GLORY Strips Tarik Khbabez, Sets Wisse vs. Rajabzadeh for Vacant Light Heavyweight Title at GLORY 107
The move asserts the promotion’s matchmaking authority, creating an opening for middleweight champion Donovan Wisse to pursue a second divisional crown.
Overview
- GLORY announced it stripped Tarik Khbabez after he declined a mandated rematch with Bahram Rajabzadeh despite previously committing to defend on April 25.
- Bahram Rajabzadeh will face reigning middleweight champion Donovan Wisse for the vacant light heavyweight belt atop GLORY 107 on April 25 at RTM Stage in Rotterdam.
- Khbabez’s majority-decision win over Rajabzadeh at GLORY 104 was later named the promotion’s 2025 Fight of the Year, fueling calls for an immediate rematch.
- Rajabzadeh briefly retired after that loss, then returned at GLORY 105 with a 31-second knockout of Cristian Ristea, improving to 73-6 with 65 knockouts.
- Wisse enters as a dominant titleholder with six successful middleweight defenses; a win would make him one of GLORY’s rare multi-division champions, while Khbabez publicly contends he sought fairer terms and cited hand recovery rather than refusing the bout.