The Quarterfinal 3 fight preview of the GLORY Heavyweight Grand Prix is powered by Unibet.
This Saturday night, March 9, will see the historic GLORY Heavyweight Grand Prix event take place at the GelreDome in Arnhem, the Netherlands. Eight of the best heavyweights on the planet will compete in an eight-man one-night tournament where the winner will walk away with a cool $500,000 prizemoney & the title of Grand Prix Champion.
In what is an intriguing match-up, the youngest participant in the Grand Prix takes on the eldest as 23-year-old Nabil Khacab (27-4-1, 4 KO) meets 39-year-old Benjamin Adegbuyi (35-7, 20 KO).
2023 was a breakout year for young Nabil Khachab. The Moroccan went from unknown fighter to making his GLORY debut and now finds himself in one of the biggest kickboxing tournaments of all-time, all in the space of just thirteen months.
With a 3-1 GLORY record in his debut year, he certainly earned his spot in the Grand Prix. What is probably most impressive is that, despite his large & unassuming frame, Khachab has pushed the pace in all his fights thus far and has the best accuracy of all the heavyweights with a 67% strike rate.
This statistic is important because it lines up with Adebguyi’s defense rate. Of all eight heavyweights, the former two-time title contender absorbs the most strikes per minute on average.
While this may be one shortcoming, he does have experience on his side and is the most successful tournament fighter in GLORY heavyweight history. Adegbuyi has won three one-night tournaments and reached the final of the last eight-man Grand Prix.
Adegbuyi also has the height and reach advantage over almost four inches on Khachab in both departments. He has all the right tools to be victorious but the question is whether or not he can deal with the pressure and pace the rising prospect brings.
It’s a perfect fight for the opening round. A big test for both fighters and, regardless of who gets their hand raised, the winner who moves on will have certainly earned their spot in the semi-finals.
