GLORY 38 SuperFight Series Gets New Headliner
Finalizing Fight Cards for Friday, Feb. 24 in Chicago
GLORY 38 Chicago & GLORY 38 SuperFight Series – Tickets On Sale Now via SpectraTix
DENVER – GLORY today announced several brand new match-ups for its third visit to the Windy City area, as the world’s premier kickboxing league returns to Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill. for GLORY 38 Chicago and GLORY 38 SuperFight Series on Friday, Feb. 24.
Chicago native Richard “Maximus” Abraham (11-3, 4 KO), currently ranked No. 6 at welterweight and undefeated inside the GLORY ring, welcomes 25-year-old prodigy Antoine Pinto (130-36-1, 77 KO) to the organization in the GLORY 38 Chicago co-headline bout. Pinto, representing France and fighting out of Thailand, makes his promotional debut after earning multiple Muay Thai world titles over a career already spanning 12 years.
Comprising the one-night, four-man light heavyweight contender tournament at GLORY 38 Chicago are two explosive semifinal bouts. In addition to notching two career victories in a single evening, the tournament winner will earn an opportunity to face the reigning GLORY light heavyweight champion at a later date.
Former interim GLORY light heavyweight champion Zack “The Black Warrior” Mwekassa (15-4, 13 KO) returns in the night’s first tournament semifinal scrap, looking to climb back into title contention against an opponent to be named later. Mwekassa is currently ranked No. 3 in the division.
Mere weeks removed from his 2016 Fight of the Year performance against Michael Duut, dynamic Congolese-German striker Danyo “Dibuba” Ilunga (57-10, 44 KO) takes on Brazil’s Ariel Machado (43-8, 33 KO) in a tournament semifinal clash paring the No. 8 and No. 7 light heavyweights respectively.
The previously announced rubber match between GLORY light heavyweight champion Artem Vakhitov (17-5, 7 KO) of Russia and Brazilian rival Saulo “Cassius Clay” Cavalari (60-4, 49 KO) headlines GLORY 38 Chicago.
Vakhitov has been dominant since joining the organization, compiling a 6-1 record in the span. The lone blemish on his record came against Cavalari at GLORY 20 Dubai in April of 2015. Cavalari has been equally impressive under the GLORY banner with a 7-2 record that includes a loss to Vakhitov at GLORY 28 Paris in March of last year.
The complete five-fight card for GLORY 38 Chicago can be found below:
GLORY 38 Chicago
Light Heavyweight World Title Headline Bout: Artem Vakhitov vs. Saulo Cavalari
Light Heavyweight Tournament Final Bout: Winner of Bout A vs. Winner of Bout B
Welterweight Co-Headline Bout: Richard Abraham vs. Antoine Pinto
Light Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal Bout B: Danyo Illunga vs. Ariel Machado
Light Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal Bout A: Zack Mwekassa vs. TBA
GLORY 38 Chicago airs live at 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT on ESPN3.
In the headline bout of GLORY 38 SuperFight Series, taking place immediately before GLORY 38 Chicago, No. 1 heavyweight contender Benjamin “Mister Gentleman” Adegbuyi (27-4, 16 KO) of Romania finally crosses paths with world No. 9 Anderson “Braddock” Silva (40-15-1, 25 KO) of Brazil.
Another heavyweight hailing from Romania will be featured in the co-headline bout as newcomer Cătălin “The Carpathian Death” Moroșanu (42-10, 25 KO) stands toe-to-toe with 6’7″ American kickboxer Maurice “The Pirate” Greene (4-3, 2 KO) at heavyweight. Chi Lewis-Parry, Moroșanu’s original opponent, was forced to withdraw from the card and has been replaced by Greene.
In a welterweight tilt that’s sure to deliver fireworks, former title challenger and No. 2 ranked contender Murthel “The Predator” Groenhart (63-22-3, 36 KO) faces a tough test in 21-year-old “Thai Terminator” Thongchai (135-32, 46 KO), a talented prospect from Thailand. Ranked No 7., Thongchai immediately impressed in his GLORY debut by knocking out Casey Greene at GLORY 34 in October.
A pair of Polish fighters round out the GLORY 38 SuperFight Series card. Paweł “Wergi” Jędrzejczyk (21-7-1, 6 KO) meets Mexico’s Daniel “La Maquina” Morales at welterweight, while Łukasz “Boom Boom” Pławecki (12-9, 5 KO) battles Denmark’s Niclas “The Destroyer” Larsen (40-7-1, 20 KO) at lightweight.
The complete five-fight card for GLORY 38 SuperFight Series can be found below:
GLORY 38 Chicago
Heavyweight Headline Bout: Benjamin Adegbuyi vs. Anderson Silva
Heavyweight Co-Headline Bout: Cătălin Moroșanu vs. Maurice Greene
Welterweight Bout: Murthel Groenhart vs. Thongchai
Welterweight Bout: Paweł Jędrzejczyk vs. Daniel Morales
Lightweight Bout: Łukasz Pławecki vs. Niclas Larsen
GLORY 38 SuperFight Series streams live and exclusively at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT on UFC FIGHT PASS.
