The iconic Lotto Arena in Antwerp, Belgium, played host to a historic night of world-class kickboxing on Saturday, October 17, as GLORY 110 delivered an unforgettable card packed with high-stakes championship action, statement performances, and dramatic stoppages. At the center of the historic evening was a monumental main event that crowned a new king in the featherweight division and etched a fresh chapter into the history books of combat sports.
GLORY 110 Main Event: A Historic Breakthrough for Portugal
In the headline bout of the evening, Miguel Trindade cemented his legacy by capturing the vacant GLORY featherweight world title. Entering the ring with a stellar professional record of 66 wins, 8 losses, and 27 knockouts, the 25-year-old striking sensation from Lisbon delivered a masterclass in variety and precision against a tough and resilient Deniz Demirkapu, who held a formidable record of 18 wins, 6 losses, and 11 knockouts.
From the opening bell, Trindade displayed a multifaceted offensive arsenal, utilizing fluid combinations of punches, knees, and kicks to keep his opponent off balance. However, the decisive factor in the championship contest proved to be Trindade’s punishing low kicks. As the fight wore into the third round, the accumulation of severe leg kicks began to take a heavy toll on Demirkapu. Trindade targeted the same area with relentless discipline, sending his opponent crashing to the canvas three separate times within the frame. Following the third knockdown, the referee had seen enough, waving off the contest at 1:23 of the third round to award Trindade the technical knockout victory.
With this triumphant performance, Trindade not only claimed the vacant featherweight crown but also achieved a historic milestone for his home country, officially becoming the very first GLORY world champion from Portugal.
Co-Main Event and Major Main Card Action
The co-main event of the evening offered a tactical and high-paced clash in the light heavyweight division. Michael Boapeah, sporting a record of 25 wins, 7 losses, 1 draw, and 9 knockouts, put on a stellar display of skill and conditioning against Alin Nechita, who entered the bout at 21 wins, 5 losses, and 8 knockouts. Boapeah controlled the pace and territory across all three rounds, earning a hard-fought and decisive shutout victory via unanimous decision, with all five judges scoring the bout 30-27 in his favor. Speaking to the crowd after his victory, Boapeah made his championship aspirations clear, declaring his intention to challenge next for the light heavyweight world title.
The main card also provided ample excitement for the partisan crowds cheering on local and regional favorites. Belgian fan favorite Nidal Bchiri electrified the Lotto Arena in his heavyweight encounter against veteran competitor Nordine Mahieddine, whose record stood at 29 wins, 17 losses, and 13 knockouts. Bchiri brought the arena to its feet in the dying moments of the opening round, landing a devastating body kick that crumpled Mahieddine and brought an abrupt end to the fight at 2:59 of the first frame, lifting Bchiri’s record to 21 wins, 6 losses, 1 draw, and 6 knockouts.
In the featherweight division, Berjan Peposhi added another thrilling chapter to his reputation as a crowd-pleaser. Dubbed "Mr. Fight of the Night," Peposhi engaged in a relentless three-round battle against Jeremi Monteiro, who brought a formidable record of 36 wins and 12 losses. Peposhi’s constant forward pressure and volume striking ultimately earned him a clear unanimous decision victory after three action-packed rounds, with four judges scoring the bout 30-26 and one scoring it 29-27 in favor of the resilient contender.
International Breakouts and Statement Wins
The international talent on display throughout the main card continued to turn heads, notably in the middleweight division where promotional debutant Joshua Akingbade put the entire weight class on notice. Representing Dublin, Ireland, Akingbade delivered a dominant and composed performance against Alex Fernandez, who entered the bout with a record of 25 wins, 8 losses, 1 draw, and 9 knockouts. Akingbade overwhelmed his opponent with crisp striking, securing two knockdowns in the second round. The punishment proved too much for Fernandez’s corner, who were forced to stop the fight at the conclusion of the second round, officially making Akingbade the first Irish fighter in history to secure a victory inside the GLORY ring and elevating his professional record to 18 wins and 1 loss with 14 knockouts.
Elsewhere on the main card, the heavyweight division saw a heavyweight clash dubbed the "battle of the tanks," where fan favorite Nabil Khachab improved his record to 32 wins, 7 losses, and 1 draw by defeating Ionut Iancu via a clean unanimous decision with matching 30-27 scores across all five judges’ scorecards.
North Macedonia’s Boban Ilioski delivered one of the most explosive upsets of the night in the middleweight division, stopping Aimane Latifi via TKO after landing three knockdowns just 1 minute and 9 seconds into the opening round. Meanwhile, veteran heavyweight Sofian Laidouni put on a clinical, patented masterclass over three rounds to secure a unanimous decision victory over Karim Zeghad, maintaining control from start to finish and bringing his career mark to 43 wins, 6 losses, and 1 draw.
Superfight Series Highlights
The GLORY 110 Superfight Series set the tone for an explosive evening of combat sports, featuring standout performances and statement finishes in the preliminary slots. Heavyweight newcomer Bouziane Kaddani made an immediate and lasting impression in his promotional debut, delivering a devastating punch knockout against Asdren Gashi with just a single second remaining in the third and final round, elevating his professional record to 14 wins and 1 loss.
In the opening bout of the evening, young featherweight prospect Noah Ibrahimi extended his impressive resume with a shutout unanimous decision victory over Amine El Boujadaini, sweeping the judges’ scorecards 30-27 across the board to move to 26 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw. Additional action on the superfight card saw Valentino Valente defeat Shefit Qose by unanimous decision in a competitive welterweight contest, Florent Gautier edge out Abdelilah Azzouzi via unanimous decision in the light heavyweight division, and Hamza Bouhani secure a close majority decision victory over Kenny Moukpwo in a closely contested welterweight clash.
As the dust settles on a memorable night of elite kickboxing in Antwerp, the organization looks ahead to its next major calendar event. GLORY returns with COLLISION 10 on December 12 from the iconic GelreDome in Arnhem, the Netherlands. The upcoming blockbuster card will feature a high-stakes heavyweight world title defense as reigning champion Mory Kromah puts his belt on the line against top contender Antonio Plazibat. Tickets for the upcoming event are currently available for purchase through GLORYKickboxing.com.
