In case you haven’t heard yet, this Saturday, July 20, is a jam-packed day of competitive violence. Fans of combat sports would be behooved to get a restful night’s sleep on Friday night because they’re going to need it. Counting all shows across the promotions, fans can look forward to a minimum of 12 hours of fights Saturday.
Stop number two on the day’s itinerary is Rotterdam, Netherlands, where kickboxing is once again on the menu. After an eight-man tournament at light heavyweight was held inside Rotterdam Ahoy, GLORY Kickboxing returns to the city, this time in a different venue.
Topsportcentrum in Rotterdam is the scene for GLORY 93 on Saturday afternoon. Live coverage begins at 12:30 pm ET/ 9:30 am PT on the GLORY Kickboxing YouTube channel with the undercard. Main card action follows at 2 pm ET/ 11 am PT. Inside the United States, live coverage of the main card will be streamed on Bally Live! and Stadium.
Featherweight Strap on the Line in Co-Main Event Saturday
All told, barring any last-minute adjustments to the bout order, the final version of GLORY 93 features nine kickboxing fights. Two marquee fights are at the top of the bill, including the co-main event of the evening.
The GLORY Featherweight Championship is up for grabs on Saturday when incumbent champion Petch [Petchpanomrung Kiatmuu9] (169-40-3 kickboxing, 15-2-1 GLORY) takes on challenger Kento Haraguchi (25-3-1 kickboxing, 2-0 GLORY). This is the third all-time meeting between these two men.
As with all GLORY Kickboxing championship fights, the GLORY 93 co-main event is an advertised maximum of five rounds at three minutes per round. Additionally, the three-knockdown rule will be in effect throughout GLORY 93. Should a fighter knock down his or her opponent three times in a round or four times in a match, that fighter scores the win by way of TKO.
.@Kento_fft has been on a tear over his last three fights 😤
He fights for the GLORY Featherweight Belt this Saturday at #GLORY93
(Via @RISE_2003) pic.twitter.com/NllkGqX5VK
— GLORY Kickboxing (@GLORY_WS) July 15, 2024
GLORY 93 Co-Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds
Heading into the GLORY 93 co-main event on Saturday, Kento Haraguchi stands as the taller man at 5-foot-9, compared to the 5-foot-7 frame of Petch. Petch owns a 69-inch reach, while no such information was accessible for Haraguchi at press time.
Currently, the oddsmakers have Petch installed as a -350 favorite on the money line, while Kento Haraguchi counters as a +250 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight in combat sports this weekend, please wager responsibly.
The Series So Far
Ahead of the trilogy bout this weekend, the all-time series between Petch and Haraguchi stands at 2-0 in favor of the former. Petch needed to go to a sixth round to best Haraguchi in the rematch two years ago due to the scorecards yielding a draw after scoring a unanimous decision in the original bout during the fall of 2021.
How will chapter three play out?
Petch Looking to Start New Winning Streak in GLORY 93 Co-Main Event
Petchpanomrung Kiatmuu9 enters the GLORY 93 co-main event having posted a record of 3-2 in his last five fights. Back in December of last year, he saw a two-fight winning streak snapped at the hands of Chadd Collins (62-19-2 kickboxing, 1-0 GLORY) after five rounds during the 2023 RISE World Series finals, one year removed from defeating Kosei Yamada on Christmas Day of 2022.
To find the last time he successfully defended the featherweight title, you’d need to go back to October of 2023, when he scored a split decision over David Mejia (61-18 kickboxing, 0-2 GLORY) in GLORY 89. Another title defense would put Petch within striking distance of a GLORY promotional record.
Should he defeat Haraguchi on Saturday, Petch would be two successful title defenses away from tying the great Rico Verhoeven for the most such wins in GLORY history. Will he get his hand raised for an eighth consecutive time? Tune in over the weekend for the answer.
Haraguchi Seeking Fourth Career Championship on Saturday
In the other corner, Kento Haraguchi has gone 4-1 in his last five fight. At the moment, he’s on a four-fight winning streak.
Last time out, he scored a second-round knockout with a right cross against Abraham Vidales (16-2 kickboxing, 6-2 GLORY) back in December as part of the RISE World Series. There’s no denying that Kento Haraguchi has another belt on his mind.
This is a man who’s already scored three championships throughout his career, including one at featherweight seven years ago. While he’s a decorated champion already, a victory in the GLORY 93 co-main event would make it a career grand slam.
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
It’s a classic strength versus strength matchup in the GLORY 93 main event. Who will win the day?
Look For Petch to Mix Up His Attack
While the jaw-dropping knockouts get the most attention online, sometimes, clinical performances are enough for a fighter to get the win. Two years ago, Petch had a merry Christmas when he fought Kosei Yamada in the latter’s retirement match.
Throughout the contest, Petch landed low kicks on Yamada, but one barely grazed against his adversary’s protective cup in round one. Along the way, he went upstairs to work on the body, turning it on in the second round, landing effective counterstrikes against Yamada, along with some high kicks as the round neared its conclusion, returning to his varied strikes in round three.
If Petch maintains control in the GLORY 93 main event, it’ll be another successful defense of the title.
Look For Haraguchi to Work the Body
In the other corner, Kento Haraguchi knows how to execute the body shot in his own right, as he did in his fight last July versus Anvar Boynazarov. While Boynazarov slipped early on in round one, this provided little in the way of a reprieve.
Upon the restart, Haraguchi executed a vicious kick to his opponent’s body, sending him crashing to the canvas. While the official administered the mandatory 10-count, Boynazarov was spent, with the contest being waved off. If Haraguchi lands a clean body kick, it could yield an upset.
Final Thoughts
Expect an all-out battle in the GLORY 93 co-main event.
Prediction: Petchpanomrung Kiatmuu9 by Unanimous Decision.
