MidValleySports.Com

By George Hernandez

[Los Angeles] The Los Angeles Forum will be home to the biggest kickboxing event on American soil history on June 21 when kickboxing company Glory will have two events in one day – Glory 17 and Last Man Standing.

Glory 17: Los Angeles; will feature a 4-man featherweight challenger tournament, a number one contender bout and a heavyweight clash.

In the featherweight semifinal bout Team Oyama’s Shane Oblonsky (8-2), coming off a win against Thai star Malaipet Sasiprapa will face Marcus Vinicius (7-2) and Gabriel Vargas (23-2) of Canada squares off against Yodkhunpon Sitmonchai (83-21-1) fighting out of Thailand. Winners will face each other later on that night to see who will challenge for the featherweight world title.

• The co-headliner will be a lightweight number one contender bout between the always exciting Ky Hollenbeck (46-3) repping ‘Can’t Stop Crazy’ and Andy Ristie (41-4-1). Hollenbeck is coming of two impressive wins after knee surgery while Ristie lost his last bout which was a war for the inaugural Glory lightweight world title.

In the main headliner of Glory 17 legendary Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ (22-8) will go head to head against Jarrell Miller (22-1).

Last Man Standing; will have two world title fights and an 8-man tournament that will feature the top middleweights in the world.

One of the tournament favorites Los Angeles’ own #2 ranked Joe ‘Stitch’um Up’ Schilling (16-5), winner of last years middleweight tournament, will face Simon ‘Bad Boy’ Marcus (39-0-1) who holds two victories over Schilling in Muay Thai rule bouts.

Another favorite #1 ranked Artem Levin (47-4-1) of Russia will square off against dangerous slugger from Brazil Alex Pereira (13-1).

• In other first round bouts Wayne Barrett (4-0) will match up against Bogdan Stoica (38-5) and knockout artiest Melvin Manhoff (47-11) will go up against firmer heavyweight and light heavyweight Filip Verlinden (42-11-1).

These eight fighters will fight until there is just one ‘Last Man Standing’ and he will be crowned the Glory world middleweight champion.

The co-headliner will have two exciting welterweights vying for the world championship when challenger Canadas’ “Bazooka” Joseph Valtellini (11-2) tries to take the gold from Marc De Bonte (87-11-1). It will be his first title defense.

Capping off an exciting night the “big boys”, the heavyweights will face off for the title in a rematch between Daniel Ghita (50-10) and the young Rico Verhoeven (43-9) who got the victory last time around.

• Glory kickboxing is the most exciting combat organization today with a knockout ratio of over 70% coming by knees, punches and kicks.

Glory 17 will be shown on Spike TV and Glory’s ‘Last Man Standing’ will be on pay-per-view. Check local listings for times.