Josh Jauncey (right) (photo via GLORY)

By Kelsey Mowatt

Josh Jauncey may have advanced to the finals of GLORY’s recent lightweight tourney, and has gone 4-1 with the planet’s biggest kickboxing promotion, but the fighter says he’s still struggling to capture the spotlight.

Last month, Jauncey stopped Coulibaly Djime at GLORY 22, before losing by decision to Muay Thai star Sittichai Sitsongpeenong in the tournament’s finals. They were the latest in a series of big fights for Jauncey, who in recent years, has demonstrated he is one of Canada’s best strikers and a top lightweight prospect.

Recently Jauncey appeared on Full Contact Fighter’s podcast, and he was asked if he’s experienced an uptick, in terms of media coverage and fan recognition.

“I don’t know. I’ve seen a little bit, but not that much to be honest,” said Jauncey, who lives in Surrey, British Columbia, where his family operated, World Kickboxing Gym is located. “If there was a kid, 22 years old, from Surrey, BC, whatever, who just got drafted to the NFL, there would be some big news about him. He would be the next star you know?”

Although GLORY has made some inroads into North America in recent years, and has drawn some solid ratings for SPIKE, kickboxing still has a ways to go before it reaches other sports. Especially in a country like Canada, where even MMA seems to have lost some of it’s audience, and hockey dominates the sporting world.

“I’m fighting in the highest level of kickboxing, which is basically like the NFL or NHL, it’s just of my sport, and I’m not really getting anything. You know? I’m not getting any sponsors…I’ve got some sponsors like 2Undr and stuff, the underwear company which brought me underwear and it’s really great. But I’m not getting sponsors that are doing what sponsors are really supposed to do, and I’m not getting that much recognition really.”

“So everyone, for all the people that are supporting me, and they do know about me, I really appreciate that,” added Jauncey. “I know it’s not easy to follow kickboxing yet. But, I feel like kickboxing, considering how well Canadians are doing at the moment in GLORY, I feel like there should be a lot more buzz about it in the media and everything too.”

As Jauncey noted, he isn’t the only Canadian who is having success in GLORY. Victoria’s Gabriel Varga is the promotion’s featherweight champion, and Scarborough’s Joseph Valtellini had the welterweight belt, until he vacated it as a result of post-concussion syndrome. Toronto’s Simon Marcus is one of GLORY’s top middleweight fighters, and has long been regarded as one of the best kickboxers on the planet.

“Not just with MMA fights, but with regular sports, ESPN, wherever else,” furthered Jauncey. “There should be more talk about it. There should be something about it. When is the last time that Canada ruled, or did really well in combat sports, except for Georges St. Pierre?”