WATCH: When legendary kickboxer Tyrone Spong was involved in the craziest 31-seconds in combat sports history
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Over the years, Glory Kickboxing has established itself as one of the most renowned kickboxing promotions in the world. With a host of talented fighters on its roster, the promotion has never failed to deliver thrill and excitement to its fans. The same could be seen when legendary kickboxer Tyrone Spong took on Michael Duut.
At Glory 9 in New York, Spong faced Duut in the quarter-finals of the light heavyweight tournament. While many waited with anticipation for this contest, the bout provided fans with a lot of excitement. Seconds after the bell rung, Duut landed a jab, which was followed by a beautiful cross to the chin of Spong. This powerful punch landed by the Dutch sent Spong to the canvas.
However, the ‘King of the Ring’ recovered from the knockdown, and was ready to continue the fight. As the referee started the bout again, Duut moved forward aggressively and landed combinations to finish the fight. But, amid chaos, Spong used his lead hand to frame and landed a beautiful counter right hand, which put Duut on his knees. While Duut did stand up, the Dutch fell back to the canvas, after which the bout was stopped.
The entire sequence happened within 31 seconds of the very first-round. Despite this being a short fight, many kickboxing fans remember the bout as one of the wildest fights in kickboxing history.
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Tyrone Spong proceeded to win the Glory 9 light-heavyweight tournament
Despite facing a scare against Michael Duut, Tyrone Spong did not allow it to dictate his future in the Glory 9 light heavyweight tournament. Not only did he win his next fights, but he also did it in fashion.
After his victory against the Dutch in the quarter-final, Spong faced Filip Verlinden in the semi-finals. While his first bout was full of drama, the ‘King of the Ring’ showed incredible patience and composure this time around. In what was a technical battle between the duo, Spong managed to win a unanimous decision. The victory against Verlinden placed Spong in the finals of the tournament.
The Suriname-born Dutch kickboxer faced Danyo Ilunga in the final. A protege of the legendary Remy Bonjasky, Ilunga was knocked out by Spong in 16 seconds of the first round. But, this victory did not come without controversy for Spong. Many believed, that the referee Minitel Izo Gaudi stopped the bout early. However, the tournament winner Spong was of a different opinion. He said, “I think it was a smart stoppage. The referee is here to protect the fighters.”
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Regardless of the controversial ending, Tyrone Spong walked home as the Glory 9 Light-Heavyweight tournament winner. After this victory, Spong once again reached the finals of the light-heavyweight tournament in 2015. However, this time he lost to Turkish kickboxer Gokhan Saki.
Also Read: “They’re not my level, lot of guys in UFC are over-hyped” – Tyrone Spong on signing with UFC
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