GLORY boss Marshall Zelaznik has no regrets about choosing Russian Artem Vakhitov as Rico Verhoeven’s opponent during GLORY 100. Some fans left Rotterdam Ahoy on Saturday night somewhat disappointed because there was no sensation during the main fight.
“It is always our intention to provide the best and most entertaining fights. We don’t blame Rico for anything, because he did what he had to do to win. And I know Artem did his best. That is what we expect from our athletes,” Zelaznik responds in an interview with NU.nl.
“Every sport has to deal with this, it was like a Champions League final that didn’t produce any drama. Sometimes fights just seem more like a game of chess, where both fighters try to find the best route to victory.”
Where GLORY 100 provided a lot of spectacle earlier in the evening and the fans in Ahoy were served to their liking, the fight between Verhoeven and Vakhitov turned out to be a one-sided fight. Verhoeven eventually won on points and became world champion for the fourteenth time.
During the fight and afterwards there was whistling and booing. Verhoeven said he didn’t care much about that and indicated that it was a “tactical chess game at the highest level.” Zelaznik agreed with that.
‘Paid for the right to boo’
“In reality, these fights are chess games. But the fans paid for the right to express their cheers and boos. I suspect their reaction is more an indication of their expectations of Rico,” says the CEO.
“Do I regret the duel? Absolutely not. Vakhitov is the best light heavyweight champion in GLORY history and his resume speaks for itself. This was a different kind of test for Verhoeven and the fight was symbolic of the GLORY 100 event, with two of the greatest champions in the organization’s history facing each other in the main event.”
There was already some criticism in advance about the choice of the Russian, because he is considerably lighter than Verhoeven. Moreover, he had not fought for GLORY for years due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which caused Vakhitov to be removed from the rankings.
The 36-year-old Verhoeven has been undefeated at GLORY for over a decade. He has held the world heavyweight title since 2014.