It’s almost five years since GLORY held their first and only event in the UK and Jamie Bates hopes the world’s biggest kickboxing organization will return sooner than later.
The Geordie, one of two English fighters on the event this Saturday, takes on Eyevan Danenberg and wants to put on a big performance to help convince the board of GLORY to go back to the UK for the first time since March 2013.
Bates says kickboxing in the UK needs more coverage and attention and sees a GLORY event as the only way to get it.
“Hopefully they (GLORY) will come back this year. It’s been 44 shows since GLORY 5 in London. I think there’s definitely a growing audience in the UK, so it would be a great time to come over,” Bates tells MMA Plus.
“There’s boxing, MMA, and kickboxing, so it’s the third biggest sport. We still aren’t getting the TV coverage I think we deserve, but we also need the bigger events like GLORY to come over and create the opportunities to bring the TV in.
“The TV brings money in and the money can afford to bring better fighters and bigger cards. We need a bit of a boost. It’s the only way kickboxing in the UK can grow audience-wise. We’ll see what happens,” Bates says.
