25 Apr - 
GLORY 91 Main Event Breakdown

Saturday is a huge day on the sports calendar. Where does one begin to talk about the smorgasbord of action? Aside from the third and final day of the NFL Draft in Detroit, Game 4s in the NBA Playoffs first round, the start of week five in the UFL on FOX, there’s a full day and night of combat sports to be watched.

It starts at 12:30 pm ET/ 9:30 am PT (US time) in Paris, where it’ll already be late in the afternoon. Kickboxing is the focus of the day when GLORY returns to Dome de Paris for GLORY 91. Main card action follows at 2 pm ET/ 11 am PT. Just like GLORY 90 in early March, Saturday’s show will be streamed live and free (inside the United States) on Bally Sports‘ betting app, Bally Live, in addition to the Stadium app and watchstadium.com. The undercard is also available on the Fubo Sports YouTube channel.

Stadium is also streaming GLORY 91 in Canada. For viewers outside of America, access glorykickboxing.com for regional broadcast and/or streaming designations. 

Welterweight Championship at Stake in GLORY 91 Main Event

All told, barring any late cancellations or postponements between now and Saturday, 10 kickboxing matches will be held. At the top of the order is the battle for the GLORY Kickboxing Welterweight Championship of the World in the GLORY 91 main event.

Incumbent champion Endy Semeleer (36-1 kickboxing, 5-0 GLORY) meets challenger and No. 1 contender Chico Kwasi (42-5 kickboxing, 3-0 GLORY) in the headlining bout. As with all kickboxing championship fights, the GLORY 91 main event is an advertised maximum of five rounds at three minutes per round to close the show.

The three-knockdown rule will be in effect for Saturday’s show. If a fighter knocks his or her opponent down three times in the course of a round or four times in the course of a fight, that fighter will be the winner by TKO.

GLORY 91 Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds

Heading into the GLORY 91 main event this Saturday, challenger Chico Kwasi stands as the taller man at 6-foot-3, compared to the 5-foot-10 1/2 frame of Endy Semeleer. The champ owns a 75-inch reach, with no such information accessible for the challenger at press time.

Currently, the oddsmakers have Endy Semeleer installed as a -550 favorite on the money line, while Chico Kwasi counters as a +350 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening across combat sports this weekend, please wager responsibly.

Can Semeleer Defend Again?

Champion Endy Semeleer has posted a 5-0 record in his last five fights. At present, he’s on a 10-fight winning streak, one which was extended right before Christmas on Dec. 23 with a first-round TKO (three-knockdown rule) in GLORY 90 against Anwar Ouled-Chalib (3-1 GLORY).

After the fight, he talked about how his gameplan had to be altered for his betterment.

“I’ve said [it] before, I’ve got to pressure more of the fights,” Semeleer began. “I normally fight backwards, but now, I went a little bit more forwards and you see what happened when I hit my shots.”

A victory in the GLORY 91 main event would mark the fifth successful defense of Semeleer’s crown. Can he pull it off? Tune in and find out.

Chico Kwasi Looking to Run Winning Streak to Six

In the other corner, Chico Kwasi enters the main event having gone 5-0 in his last five kickboxing matches. Last time out, he scored a split decision victory over Jay Overmeer (29-6 kickboxing, 4-2 GLORY) during GLORY Collision 6 on Nov. 4.

Recently, Kwasi let GLORY’s camera crew pay him a visit during training camp. He gave glowing words about his upcoming adversary during the interview before mentioning the challenge that awaits Semeleer.

“Endy’s a great fighter, he’s been the champion for a while, won five fights in GLORY,” Kwasi said. “[He’s] got a record that’s really good, he only lost one time. He’s been a great champion but he hasn’t fought anybody like me yet. I’m a different kind of fighter, I think I’m the tallest fighter he’s fought [as of] yet, so I’m going to bring you guys a big surprise.”

A confident statement from Chico Kwasi, for certain, but can he back it up by winning the championship? Only time will tell.

Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction

Another strength vs. strength matchup is on tap for the GLORY 91 main event on Saturday. Who wins the day?

Look for Semeleer to Get Out to a Fast Start

A key to victory in any combat sport is a quick start. Endy Semeleer knows all about it, as illustrated by his last defense of the strap vs. Ouled-Chaib.

Right after the command to fight was given, Semeleer pieced up Ouled-Chaib, scoring two knockdowns in quick succession. Smelling blood in the water, he unloaded with an uppercut to put his opponent down for the third time to finish off the TKO.

If Endy Semeleer comes out of the gates flying in the GLORY 91 main event, Saturday will be a short but successful night for him.

Watch Out for Kwasi’s Body Shots

In the other corner, Chico Kwasi’s ability to work the body could tell the story here. One need look no further than his fight against Stefan Orza.

Late in round two, Kwasi knocked Orza down with a left hook to the liver. Although the latter beat the referee’s count, Kwasi’s mission was to put him away for the night. From there, Kwasi continued to land a variety of strikes, ending with another body shot.

One body shot is all it’ll take for Kwasi to unseat Semeleer as champion on Saturday.

Final Thoughts

GLORY has been known to bring the fireworks every fight night. Saturday should be no different. Don’t miss the GLORY 91 main event.

Prediction: Endy Semeleer by First-Round Knockout. 
Source : https://mmasucka.com/2024/04/24/glory-91-main-breakdown/