HAPPENING 5 April 2025 | GLORY Kickboxing has announced the 'Last Heavyweight Standing' tournament, commencing on 5 April at Rotterdam Ahoy. This year-long series will feature 32 heavyweight fighters competing across five events.
Photo credit: Maurice van der Meij
Tournament structure
The tournament will begin with 'GLORY 99: Last Heavyweight Standing' at Rotterdam Ahoy, featuring 16 bouts among 32 international heavyweights. Throughout 2025, participants will engage in qualifying matches, culminating in a final event where the last eight fighters will compete to determine the ultimate victor.
Initial participants announced
At a recent press conference in Amsterdam, the first nine fighters were introduced:
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Jamal Ben Saddik (36-9, 29 KO): A former GLORY title contender returning after a three-year hiatus, with notable victories over Rico Verhoeven and Remy Bonjasky.
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Bahram Rajabzadeh (70-4, 61 KO): A dynamic fighter who participated in both the Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight Grand Prix events in 2024.
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Uku Jurjendal (20-9, 16 KO): An Estonian knockout artist with a perfect finish rate in GLORY and a recent win against Badr Hari.
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Rade Opacic (21-6, 16 KO): A Serbian heavyweight making his GLORY debut.
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Ahmed Krnjic (13-4, 4 KO): Currently on a nine-fight winning streak, known as 'Bosnian Steel'.
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Sofian Laidouni (37-4-1, 18 KO): France's top heavyweight.
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Murat 'The Butcher' Aygun (32-4, 8 KO): A Turkish fighter aiming to establish his presence.
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Tariq Osaro (26-4-1, 13 KO): A former interim-GLORY heavyweight champion.
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Ionut Iancu (30-10, 12 KO): Dubbed 'The Romanian Tank', he made a significant impact in his debut year with GLORY.
Ticket information
'GLORY 99: Last Heavyweight Standing' is scheduled for 5 April at Rotterdam Ahoy. Pre-sale tickets will be available from Monday, 3 February, with general sales starting on Tuesday, 4 February, at 12 pm CET.
Venue details
Rotterdam Ahoy is located in the south of Rotterdam, easily accessible via public transport and major roadways. The venue is known for hosting significant sporting and entertainment events.