SHARE
Bailey Sugden
Bailey Sugden at GLORY 43 in New York. Photo Credit: James Law/GLORY Sports International

The British are aiming to seize the spotlight this Saturday at GLORY Redemption and GLORY 49, with Bailey Sugden and Jamie Bates parading the Union Jack in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Taking place from the Ahoy in Rotterdam on December 9, GLORY 49 marks the 13th numbered event this year, rising to 14 if you care to consider the GLORY Redemption pay-per-view unattached.

Last December, Rico Verhoeven and Badr Hari captivated the attention of kickboxing fans around the globe with their once in a lifetime, sold-out clash in Oberhausen, Germany.

The hype and pageantry surrounding GLORY’s first pay-per-view in more than two years gave the brand significant exposure in the mainstream sports market, despite a botched ending and the promotion is looking to emulate that with another year’s end PPV spectacle.

Newark’s Bailey Sugden looks to move closer to his title promise in Rotterdam

‘Redemption’ – which is headlined by bitter rivals Rico Verhoeven vs. Jamal Ben Saddik – includes a huge opportunity for “Bad Boy” Bailey Sugden, who was promoted to the PPV main card for his fight against Chenglong Zhang.

It’s an incredible chance for Suden and Zhang, with the Newark born athlete only 20-years-old, and his Chinese opponent one year younger.

Bailey Sugden
Sugden vs. Zhang Poster. Credit: GLORY Kickboxing

Prior to making his GLORY debut in July, the Suggy’s Gym fighter predicted he would hold the featherweight championship within two years and with back-to-back high-profile settings, he’s certainly steaming towards his goal.

He made a strong case for that in his opening bout at GLORY 43: New York, where he used his superior handwork to win a unanimous decision over Arthur Sorsor inside the historical foundations of The Theatre at Madison Square Garden.

With elder brothers Chad (professional boxer) and Regis (MMA) finding success down different combat sports routes, “Bad Boy” Bailey is fixated on creating a legacy for himself as a kickboxer. He may still be young, but don’t let that fool you, he oozes confidence, he’s got the skills to back it up and of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a strong kickboxing lineage in your blood.

“[It] feels right that I should be on the PPV card, it’s where I belong,” Bailey Sugden told MMA Plus in the lead up to Redemption. “Think it helps my career progression as it will promote me to the world and Chinese markets as GLORY is the premier kickboxing organisation in the world. Watch out, I intend to win the bonus for Fighter of the Night.”

With a flamboyant striking style which offers up a plethora of visibly pleasing attacks, the hype behind young Bailey is certainly warranted, especially since he’s likely only just begun to scratch the surface of his full potential.

Jamie Bates looking to capture new GLORY contract with big win in Rotterdam

It may be Sugden who’s getting the PPV shine, but Jamie Bates will certainly have a few tricks up his sleeve to capture the fans’ attention when he fights Eyevan Danenberg on the GLORY 49 SuperFight Series on UFC Fight Pass.

Like his British counterpart, Rotterdam will play host to Bates’s second GLORY Kickboxing contest, after he toppled GLORY 30 welterweight tournament winner Richard Abraham back in April.

Bailey Sugden
Jamie Bates def. Richard Abraham. Credit: James Law/GLORY Sports International

After targeting a spot on the GLORY New York show following his win in Copenhagen, Bates has been left stranded and frustrated on the sidelines whilst GLORY fumbled to offer him another fight in quick succession.

Opponent Danenberg was pretty stunning in his last tilt, knocking down Wellington Uega four times to win by TKO. The Aruban fighter offers great precision at range, but the superiority of Bates; who enjoys utilising his reach and boxing from the outside, could provide Danenberg with stern problems on Saturday night.

His bout against “Mr. Cool” will fulfill the two-fight contract awarded to him in March – which he gained after impressing GLORY scouts at the Road to GLORY UK show – so Bates will be looking to turn heads once again to lengthen his stay amongst the kickboxing elite.

GLORY: Redemption will be broadcast live on PPV from Ahoy Rotterdam in the Netherlands and is available for purchase now at UFC.TV. GLORY 49 SuperFight Series will be broadcast live on UFC Fight Pass.