GLORY Kickboxing terminates contracts of all Russian fighters

17 June 2022

GLORY Kickboxing today announced that It has terminated the contract of all Russian athletes due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“We’d like to deeply thank our Russian athletes for their cooperation during this challenging time and for their historic performances in our league. We value them as athletes, competitors, and friends, and this regrettable situation is not their fault. It’s not our fault either,” noted GLORY Executive Vice Chairman Scott Rudmann (via MMA Mania).

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Interestingly, the contract of Light Heavyweight champion Artem Vakhitov is also terminated as a result.

“We respect their careers and commitment to the sport, and we’ve gone to enormous lengths to try and make various bouts happen for them, but the real-world challenges are insurmountable in today’s environment. Hopefully this terrible war initiated by the Russian government will get resolved as quickly as possible, and Artem Vakhitov and other Russian fighters will be able to return to the GLORY ring where they will be welcomed,” the statement continued.

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As a result of the release of Vakhitov, Luis Tavares and Sergej Maslobojev will now fight for the vacant Light Heavyweight title at GLORY 81 on August 20. The fight will serve as the co-main event of the card.

What do you think of the move from GLORY Kickboxing? Let us know in the comments below.