Power and the Glory for Blackpool kickboxer

Blackpool kickboxer William Goldie-Galloway is set to feature on a huge bill in Birmingham showcasing some of the sport’s biggest names.The world’s premier stand-up combat league comes to the Genting Arena in Birmingham for GLORY 54 on Saturday, June 2.Goldie-Galloway, aged 20, will take on 20-0 American fighter Elvis Gashi in the lightweight division.GLORY Kickboxing is a stand-up combat sport using a set of rules which allows martial artists from disciplines such as kickboxing, muay Thai, boxing, karate, kung-fu, taekwondo and capoeira, to compete within one ring.To ensure fast and furious action, contests are made up of three rounds of three minutes, or five rounds of three minutes for title fights.Speaking about the event, William said: “I can’t wait to fight on front of a British crowd. The fans are in for a treat and GLORY 54 will give them a taste of what this great sport is about.“British fighters are resurgent right now. Anthony Joshua is the world champion in boxing and Michael Bisping became the first British fighter to win a UFC title. Now it’s time for the GLORY belt to come to Britain as well.“Traditionally the sport has been dominated by fighters from Thailand and mainland Europe but that’s all going to change now GLORY has opened the door to British fighters.“If you’ve never seen GLORY Kickboxing before but you’re a fan of boxing or UFC, you should definitely check us out. It’s the hardest fight sport on the planet in my opinion.“There are only three rounds, so we have to go at a lightning pace. There’s no clinching or wrestling allowed, so it’s non-stop.“It’s the toughest fight sport in the world. The fight stays standing the whole time.”Headlining the card will be reigning heavyweight world champion Rico Verhoeven. The Dutchman has a record of 53 wins, including 16 knockouts, as a professional fighter.Verhoeven, who hasn’t been beaten since 2012, will be making his UK debut against Croatian Mladen Brestovac, who has a record of 56-12-1.GLORY CEO Marshall Zelaznik said: “It’s long been our ambition to bring GLORY to the UK and show British fight fans that kickboxing is home to world’s elite fighters.“Our stable houses the best stand-up fighters in the world. They are the fastest, hardest- hitting fighters on the planet.”GLORY 54 is the first of a series of events to be staged in the UK, with more to be confirmed in the near future. Tickets can be purchased now at https://www.theticketfactory.com