‘BadBoy’ Sugden ready for war
Kickboxer Bailey ‘BadBoy’ Sugden said he was looking forward to showcasing his skills when the world’s leading kickboxing promotion returns to the UK for the first time in five years.
The 20-year-old, of Newark, will go up against Russia’s Aleksei Ulianov in a featherweight clash on the card of GLORY 54 at the Genting Arena, Birmingham, on Saturday.
The Suggy’s Gym fighter, currently number ten in the GLORY rankings, headed to Birmingham yesterday.
Sugden’s preparations for the final countdown include an open public workout and weigh-in, and he hopes to be joined by a huge army of fans from Newark to cheer him on.
“I cannot wait for this one. It is going to be a special night for me representing the UK on home soil,” he said.
“Make no mistake — I am ready for war and Birmingham is going to belong to BadBoy on Saturday.”
Sugden will be hoping to bounce back with a win after a controversial loss to Zakaria Zouggary in Los Angeles on the GLORY 52 card.
Suggy’s Gym head coach Dean Sugden said: “Aleksei is a world-class fighter — they breed them tough in Russia.
“He is ranked eighth in GLORY and the fact that we have been matched with him for this one says a lot about how much GLORY thinks of Bailey and his potential for the future.
“Bailey loves the limelight and never shies away from a challenge.
“But he needs to be at the top of his game for this one — he knows it, we all know it and that is what is going to make this so exciting for fans in the Genting Arena or watching the live stream worldwide.”
The fight has been placed high up the billing, immediately before the two headline title fights.
“Bailey is right up there, number one in the UK and firmly in the top ten in the world,” Dean Sugden said.
“He will be going out to make this stage his own as he always does, with a fighting spirit that is second to none.
“Good luck to all the other UK fighters who, thanks to our own Road To Glory shows, have been given a platform to test their skills at the highest level in Birmingham.”
