When it comes to prize fighting, people love to see knockouts. That may be exactly what they get at The Forum in Inglewood Saturday night, as Glory Sports International will showcase some of the best kickboxers in the world.
The night will feature two events wrapped up into one. Glory 17 will feature a main event with undercards (preliminary fights), and the second event will be the Last Man Standing, which will feature eight kickboxers battling it out in a tournament-style event. To win the tournament, one of the fighters will have to defeat three opponents in the same night.
One of the fighters in the tournament is Wayne Barrett, who typically produces knockouts. He had an amateur record of 19-1 with 15 knockouts, and he has a professional record of 4-0 with three knockouts. He says that the fans in attendance will get a great show.
“They’re going to get a lot of action,” Barrett said. “They’re going to get boxing with kicking. It’s like watching the UFC without the takedowns.”
Kickboxing matches have three 3-minute rounds, which is faster paced than boxing because the bouts are shorter. Because there are no takedowns, the action is more continuous than mixed martial arts, where grappling can slow down the action. Add in the element of having to fight three times in one night, and the action becomes even more intense.
“That’s why it’s so exciting,” Barrett said. “Everybody in the stands and everybody watching on TV is going to be like, ‘man, how can these guys do this?’ You don’t know who you’re going to fight. It’s all in the same night. It’s a nail bitter. That’s what really captures the audience, and that’s what Glory is all about. That drama.”
Barrett is considered an underdog, but only because he has only had four professional fights. Even with the limited experience, he has knocked out some of the best kickboxers in the world.
Check out video of Barrett’s fights on youtube.com, and for more information about this event, visit www.gloryworldseries.com. The event will also be on pay-per-view.
