AMSTERDAM – Two talented young fighters will be given the opportunity of a lifetime this weekend.
Twenty-year-old Bailey “Bad Boy” Sugden (10-1, 2 KO, fighting out of the United Kingdom) and 19-year-old Chenglong Zhang (45-5, 11 KO, fighting out of China) have joined GLORY: REDEMPTION, squaring off during the worldwide pay-per-view event this Saturday, Dec. 9.
GLORY: REDEMPTION will be broadcast live from Ahoy Rotterdam in the Netherlands and is available for purchase now at UFC.TV for €25 or $29.99 USD.
The prodigal pair was originally scheduled to meet in the opening bout of GLORY 49 SuperFight Series, but the sudden and unexpected retirement of heavyweight Xavier Vigney created a vacancy on the four-fight card.
Now, the kickboxing wunderkinds will be showcased alongside some of the top fighters in the world including dominant heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven and formidable challenger Jamal Ben Saddik; 2016’s Fight of the Year participants Michael Duut and Danyo Ilunga; and fellow featherweights Petchpanomrung Kiatmookao and Zakaria Zouggary, who battle at GLORY: REDEMPTION to determine the division’s No. 1 contender.
“Both Bailey and Chenglong represent exactly what GLORY is looking for in prospects climbing the ladder,” said Cor Hemmers, Managing Director Sports and Head of Talent Operations for GLORY. “They fought through tough tournaments to carve out their place on the GLORY roster and are still hungry for new challenges.
“Additionally, providing opportunities for developing talent to thrive and succeed on the largest global platform offers the next generation of fighters in China and other key markets a glimpse at the future.”
Coming from a fighting family in Newark, England, Sugden started training at the age of five. Following a successful GLORY debut – a unanimous decision over Arthur Soror at GLORY 43 SuperFight Series in July – Sugden says capturing the GLORY featherweight title is “the only one that really matters” to him.
Mirroring his opponent’s familial roots, Zhang was inspired by his brother to begin Muay Thai training at 13 years old. He already has three GLORY wins under his belt, the two most recent coming by way of a one-night qualification tournament victory at GLORY 46 China in October.
Zhang makes a point to show respect to his opponents, adding, “Because I respect them, I always try to knock them out; because that brings out the best fight. I hope my opponent has the same attitude.”
GLORY: REDEMPTION begins at 10 p.m. CET / 9 p.m. GMT this Saturday, Dec. 9 and is available for purchase now at UFC.TV for €25 or $29.99 USD.
The complete four-fight card for GLORY: REDEMPTION can be found below:
GLORY: REDEMPTION
Heavyweight World Title Bout: Rico Verhoeven vs. Jamal Ben Saddik
Light Heavyweight Bout: Michael Duut vs. Danyo Ilunga
Featherweight Bout: Bailey Sugden vs. Chenglong Zhang
Featherweight No. 1 Contender Bout: Petchpanomrung Kiatmookao vs. Zakaria Zouggary
GLORY 49 SuperFight Series immediately precedes GLORY: REDEMPTION, with top-10 heavyweights Ismael “Mr. Pain” Londt (39-7-1, 18 KO, fighting out of the Netherlands) and Curaçaoan-Dutch striker D’Angelo Marshall (16-2, 9 KO, fighting out of the Netherlands) already headlining the five-fight card.
Anderson “Braddock” Silva (41-17-1, 26 KO, fighting out of Brazil), Vigney’s original opponent, will now face Brian “The Hitman” Douwes (45-21-2, 25 KO, fighting out of the Netherlands), who answers the call on three days notice.
GLORY 49 SuperFight Series will stream live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS at 7:30 p.m. CET / 6:30 p.m. GMT this Saturday, Dec. 9.
The complete five-fight card for GLORY 49 SuperFight Series can be found below:
GLORY 49 SuperFight Series
Middleweight World Title Bout: Alex Pereira vs. Yousri Belgaroui
Welterweight Bout: Nieky Holzken vs. Alim Nabiyev
Heavyweight Bout: Ismael Londt vs. D’Angelo Marshall
Heavyweight Bout: Anderson Silva vs. Brian Douwes
Welterweight Bout: Eyevan Danenberg vs. Jamie Bates
For more information about GLORY, visit glorykickboxing.com.