GLORY Kickboxing — History, Champions & Top Fighters

Founding and Origins (2011-2012)

GLORY was created in the wake of the financial collapse of K-1, the Japanese promotion that had dominated heavyweight kickboxing in the 2000s. When K-1 ran into severe financial difficulties in 2011, hedge-fund manager Pierre Andurand, Scott Rudmann of Nectar Capital, and Marcus Luer of Total Sports Asia attempted to acquire the K-1 brand but were unsuccessful, with the rights going elsewhere. Rather than abandon the project, the group founded an entirely new promotion called the Glory World Series, with Andurand as chairman and Rudmann as vice-chairman. To build the new league quickly, they acquired three existing European kickboxing organizations: United Glory, the prominent Dutch gym and promotion Golden Glory, and It's Showtime. These acquisitions delivered an experienced event-production team and contracts with many of the sport's leading fighters, allowing GLORY to launch with an established roster rather than building one from scratch.

Launch and Establishing the Roster (2012-2013)

GLORY held its first event, Glory 1: Stockholm, on May 26, 2012, at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden, drawing roughly 4,500 spectators. The card's main event crowned the inaugural Heavyweight Champion, with Semmy Schilt defeating Errol Zimmerman. From the outset GLORY signed many of the world's top kickboxers, including Peter Aerts, Remy Bonjasky, Gokhan Saki, Daniel Ghita, Albert Kraus, and the highly regarded technician Giorgio Petrosyan. In February 2013 former WWE executive Andrew Whitaker was hired as Global CEO to professionalize the organization's business operations. After Glory 9: New York on June 22, 2013, the promotion secured a multi-year U.S. broadcast agreement with Spike TV, beginning with Glory 11: Chicago on October 12, 2013, which significantly raised its profile in the American market.

Growth and Industry Recognition (2014-2018)

Leadership passed to Jon J. Franklin, who became CEO in 2014. Under his tenure GLORY was described by Combat Press as the number one kickboxing league in the world and was identified by Fox Sports as one of the three most important global combat-sports organizations alongside the UFC and Bellator. In February 2016 the company announced a multi-year broadcast deal with ESPN. This period also produced the promotion's defining rivalry: Rico Verhoeven, who won the Heavyweight title in 2014, faced 'The Golden Boy' Badr Hari at GLORY: Collision in December 2016, with Verhoeven winning by TKO after Hari suffered an arm injury. In 2018 former UFC executive Marshall Zelaznik was appointed CEO as the promotion continued to expand its international footprint.

Ownership Change and Landmark Events (2019-2020)

On December 21, 2019, GLORY staged GLORY: Collision 2 at the GelreDome stadium in Arnhem, Netherlands, where the Verhoeven-Hari rematch drew nearly 30,000 fans in a sellout, one of the largest crowds in the history of the sport; Verhoeven again retained his title by TKO after Hari suffered a leg injury. During this era U.S. events shifted to UFC Fight Pass, which exclusively carried GLORY cards from Glory 63: Houston (February 1, 2019) through Glory 75: Utrecht (February 29, 2020). In May 2020 the business underwent major change: CEO Marshall Zelaznik resigned on May 15, and on May 26, 2020, Glory Sports International went into receivership. Ownership was subsequently transferred to the London-based entity GSUKCO Limited.

Modern Era (2021-2026)

Following the ownership transition and the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, GLORY rebuilt its event schedule and broadcast network. It launched the Glory Rivals series in January 2022, co-promoting cards with regional organizations such as Enfusion and Rise, and secured Dutch broadcast rights with Videoland. In February 2024 the promotion announced a multi-year global broadcast deal with DAZN, and Marshall Zelaznik returned as CEO the following month after a period of executive turnover. Throughout this era Rico Verhoeven remained the face of the promotion as the long-reigning heavyweight champion, posting a record number of title defenses before the division eventually passed to new contenders. GLORY continues to operate weight divisions from featherweight through heavyweight, plus a women's super bantamweight title, and uses tournament formats including Grand Prix, Contender, and Qualification brackets.