GLORY 18 results: Robin van Roosmalen defeats Davit Kiria by majority decision to become new lightweight champion

Davit Kiria's run as GLORY lightweight champion has come to an end.

Robin van Roosmalen would defeat the Georgian by a razor-thin majority decision in a tough and technical bout in the GLORY 18 main event at the Grand Resort Hotel and Casino in Shawnee, Oklahoma, to become the new GLORY lightweight champ.

Two of the judges scored the contest 48-46, while the third had it 47-47.

This would the third career victory over Kiria by Van Roosmalen. The Dutch lightweight last defeated Kiria in the lightweight tournament semifinals by decision back at GLORY 12 in New York.

Both fighters would stand and trade throughout the five-round contest, but it was just too much volume by Van Roosmalen that proved to be the difference. Van Roosmalen landed more significant strikes than Kiria and thew a significantly higher amount than the champion as well. Kiria may have been landing less, but he was making his shots count as the right side of Van Roosmalen's body was visibly bruised.

Things would get interesting in the third round as Kiria would drop van Roosmalen for the first knockdown of the fight about halfway through the round with a nasty left hook that sent the Dutch lightweight on his behind against the ropes. He would receive the standing eight count and fully recover.

Van Roosmalen would answer any questions anyone had about his stamina as he entered into the championship rounds. He would again land more than Kiria and at the end of the round would avoid one of Kiria's trademark jumping back kicks that resulted in the Georgian falling down in the corner.

In the final round, Van Roosmalen would come out more aggressive than the prior round and the two lightweights would empty their tanks on one another in the final 20 seconds of the fight until the bell sounded.

With the victory, Van Roosmalen improves to 32-6 overall and is now 9-2 in GLORY. Kiria drops to 22-10 overall and 5-4 in GLORY.

Get full GLORY 18 results right here.