Muay Thai star Ky Hollenbeck with represent the U.S. in the GLORY Final 8 tournament in Rome. Photo Credit: GLORY World Series

Grand prize of $300,000 at stake in eight-man tournament

Press release courtesy of GLORY World Series

The eight remaining contenders in the GLORY World Series single-elimination tournament will travel from the four corners of the earth to battle it out on NOV 3 2012 at the historical PalaLottomatica venue, where Muhammad Ali won his Olympic gold medal.

The greatest prize in the sport of kickboxing will be on the line.

The overall winner of the GLORY World Series Final 8 will have fought three times that night and earned a grand prize of $300,000 before a capacity crowd. It will test his skill, strength and fitness. It will require him to dig into the deepest parts of his spirit to endure pain, fear and exhaustion.

“GLORY kickboxing is a combination of both Art and War, the pinnacle of stand-up fighting, and Rome with its history and legendary martial tradition is the perfect fit for our Final 8 tournament,” said Marcus Luer, Managing Director of GLORY Sports International.

“Rome provides a beautiful and appropriate backdrop. The battles that took place in the Coliseum have been immortalized in countless movies but I can assure you the bouts that will take place on November 3 will rival anything you have seen on film or in the ring. We are expecting an Epic.”

Italy is represented in the Final 8 by the inimitable Giorgio Petrosyan, nicknamed ‘The Doctor’ for his absolutely surgical precision in the ring. Albert Kraus and Robin van Roosmalen represent the kickboxing powerhouses of the Netherlands, while Shemsi Beqiri travels down from the mountains of Switzerland to stake his claim.

From America comes the hard-hitting Ky Hollenbeck, on a mission to prove that the USA can produce world-class kickboxers, and from England comes the tricky Tim Thomas. From the steppes of Asia, Davit Kiria and across the cold northern seas from Sweden, the young prospect Sanny Dahlbeck.