matchup on June 23, 2012. During his stint on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, Vinicius trained under legend Wanderlei Silva.

SUPERSTARS ALIGN FOR GLORY 8 TOKYO FEATHERWEIGHT ‘SLAM’ KICKBOXING TOURNAMENT FRIDAY, MAY 3


Abdellah Ezbiri, Mosab Amrani, Marcus Vinicius and Road To GLORY Japan winner slated for action in eight-man, single-elimination tournament


GLORY, the world’s new premier kickboxing league, will return to Tokyo, Japan with a one-night, eight-man ‘Slam’ tournament featuring a collection of the brightest stars in the featherweight (65 kilograms/143 pounds) division, at Ariake Coliseum on Friday, May 3.

Three-time French kickboxing champion Abdellah Ezbiri (32-6, 11 KOs) of Morocco via France, world Muay Thai champion Mosab “The Jaguar” Amrani (48-7-4, 14 KOs) of Holland and KO artist Marcus Vinicius of Brazil have all been enlisted for the single-elimination affair.

Joining the first three elite fighters thus far confirmed for the tournament that will award its competitors with a total of $180,000 in prize money, including $100,000 to the winner, will be the victor of the inaugural, eight-man, development series ROAD TO GLORY Japan tournament at Differ Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Sunday, March 10, as well as four additional competitors to be announced soon.

Tickets for GLORY 8 Tokyo on Friday, May 3, beginning at 16:00 at Ariake Coliseum, are priced from ¥5,000, and can be purchased online at Pia (http://pia.jp/t/), E-Plus (http://eplus.jp) and Lawson Ticket (http:l-tike.com).

“With the fighter selection process for the GLORY 8 Tokyo featherweight Slam tournament underway, we are assembling what could very well be the most competitive tournament field in the history of kickboxing’s featherweight division,” said GLORY Sports International Managing Director Marcus Luer. “We are bringing together the best possible group of talent from all parts of the world in order to determine who the reigning king of this division is.”

The 25-year-old Ezbiri has made waves both in his native Europe as well as in Japan where he was the winner of another eight-man tournament in 2011 and finished as runner-up after a controversial decision loss in the championship stage of a 67 kilogram/148 pound tournament at the hands of Japanese phenom Yuta Kubo on Jan. 14.

Amrani, a 25-year-old, former intercontinental Muay Thai champion, rose to power after stopping Thai champions Anuwat Kaewsamrit and Bovy Sor Udomson in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Amrani also boasts a victory over Moroccan southpaw phenom Ibrahim Chiahou. His tournament start marks a drop in weight after a stint at 70 kilograms/154 pounds.

Jamal Ben Saddik vs Peter Aerts has been added to the card.

PETER AERTS VS. JAMAL BEN SADDIK HEAVYWEIGHT BATTLE TOPS GLORY 8 TOKYO SUPERFIGHT LINEUP



ADDITIONAL SUPERFIGHTS:

ANDY RISTIE VS. ALBERT KRAUS
JAIDEEP SINGH VS. ANDERSON ‘BRADDOCK’ SILVA


EIGHT-MAN TOURNAMENT FIELD COMPLETE WITH ADDITION OF YUTA KUBO, MASAAKI NOIRI, LIAM HARRISON, GABRIEL VARGA AND CHI BIN LIN


GLORY, the world’s new premier kickboxing league, today announced the addition of three Superfights, including a heavyweight showdown between legendary champio! n Peter Aerts (102-30-1, 77 KOs) of The Netherlands and fast-rising star Jamal Ben Saddik (24-2, 20 KOs) of Belgium, to the much-anticipated GLORY 8 Tokyo event that will be headlined by a one-night, eight-man ‘Slam’ tournament in the GLORY featherweight (65 kilograms/143 pounds) division, at Ariake Coliseum on Friday, May 3.

In another heavyweight Superfight contest, Jaideep Singh (23-6, 17 KOs) of Japan will face Anderson ‘Braddock’ Silva (35-9-1, 24 KOs) of Brazil. A lightweight (70 kilograms/154 pounds) Superfight will pit prolific superstars Andy Ristie (36-3-1, 18 KOs) of Suriname and Albert “The Hurricane” Kraus (75-15-3, 45 KOs) of The Netherlands against one another.

The single-elimination tournament field has been completed with the addition of five fighters. Road To GLORY Japan tournament champion Masaaki Noiri (18-3, 7 KOs) of Japan; two-time, eight-man tournament victor Yuta Kubo (37-4-1, 17 KOs) of Japan; KO artist Liam Harrison (72-15-2, 38 KOs) of England; two-time kickboxing champion Gabriel Varga (21-1, 8 KOs) of Canada; and Lim Chi Bin (69-16, 40 KOs) of South Korea join previously announced Marcus Vinicius (7-1, 1 KO) of Brazil, three-time French kickboxing champion Abdellah Ezbiri (32-6, 11 KOs) of Morocco via France and world Muay Thai champion Mosab “The Jaguar” Amrani (48-7-4, 14 KOs) of Holland in the tournament.

Aerts, recognized as one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers of all-time, has faced and defeated every major rival of his generation, incl! uding reigning GLORY Heavyweight Champion Semmy Schilt, and, at age 42, he continues to do battle at the top of the division.

At 23 years of age, Ben Saddik, a native of Morocco, is nearly two decades younger than Aerts, and is on the fast-track to stardom. Nicknamed “The Goliath,” Ben Saddik is a monstrous specimen at 2.02 meters/6-foot-7 1/2, 129 kilograms/284 pounds.

Ben Saddik is coming off a strong performance at the GLORY 4 Tokyo Heavyweight Grand Slam, 16-man tournament on New Year’s Eve, where he earned two consecutive unanimous decisions over Errol Zimmerman and Remy Bonjasky, respectively, to reach the semifinal stage of the single-elimination playoff where he was defeated by world No. 2 ranked heavyweight Daniel Ghita.

Born in India, but raised in Japan since the age of three, the 25-year-old Singh ! has dominated his Japanese rivals, winning two championships while conquering the likes of Raoumaru, Hiromi Amada and Koichi Watanabe.

The 26-year-old Silva, touted as the No. 1 heavyweight kickboxer in Brazil, made his debut in Tokyo as one of the 16 GLORY tournament competitors on New Year’s Eve. Silva scored an impressive first round TKO on Igor Juskovic to advance to the tournament’s quarterfinal round where he was stopped by world No. 3 ranked heavyweight Gokhan Saki.

Ristie, a 31-year-old star known for tremendous punching power and knee strikes, rose to prominence, beginning with his March 2011 debut for the now-defunct ‘It’s Showtime’ kickboxing league when he scored a thunderous first round KO on Nick Beljaards and went on to win his next five consecutive starts for ‘It’s Showtime,’ which was acquired by GLORY in October 2012. !

Ristie made a splash debut for GLORY in Brussels, Belgium in October, scoring a crushing, first round KO on Nordin Benmoh with a left hook.

The 32-year-old Kraus is a four-time world kickboxing and Muay Thai champion who is coming off his fifth consecutive win, a unanimous decision over Warren Stevelmans at GLORY 5 London on March 23. Since making his pro debut in 1999, Kraus has etched a legacy for himself as one of the most fearsome athletes in the sport, blazing a trail through the lightweight division while defeating the likes of rival champions Buakaw Por Pramuk, Masato and Mike Zambidis amongst others.

Tickets for GLORY 8 Tokyo on Friday, May 3, beginning at 16:00 at Ariake Coliseum, are priced from ¥5,000, and can be purchased online at Pia (http://pia.jp/t/), E-Plus (http://eplus.jp) and Lawson Ticket (http:l-tike.com).

GLORY will award a total of $180,000 in prize money to the tournament competitors, including a $100,000 grand prize to the winner.

GLORY 8 Tokyo:

65kg reserve: Chonglek Super Pro Samui vs. Zen Fujita
65kg reserve: Andre Bruhl vs. Yukihiro Komiya
65kg quarter final: Mosab Amrani vs. Marcus Vinicius
65kg quarter final: Masaaki Noiri vs. Liam Harrison
65kg quarter final: Abdellah Ezbiri vs. Gabriel Varga
65kg quarter final: Yuta Kubo vs. Abdellah Ezbiri
HW: Jerome Le Banner vs. Koichi Pettas
HW: Peter Aerts vs. Jamal Ben Saddik
HW: Anderson "Braddock" Silva vs. Jaideep Singh
70kg: Albert Kraus vs. Andy Ristie


Road to GLORY:

85kg semi final: Magnum Sakai vs. Toshio Matsumoto
85kg semi final: Yuki Niimura vs. Kengo Shimizu
55kg: Dyki vs. TBA
60kg: Yuji Takeuchi vs. Tatsuya Inaishi
70kg: Hirono Yu vs. Ryoji

GLORY 8 Tokyo is set to feature the highly anticipated one-night, eight-man featherweight 'Slam' tournament, as well as a heavyweight superfight rematch between powerhouse and all-time great Jerome Le Banner (73-21-2, 59 KOs) of France and Muay Thai champion Koichi Watanabe (26-8-1, 15 KOs) of Japan. The second meeting between the pair follows their action-packed first encounter in Tokyo on New Year's Eve, which aired live on Fight Network, in which Le Banner stopped Koichi with a blistering right hook with just 13 seconds remaining in the third and final scheduled round of their matchup.

The event will also feature another superfight between legendary Dutch heavyweight champion Peter Aerts (102-30-1, 77 KOs) and fast-rising Belgian star Jamal Ben Saddik (24-2, 20 KOs), as well as a lightweight superfight between prolific superstars Andy Ristie (36-3-1, 18 KOs) of Suriname and Albert "The Hurricane" Kraus (75-15-3, 45 KOs) of the Netherlands.

The 40-year-old Le Banner, who has faced and defeated nearly every major rival of his generation, including legends Ernesto Hoost and Peter Aerts, stalked and punished Koichi with punch combinations and body kicks during their initial meeting, but Koichi's iron chin helped him stay on his feet, retaliate and dish out leg kicks that badly damaged the lead thigh of Le Banner and slowed the Frenchman down before Le Banner connected with the finishing blow.

In one bracket of the GLORY 8 Tokyo featherweight tournament, world Muay Thai champion Mosab "The Jaguar" Amrani (48-7-4, 14 KOs) of Holland will square off with aggressive-minded Marcus Vinicius (7-1, 1 KO) of Brazil and KO artist Liam Harrison (72-15-2, 38 KOs) of England will face Road To GLORY Japan tournament champion Masaaki Noiri (18-3, 7 KOs) of Japan.

In the other tournament bracket, three-time French kickboxing champion Abdallah Ezbiri (32-6, 11 KOs) of Morocco via France will meet two-time kickboxing champion Gabriel Varga (21-1, 8 KOs) of Canada and two-time, eight-man kickboxing tournament winner Yuta Kubo (37-4-1, 17 KOs) of Japan will battle hard-hitting Lim Chi Bin (69-16, 40 KOs) of South Korea.

The winner of the quarterfinal stage bout between Amrani and Vinicius will face the winner of the quarterfinal stage fight between Harrison and Noiri while the victor of the quarterfinal stage contest between Ezbiri and Varga will square off with the winner of the bout between Kubo and Lim. The two winners of the semifinal stage fights will face off in the championship stage of the tournament with a $100,000 grand prize at stake.