More combat sports action is on the way on Saturday. Fans of competitive violence should look toward clearing off schedules from roughly 12 noon ET to 12 midnight ET or thereabouts. While Oktagon and Cage Warriors hold their respective events this weekend, GLORY Kickboxing sets up shop in The Netherlands.
As has been the case several times in GLORY this year, Rotterdam is the host city for GLORY 93 and the GLORY 93 main event. All told, absent of any cancellations that may arise before the show, Saturday’s card (2 pm ET/ 11 am PT, Bally Live!/ Stadium) features nine total kickboxing bouts from Topsportcentrum.
Welterweights Collide in GLORY 93 Main Event
While the co-main event of the evening features a battle for the featherweight championship, the headliner features a superfight at welterweight. No. 1 contender Endy Semeleer (36-2 kickboxing, 5-1 GLORY) faces off against current GLORY Kickboxing Lightweight Champion Tyjani Beztati (26-4 kickboxing, 16-3 GLORY) in the main event, the latter’s welterweight debut.
With no championship at stake on Saturday, the GLORY 93 main event is an advertised maximum of three rounds at three minutes per round to close the activities. The three-knockdown rule is in effect throughout the card.
If a contestant scores three knockdowns against his or her adversary in a single round or four times in a fight, that contestant is the winner by TKO.
.@tyjanibeztati's road to kickboxing superstardom #GLORY93 pic.twitter.com/7jfdPoPPTZ
— GLORY Kickboxing (@GLORY_WS) July 12, 2024
GLORY 93 Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds
Heading into the GLORY 93 main event on Saturday afternoon, Tyjani Beztati is the taller combatant at 6-foot-3, compared to the 5-foot-10 1/2 frame of Endy Semeleer. The latter owns a 75-inch reach, with no such information available for the former at press time.
Currently, the oddsmakers have Tyjani Beztati installed as a -165 favorite on the money line, while Endy Semeleer counters as a +125 underdog. If you plan on betting this or any other fight happening this weekend in combat sports, please wager responsibly.
Semeleer Looking to Bounce Back From Title Fight Loss in GLORY 93 Main Event
Endy Semeleer, formerly the GLORY Kickboxing Welterweight Champion, has posted a record of 4-1 in his last five fights. Less than three months ago, he lost the strap in Paris by way of second-round TKO (three-knockdown rule) in GLORY 91 against Chico Kwasi (43-5 kickboxing, 4-0 GLORY) during the main event.
For this training camp, Semeleer has traveled to Spain, where his trainer, Boy Van Veen, makes his home. In a recent video on the GLORY Kickboxing YouTube channel, Semeleer describes the change of scenery.
“I hardly ever leave the house,” Semeleer said, through onscreen subtitles. “Sometimes I have to, because I need to do my groceries, and very occasionally, [I go] to the beach, but then we combine that with training. Actually, everything is about training when I’m here.”
How will Endy Semeleer respond in his return to the ring? Only time will tell.
Tyjani Beztati Moves to Welterweight for Saturday Headliner
In the other corner, Tyjani Beztati has gone 5-0 in his last five fights as part of an ongoing seven-fight winning streak dating back to Leap Day in 2020. Back in March, he scored a unanimous decision victory after five rounds against Enriko Kehl (53-16 kickboxing, 2-1 GLORY) in his most recent defense of the lightweight title during the GLORY Heavyweight Grand Prix.
This is not only Beztati’s welterweight debut, it’s the second fight on his current deal with the organization. Ahead of the fight with Kehl late this past winter, he teased that he’d be headed to the welterweight division upon defending the lightweight belt.
He holds the GLORY Kickboxing promotional record for most wins by a lightweight competitor with 15. Will he notch another win in his welterweight debut?
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
The GLORY 93 main event looks to be a great scrap. A former champion taking on a current champion. What could be better?
Look For Semeleer to Go For a Hook
Endy Semeleer is a man known for getting himself on the highlight reel. Just watch the video of his fight vs. Shkodran Vessell.
After nearly stopping Vessell by the three-knockdown rule inside the first round, the third and final round saw him score his third total knockdown. Although Vessell rose to his feet, Semeleer later removed every last thread of doubt in the fight with a right hook, giving him the fourth knockdown for the contest and thus, the win by TKO.
Any strike in Endy Semeleer’s arsenal can put an opponent down. If he lands the right hook, Tyjani Beztati could stay down in the GLORY 93 main event.
Beztati Equally Brutal
In the other corner, Tyjani Beztati subscribes to the Lee Corso philosophy: “Not so fast, my friend.” His hooks are just as nasty as Endy Semeleer’s.
During his GLORY 80: Studio fight for the lightweight title against Josh Jauncey in 2022, Beztati landed some knees to begin round two while Jauncey scored with a kick to the left leg. About a minute into the round, Beztati put Jauncey on the mat with a left uppercut.
Upon the resumption of the fight, a clearly-stunned Jauncey absorbed a barrage of shots from Beztati, including a right hook to knock him down a second time. Even though Jauncey rose to his feet again, Beztati landed a left hook to score the TKO by the three-knockdown rule.
If Tyjani Beztati beats Semeleer to the hook on Saturday, his welterweight debut will be a success.
Final Thoughts
If you had plans to go see a movie on Saturday, cancel them. The real blockbuster is the GLORY 93 main event.
Prediction: Endy Semeleer by First-Round Knockout.
