GLORY 4 Heavyweight Grand Slam Tournament Jabs & Kicks into the New Year

GLORY 4 Heavyweight Grand Slam Tournament Jabs & Kicks into the New Year

6’11” Dutchmen, Semmy Schilt, victorious

by John Peter Daly

Saitama, Japan (December 31, 2012)—The most prestigious and largest kickboxing tournament in the world, GLORY 4 Heavyweight Grand Slam, welcomed the New Year at Saitama Super Arena that has a live spectator capacity of over 20,000—with tens of thousands more watching online and later on television broadcasts. The fast and furious bouts sped by until the ultimate victory of one man: Semmy Schilts who took home the 400,000 dollar prize.

GLORY officially ranks the tops eight fighters and then a drawing is used to match the semi-quarter rounds in the invitation only tournament.

Semi-quarter final rounds

The opening rounds began with a rematch between the nearly 7 foot tall Dutchman, Semmy Schilt, against Brice Guidon representing France. The fight started off with the action in full force of entangled punching and kicking. Schilt quickly adopts a seemingly more aggressive stance focused on his jab while Guidon stays active landing some nice overhands. Schilt lands a left knee. Another knee makes it through Guidon’s guard followed by left kick—countered by a superman punch by Guidon at end of the first round.

Schilt starts the second with a left kick to the body. A jab lands Guidon to the ground and then a second knockdown seconds later. Guidon was doing well with his overhand right, but could not hold up to Shilt’s jab—one lands him on his back after a knee. After Guidon missed with an uppercut and a knee, Schilt ends the fight with a powerful jab. Schilt wins by TKO and moves on to the semi-finals.

All around Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven defeated heavy-handed Russian Sergei Kharitonov. Verhoeven stayed away from Kharitonov’s powerside landing a number of kicks to the head that were blocked and then using his sharp knee while clinching. Verhoeven blocks a hard overhand by Kharitonov. Verhoeven slips after taking a left hook. Verhoeven takes the first round 10-9 although Kharitonov sparks up with some heavy punches at the end.

Verhoeven came out kicking, clinching and threw a nice right hook. Kharitonov responded to a head kick with a hard right—again Kharitonov threw a series of punches in response to a leg kick. Verhoeven landed a brutal right hand and then a clinched knee. Verhoeven missed with a kick at the end of the intense round.  Verhoeven took this one as well by unanimous decision, 10-9, and moves on.

Ranked number 2 in the tournament Gökhan Saki from Turkey challenged Japanese “Raoumaru”. Saki’s fast hands take down Raoumaru after a few left hand combos to the head and body—Raoumaru went down for a second time with a kick to the head. Saki continued to the semi-finals defeating Raoumaru by knocking him down twice in one round, considered a TKO.

Neither Anderson Silva or Igor Jurkovic have been knocked out before (not to be confused with the much lighter, but equally dangerous mixed martial artist also from Brazil, Anderson “the spider” Silva). Southpaw Jurkovic started off with body kicks; Silva responded right away with a right leg. Silva moved in with heavy punches to the head—a massive left hook took Jurkovic down. After Jurkovic, Silva took him down again. Silva won by TKO (two knock downs in one round).

Remy Bonjasky from Holland took on Belgium  Fillip Verlinden. Bonjasky, known for a flying knee, falls down after landing it on Verlinden. The round is hard to score with the abundance of punches and kicks. A left kick to the head blocked by Verlinden, but Bonjasky lands a heavy left. Verlinden gives a taste of heavy knees against an opponent known for knees. The brawl goes into a third round in this close fight. Bonjasky slipped and then went upstairs for the punches—he then landed a downward chopping leg kick. Bonjarky started to push forward with body kicks and took Verlinden down. Bonjasky took a unanimous win in a close match.

Jamal Ben Saddick from Morocco and Errol Zimmerman from Curaçao began their fight with an intense stare down. A right low by Zimmerman is met with a counter right hand by Ben Saddick. Ben Saddick lands a right dead on in the solar plex. Inside left kick by Zimmerman then a straight right by Ben Saddick followed by a downward right brings Zimmerman down in opening. Ben Saddick had Zimmerman up against the ring landing heavy combos—Zimmerman goes down. Then coming back Ben Saddick goes down with a blast that included an uppercut and a hard wide left by Zimmerman. Ben Saddick won by decision—at 6’6” he is the second tallest fighter to advance in the tournament.

Because of the draw of the fight slots, Peter Aerts, K-1 world champion ended up fighting his former student Mourad Bouzidi from Tunisia. Being senior by 14 years, Aerts began attacking with body with leg kicks. Aerts threw packed body shots. Bouzidi threw a left kick to Aerts head which he successfully defended; however, the power of the kick injured Aerts’ wrist or hand as he checked it. Aerts stopped throwing the right and was unable to continue fighting. Bouzidi advances by TKO.

Romanian Daniel Ghita went into three close rounds against Brazilian Jhonata Diniz. Diniz started off by a fury of punches by all were guraded by Ghita; Ghita responded with seemingly heavier punches and leg kicks. Ghita held Diniz back with his jabs. Ghita takes the first round 10-9. Ghita takes a hard right from Diniz, but stays in the game. Ghita slips after landind a right head kick. The round ends in favor of Diniz 10-9 although they both proved to have full stamina. Leg kicks by Ghita and punches by Diniz leaves Diniz in the corner where Ghita struck numerous times on Diniz’ body. Ghita survives the three rounds and moves on by judges decision.

Quarter final rounds

Rico Verhoeven and Semmy Schilt—with a 16 year age difference—face each other for the first time in their careers. Verhoeven moves him back right away with overhand right. Ver, early in his career and understanding the immense power of his opponent is all over him. Schilt ended up getting cut on his eye early on. Schilt knee jabbed toward Verhoeven, but he ended up slipping—it was not a knock down.  In the end Verhoeven is unable to close range, but did continue exchanging low kicks. Schilt advanced to semi finals by decision.

Ghökam Saki and Anderson Silva also face each other for the first time in their careers. Saki started off with kicks and Silva pressed forward with kick combos and then landed a left hook and a leg kick. Saki returns several kicks including one to the body. Saki is incredibly fast. Silva threw a left hook and left kick to trick up the faster fighter. After two more left hooks, Saki landed a right and then a leaping left hook behind Silva’s ear ended the fight. Saki won by TKO and moves on in the semi finals.

Ben Saddick went the full two rounds against Bonjasky beginning with a leg kick and then a body kick blocked. Bonjasky slips after the right kick. The two continue to exchange low kicks. Even blocking Saddick’s kick a lot of power to take. Saddick straight right hand pushes Bonjasky back. A straight right hand pushes Bonjasky half way across the ring. Ben Saddick takes the fight 10-9. In the second, leg kick exchanges again and a cross and a hook by Ben Saddick pushes back Bonjasky. Bonjasky tries to respond, but another body kick lands on him. Ben Saddick won this round by decision 10-9.

In the last semi final fight Daniel Ghita fought Mourad Bouzidi. Bouzidi started off with inside low kicks also showed a decent amount of head movement. Ghita begun walking him down both landing good blows with Bouzidi  landing nice body and head shots. In the second round Bouzidi suffered a right arm injury after hitting Ghita with his forearm and was unable to continue the fighting. Ghita won by TKO.

Semi-Finals

Schilt took on Saki in the semi-finals. Early on Saki threw a nice hook, but got a leg kick in return. Schilt was going for body shots. Saki’s combos don’t seem to reach the much taller opponent. Despite the height difference, Saki goes in for a clinch. The first round is close but called in favor of Saki 10-4. Schilt begins to dominate as Saki’s striking is not reaching the target. Saki does catch Schilt with a left, but the monster doesn’t move. Schilt moves in with body and leg kicks. Schilt takes the round, 10-9, and won the fight by decision.

Ben Saddick and Ghita squared off, but just for a moment. Ghita ends the fight with body kick that ends the fight by KO (Liver kick).

Final

Schilt started off with a front kick and leg kicks are exchanged. Ghita came back with a nice right hand. Again Schilt moved forward with kicking combos and Ghita landed a right. Ghita took some of those hard jabs from Schilt, but returned with a right. Ghita landed two nice left hooks, but got caught by Schilt’s head kick landing him on the ground. Schilt is victorious by TKO.

There were also three Superfights featuring Jason Wilnis against Toshio Matsumoto. The three round brawl ended in Wilnis favor by decision. Mutsuki Ebata defeatedSang-Jae Kim by decision after three rounds. Robin van Roosmalen takes the first round—then the next two winning the fight by decision against Yuichiro Nagashima.

DONATE TO THE VICTIMS OF HURRICANE SANDY : www.redcross.org/donate

HELP STOP WORLD HUNGER: www.realcombatmedia.com/rcm-stop-world-hunger

LEARN HOW TO FIGHT, WORKOUT & IMPROVE ENDURANCE: RCM MMA  & BOXING STORE