GLORY middleweight champion Donovan Wisse is set to defend his title against Chico Kwasi at GLORY 107 while keeping an eye on a future move to MMA.
Wisse, 23-1, will face welterweight champion Kwasi, who brings a 45-6-2 record, at RTM Stage Rotterdam in the Netherlands after a late change of plans for the event.
Wisse was originally scheduled to move up to light heavyweight at GLORY 107 to pursue a second title against Bahram Rajabzadeh, but Rajabzadeh withdrew due to injury. “It was a little bit disturbing because I was focused on light heavyweight, but down to middleweight again,” Wisse said. “But nothing is sure until you step into the ring. He got injured, so now I have to make weight at middleweight. I will be ready for Chico, and I will make the weight.”
The Surinamese champion has already broken the GLORY middleweight title defense record previously held by Alex Pereira. “I try to exceed (what Pereira did),” Wisse said. “First you chase, then you exceed. I already beat the middleweight title defense record from Alex Pereira. Now I need the light heavyweight belt, and I'm better than him. I want to defend the belt also. But in the middleweight division there isn't any competition anymore. The light heavyweight division is now the most stacked and most dangerous division in GLORY. I'm up for the challenge. I know I can compete with them and beat them. I'm not afraid of the guys.”
Wisse recently signed a new six-fight contract with GLORY and is already laying groundwork for an eventual transition to MMA, following the path of former opponents Yousri Belgarouri and Cesar Almeida, who later transitioned to MMA and compete in the UFC. “It's really interesting,” Wisse said. “I do think about it. I do grapple. I have great ambitions to be an MMA fighter. But the focus for now is on GLORY. I have a new contract. I have some great fights ahead of me and I'm excited to step into the light heavyweight division.”
“I'm very hungry to learn. I'm very eager. I just need to get a hand of the feeling and know what to do. Great takedown defense and grappling. I need to learn the situations of what to do and what not. I'm fairly positive. I know I'm explosive and very strong and smart. It's going to be good.”
