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This afternoon (Sat., April 20, 2013), Giorgio Petrosyan -- among the best pound-for-pound fighters in kickboxing -- will look to retain his GLORY Middleweight title when he collides with Top 10-ranked contender Hafid El Boustati in the main event of GLORY 7, which takes place at Mediolanum Forum in Milan, Italy.
With two K-1 titles already in his trophy case alongside his GLORY championship, as well as wins over basically everyone in the division, Petrosyan -- who is undefeated since Jan. 2007 -- is widely considered one of the finest talents in the sport. Therefore, El Boustati will be out to score a huge upset if he can pull off the win.
The GLORY 7 pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event will feture a Heavyweight tilt between Dutch standout Rico Verhoeven and Brazil's Jhonata Diniz. Verhoeven is looking to bounce back from a loss to eventual tournament champion Semmy Schilt in the quarterfinals of last year's Heavyweight Grand Slam tournament.
MMAmania will have LIVE coverage of GLORY 7: "Milan," starting with the online PPV broadcast at 3:30 p.m. ET, which you can watch online all afternoon RIGHT HERE.
Check out GLORY 7 quick results and play-by-play coverage below.
GLORY 7 QUICK RESULTS:
70 kg: Giorgio Petrosyan def. Hafid El Boustati via decision
70 kg: Robin van Roosmalen def. Murthel Groenhart via decision
70 kg: Davit Kiria def. Yuri Bessmertny via decision
95+ kg: Rico Verhoeven def. Jhonata Diniz via decision
85 kg: Artem Levin def. Sahak Parparyan via decision
70 kg: Chingiz Allazov vs. Marat Grigorian ruled a no result due to accidental illegal blow stoppage
65 kg: Kaopon Lek def. Sergio Wielzen via decision
95 kg: Michael Duut def. Steve McKinnon via decision
77 kg: Karapet Karapetyan def. Roberto Cocco via decision
GLORY 7 PLAY-BY-PLAY COVERAGE:
Pete here, listening to Quadros read the Lord's prayer and Iron butterfly to test the mics. Live broadcast starting in a few minutes.
Giorgio Petrosyan vs. Hafid El Boustati
Round one: Petrosyan using that jab. Big head kick and Hafid slips. Hafid now throws some punches but as soon as Giorgio starts throwing back he backs up. Petrosyan's left kick just comes up so fast. Giorgio throws a nice combination to the body, slips, clinches and knees. Hafid tries to answer back but hasn't seemed to land a thing. Petrosyan backing him up to the ropes. Making good use of that straight left hand. Good body positioning from Petrosyan, he's crowding Hafid without touching him. Hfid just can't land a thing. Every punch is met with a slip and counter straight left.
10-9 Petrosyan.
Round two: Hafid clinches up and lands a knee. He's coming in a little stronger, trying to earn Petrosyan's respect. Giorgio starts working that left round to the body again and that calms him right down. Hafid gets walked down to the corner. He tries to open up a little. Nice teep by Hafid. He tries to punch in and gets countered by Petrosyan. Hafid is just dipping and trying to head fake. Giorgio not buying any of it. Petrosyan doubling up on that straight left with an angle shift often. Hafid is just getting out worked on every level. Hafid is showing good defense but is still getting walked down. He just can't get anything to work.
20-18 Petrosyan.
Round three: More of that left kick from Petrosyan. Hafid needs a knockdown and a round to stay in it. Petrosyan doubles up on the kick and then comes in with punches. Hafid crowds his man and lands some knees, marking pretty much his only successful offense. Hafid tries to let his hands go but gets slipped and countered with an uppercut. Hafid runs directly into a knee trying to crowd his man. Hafid trying to turn this into a brawl but he can't get it going. Hafid gets put against the ropes and eats two punches and a knee. Hafid just has no answer. He's getting more frusterated and swinging for the fences and just getting countered more by Petrosyan.
30-27 Petrosyan
Final result: Giorgio Petrosyan def. Hafid El Boustati via decision
Murthel Groenhart vs. Robin van Roosmalen
Round one: Murthel pumping out the jab early. Robin likes to throw out that kick to the legs but it's mostly just slapping. Murthel throwing good knee-hand combinations. Robin going where he wants, closing the distance and it's not working for him. Murthel working body hooks and then the jab-inside kick when they break. Murthel dancing around Robin. Robin lands his first solid combination going to the body and legs. Already some blood on the bridge of Robin's nose. Robin comes in with a right hand and low kick. Murthel coming back, not wanting to give away the round he started so strong in. Murthel tries charging in and goes down to the canvas eating a counter hook. Robin coming in hard trying to get the finish but Murthel survives.
10-8 for Robin
Round two: Murthel peppering early. Throwing straight punches and poking kicks. Showing Robin a lot more respect this time around. Robin now has Murthel walked into the corner and starts pouring it on, again. Murthel now starting to get the push kick to work, having a little better control of the range. Robin explodes forward going to the body then up top. They clinch up but neither can get much done. Robin hammering in every shot he was trying. Murthel pumping some out but is getting walked down. Murthel eats a low kick and then the punches come. Murthel taking advantage, scoring poking shots during the lull between Robin's bursts. Robin lands a hard inside leg kick at the end. Very close round.
20-17 Robin
Round three: Robin tries to crowd his man right away. Nice combination ending with a head kick. Murthel is coming in hard. Robin firing back but he's hurt. Murthel lands a knee through the outside on top. Robin comes in with two to the body and an uppercut and Murthel is hurt. Robin walks him down and starts firing hard. Spinning back fist from Murthel gets a warning for hitting with the forearm. Robin pushes his man to the corner and Murthel is getting worked against the ropes. Murthel looks like he's recovered from the damage but has nothing to offer. Murthel just walks off the ropesand starts trying to pump out the kicks. Robin is head hunting hard. He wants a knockout, here. Murthel gets back to the middle. Murthel pumps out some kicks but ultimately doesn't have much.
30-26 Robin
Final result: Robin van Roosmalen def. Murthel Groenhart via decision
Yuri Bessmertny vs. Davit Kiria
Round one: Kiria and Yuri start by trading poking leg kicks. Yuri moving around and teeping to try and stay off the ropes. Kiria lands a nice overhand. Kiria trying to jab his way in. He starts throwing a few combinations but they get deflected. Yuri landing a few nice low kick counters to the onslaught. Kiria going overhand and then to the body. Yuri just not getting off first. Jumping spinning wheel kick by Kiria gets some applause but doesn't do much. Kiria again walking his man down and throwing heavy leather to the head. Not a lot is getting through but he is clearly winning this round.
10-9 Kiria
Round two: Yuri starts trying to put some straight shots down the middle. The Russian is putting some more mustard on his kicks. Kiria still coming in heavy with punches, showing no respect to Yuri. Nice body kick by Kiria. Yuri still in the game, responding with low kicks but Kiria putting on a show with the volume of his punches. They clinch up and Yuri hits some nice knees. Kiria still walking his man down with punches. Yuri trying to land some outside knees. Kiria throwing four and five punch combinations and landing. Another jumping spinning wheel kick from Kiria misses. Yuri lands a few nice, stiff jabs. Looks like he might be taking back this round. It's close but I think Kiria still got it.
20-18 Kiria
Round three: Yuri opening up with some leg kicks. His attrition tactics clearly haven't worked, here. Kiria now comes in with straight hands, landed a nice cross to the face. Yuri's again landing that leg kick, still in the fight but the combinations of Kiria have not paused. Accidental low blow and it immediately restarts. Kiria working up top with the old one two. Yuri now trying to throw back with some serious hooks but it may be too little, too late. I'd actually go so far as to give this round to Yuri unless something big happens. Big body kick by Kiria. And yet another jumping spinning wheel kick. And the round ends. May be generous and give the round to Yuri. Kiria still wins.
29-28 Kiria
Final result: Davit Kiria def. Yuri Bessmertny via decision
Jhonata Diniz vs. Rico Verhoeven
Round one: Rico walking his man to the ropes before the first punch thrown. Diniz comes in with a few shots to get off the ropes. Rico answers with some punch kick combinations that sound nasty. Diniz tries to answer back hard and gets dropped with an overhand to the dome. Diniz tries to punch back in and eats a few kicks. Diniz eating counters but still insists on being the aggressor. Diniz gets teeped to the ropes and almost dropped. Rico comes in with a big knee that, ouch, hits low. Head kick by Rico gets deflected off and they clinch.Rico kicks under the check and putsDiniz on his butt. Rico now throwing some uppercuts on the inside and just sort of proves he outclasses his man, everywhere.
10-8 Rico
Round two: Rico comes in with a teep and a low kick. Rico working that leg and landing hooks to the head while Diniz is off balance. Next shot rules a slip but that looks like a knockdown via leg kick. And again. Every time Diniz is moving forward Rico lands the leg kick. Rico throws up a head kick but slips into the ropes. Rico right back in with body punches and knees. Diniz tries to get something going with his hands. Now big kicks coming to the body then low. And one, two, three inside back leg kicks in a row. I'm actually feeling bad for Diniz's legs.
20-17 Rico
Round three: Rico opens with a front kick then a body kick. Diniz comes in with hands and gets countered with another leg kick. Rico now opening up with body punches. Every time Diniz tries to get an offense together he eats a visiibly painful leg kick. Diniz getting backed up and gets tagged to the body. Diniz just has no answer. Rico has got his man against the post Diniz briefly flurries out but gets put back in there. Diniz again cuts out and gets put against the opposite corner. Rico unloading in to him. Punch, lowkick. Three punch combo, lowkick. Diniz is looking for a moral victory of still being standing at the end. Rico working a heavybag for the final seconds.
30-26 Rico
Final result: Rico Verhoeven def. Jhonata Diniz via decision
Sahak Parparyan vs. Artem Levin
Round one: Levin starts by pumping out the jabs and teeps. Sahak trying to walk his man back. He rips a nice hard hook. Levin lands a nice knee on the inside. Levin trying to walk his man down and throw a knee, gets shoved to the ground. Hard body hooks by Levin answered with a lot of the same by Sahak. They're stalemating in the clinch a lot. Sahak lands a hard right hook up top. And another one right after. Levin with his hands down throwing hooks to the body. Sahak sneaking that low leg kick in a few times. Levin catches a kick and kicks out Sahak's other leg. Levin hammering in a lot of long hooks and uppercuts. His hands down, no fear of Sahak. Levin slips. At the end of the round he tries to pour the hands on.
10-9 Sahak
Round two: Levin opens coming in hard and gets caught with a few by Sahak. Levin goes low and Sahak clips him, again. Levin coming in head first, gets warned for intentional butting. Levin dipping and ducking and unloading knees and short uppercuts when they go glove to glove. Levin starts again pouring on the short shots and knees in the last 30 seconds. And just like that he is back in the fight. Sahak looking tentative.
19-19 All
Round three: Levin once again coming in hard. Throwing in short shots. Looks like there's been a deduction against Levin for the head butting that will change the nature of the fight. Suddenly, Levin needs at least one knockdown. And Levin starts coming in pretty wild in kind. Sahak still looking a little tentative. Levin trying to hammer in the volume. Sahak looking mainly for a big leg hook that keeps missing. Sahak actually starts working body hooks towards the end. Levin lands a couple of hooks and starts marching his man down at the end of the round. This one may also have gone to overtime.
Round 4: They start an early exchange and the tape on Sahak's gloves needs to be adjusted. Sahak lunges in for a hook and gets tagged for his trouble. And they break because Sahak needs to retape. Levin trying to crowd Sahak. Sahak lands some low kicks. Levin pretty steady, just crowding, hook to the body, uppercut to the head and knee. They clinch, break, and repeat. Sahak has no answer. Levin now unloads on Sahak's body then goes high with multiple uppercuts. Sahak barely holding on. He eats a front kick to the face. Not sure what's keeping Sahak up. Levin has Sahak on the ropes and throws heavy leather into his body. Levin tries a flying knee and slips. Levin now taunting Sahak. And they have one last big exchange in the final seconds.
OT goes to Levin
Final result: Artem Levin def. Sahak Parparyan via decision
Chingiz Allazov vs. Marat Grigorian
Round one: Girgorian opens the action coming in hard. He gets Allazov into the corner before Allazov starts fireging back. Girgorian putting more punch-kick combinations together, early. Grigorian throwins some volume punches, sneaks an uppercut between his guard. Allazov now starts walking his man down. Allazov gets Girgorian to the ropes and starts trying to hammer. Allazov may have the quickest kick all night. Now they seem to be doing a little get to know you and the hooks start flying again in short order. Allazov not shy throwing in that head kick but can't seem to land it clean. Allazov clinches in and lands a nice knee to the body. And then comes a teep to the face by Allazov. The younger man has clearly owned the last part of this round. Girgorian attempts to respond with a low kick then a hook up top. Allazov fades past a head kick and lands a nasty hook to the face. They clinch and break. There appears to be a cut on Allazov. Allazov claiming it was an elbow and is complaining to the ref. The ref waves off the fight due to cut.
Final result: Chingiz Allazov vs. Marat Grigorian ruled no result due to accidental illegal blow stoppage
Sergio Wielzen vs. Kaopon Lek
Round one: Lek surprisingly light on his feet, throwing a few punches. Sergio gets tagged with a straight and starts coming on strong. Some nice body kicks coming from Lek but Sergio is countering with a punch up top. Sergio walks his man down to the ropes and tries to land a head kick, slips. Lek is freakishly relaxed and can pump out a body kick with some shocking speed. Still, Sergio is putting more combinations together. They throw heavy leather and Sergio slips. Sergio tries to wing in another hook and gives up his back when he misses. Knee down the middle lands to the groin and Sergio gets a warning. A rough round to call.
10-9 Sergio
Round two: Lek again throwing a mean body kick down the middle but it's not landing clean. Sergio trying to dance around, pick his shots. Then he throws a hook with bad intentions that misses and leaves him open. Straight hand from Lek results in a knockdown. They seem to be clinching a lot more than most Glory bout. Surprisingly, Sergio is the one initiating. Looks like an accidental knee to the groin from Lek, so they's both landed one illegal knee. Lek ripping a hard hook to the body. Sergio initiates a clinch and eats a body knee and Sergio falls down. And Lek is landing some serious knees in the clinch. That nasty body kick finally lands clean and Sergio hits the canvas.
19-17 Lek
Round three: Lek opens with another body kick. Lek just working that body. He's throwing some hard knees up the middle. Sergio is coming in hard trying to stuff Lek with his body and get something going. That was a classic trip from Lek that they're pretending was a slip. Lek goes right back into the clinch and starts hammering in another knee. Lek over and over, punch, clinch, knee break, repeat. Sergio throws a nice hook combination with Lek on the ropes and then gets straight lit up with a head kick and punches for his trouble. The start trading and Lek just shoving his man around. A knee looks like a knockdown but is ruled a slip. Sergio is looking like he's just surviving and Lek looks like he's moving in for the kill in the last 30. Sergio is slipping to the floor on every little thing and this is a dominant win for the Thai.
29-25 Lek
Final result: Kaopon Lek def. Sergio Wielzen via decision
Michael Duut vs. Steve McKinnon
Round one: McKinnon opens with a series of punches. He seems to be teeing off right away on the larger, slower, Duut. Duut starts to rally with a series of push kicks followed by long punches. Duut making good use of that strong side uppercut. McKinnon is throwing a little reckless, trying to slam one in. But he's making good use of the kick at the end of the combos. Duut responds in kind, starts swarming him and has McKinnon against the ropes. Duut now pushing McKinnon around with blocked punches. This is looking like Rocky 4. Duut landing some nice inside leg kicks. It looks like McKinnon might have already given his best before the conclusion of round one. Duut opens up with a great uppercut-hook combination right at the end of the round.
10-9 Duut.
Round two: McKinnon opens up early but Duut is still doing the walk down. Duut slowly stalking his man. McKinnon is firing some hard punches the whole way through. McKinnon now making good use of that switch leg kick, doubling up on those shots. They start trading leg kicks, now. This isn't the most technical constest out there but it's a pretty brutal one. McKinnon turning the tables with a hard punch combination and a nice, quick knee to the head when they clinch up. Duut still pushing his man against the ropes. McKinnon is starting to look a little flat. Duut eats a body kick. Slips trying to retaliate. McKinnon and Duut tie up. Duut slips again though it actually looks like a trip. They trade a nasty hook for a low kick. Duut chasing McKinnon back for with some punches. McKinnon against the ropes at the end. Hard round to call, brutal fight.
20-18 Duut
Round three: McKinnon opens up with some leg kicks and they just start trading them. They tie up and get broken and immediately start trying to blast leg kicks again. McKinnon lands a leg kick and just manages to duck the hooks. Duut lands a big right hand down the middle that appears to hurt McKinnon. McKinnon wastes no time responding. McKinnon now moving in. He marches Duut against the ropes and is throwing a lot down. Duut starts throwing big leather and gets caught by a body kick followed by a knee. Duut is looking hurt. McKinnon might be able to take back this fight right now. Last 30 seconds McKinnon is throwing everything he has down the middle and drops Duut with a knee to the head. It was ruled a slip and not a knockdown. Right at the bell, McKinnon lands a low kick that does put Duut down. This may be going to overtime.
Final result: Michael Duut def. Steve McKinnon via decision
Karapet Karapetyan vs. Roberto Cocco
Round one: Karapet opens with a few teeps. He eats some low kicks and pumps out a side kick. Coco is landing pretty clean with those leg kicks. Cocco starts swinging and clinches up with a nice knee. Cocco staying aggressive with kicks. Now he's throwing to the body. Karapet starting to turn on with the occasional heavy kick and counterpunch but he's not landing a whole lot. Karapet now pushing the action for the first time this round with some actual offense. Cocco lands a nice uppercut that turns the tide again. Now Cocco is pouring it on and has his man on his heels. Karapet now coming in with a nice set of kicks. Cocco flies in with a knee in spite of being the much shorter man.
10-9 Cocco
Round two: Cocco and Karapet sizing each other up. Karapet now pumping out kick series with impunity. Cocco tries to answer with some hands but more kicks are getting jammed in by the much taller Karapet. Karapet is now really turning on. Straight right and left kick to the body all day for Karapet. Cocco seems to be fading. Cocco is against the ropes. He manages to dance out and Karapet comes in with a flying knee. Cocco not going down without a fight but now a whole swarm of left kicks coming from Karapet. Head kick catches the glove but seems to put Cocco down. Karapet throwing three in a row. Cocco now just getting charged down with strikes. Nothing seems to be really hurting Cocco but it's all landing and the accumulation is clearly taking it's toll.
19-19 All.
Round three: Cocco stalking in but eats a round kick to the body. Cocco is trying to press the action with his hands at this point. Karapet using the teeps to try and keep the smaller man back. But Cocco is pressing in. He's got Karapet on the ropes. Karapet counters with a body kick. Then another one as Cocco attempts to back out. Now Karapet putting some punches together, uppercuts and straights. Cocco puts his man on the corner and tries to throw heavy. Karapet shoves his man to work his way out. Karapet now seems to be taking control of the action. Cocco is putting more offense together but Karapet is landing more and better. Karapet walking his man down. Landing some low kicks. Aggressive knee attempts. Cocco's going to make him work for every last second but I think this game goes to Karapet.
29-28 Karapet
Final result: Karapet Karapetyan def. Roberto Cocco via decision
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