When I first saw the fight card for GLORY’s first event of 2025, my initial thought was: “Nice, a solid way to kick off the year.” I mean, my boy Luffy—aka Chico Kwasi—is set to defend his title for the second time against one of GLORY’s biggest rising stars: Bulgarian talent Teodor Hristov. Both fighters have their own unique style, making this a dream matchup. The phrase "styles make fights" has never been more fitting. Let’s be real, GLORY may focus a lot on the Heavyweight division, but the Welterweights? They’re seriously stacked! Normally, I’d throw out a prediction without hesitation, but for this fight? Pff, it’s so evenly matched that picking a winner feels as impossible as deciding which anime is better: Cowboy Bebop or Vinland Saga. If you don’t get the reference, let me put it this way: both are masterpieces in their own right.

With all this hype, it’s almost hard to believe that this event isn’t even about the title fight. But if you follow Warrior Code, you already know—GLORY 98 is all about the long-awaited return of The Goliath, Jamal Ben Saddik. He’s the man many fans see as the biggest threat to champion Rico Verhoeven. Which is kind of ironic, considering he’s lost to Rico twice out of three fights and hasn’t won a match since 2018. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not a knock on JBS or his fans. If anything, it’s admiration. Name me another active fighter who, despite being out for so long, still fires up the fanbase the way Jamal does. I’ll wait. No? Okay, fine—Badr and maybe Rico himself. But that’s exactly why his return is so intriguing and why this event is all about Jamal.

If you’ve been paying attention to GLORY’s marketing, it’s a bit too obvious they want JBS to win. And let’s be honest—Rico needs a new challenger, and who better than his biggest rival? Rico might not be thrilled about it, but this matchup is guaranteed to bring in massive viewership. That said, before we can even think about that fight, Jamal has to get past his first challenge. A challenge that could either be very easy or very difficult—there’s no in-between. He’s up against the man who crashed Badr Hari’s “comeback” party by knocking him out (yes, yes, I know—TKO). Of course, I’m talking about powerhouse Uku Jürjendal, who is also making his return after an injury. He may not have the same aura as Jamal, but he hits just as hard. Every single one of his GLORY wins has come by knockout. Uku isn’t exactly known for a tactical approach, but he’s not afraid to take one to give one—and that’s where the danger lies against Jamal. But taking a punch from Jamal is probably not the smartest strategy. That’s why I’d say Jamal’s reach gives him a major advantage. The only real threat Uku poses? His not-so-secret secret weapon—the calf kick. That is, if he can even land one.

I know most people will be tuning in for the main event, but before you log off, do yourself a favor and watch the fight between Mory Kromah and Cem Caceres. These are two of GLORY’s fastest-rising stars, and the way they win fights is nothing short of spectacular. And yet, they couldn’t be more different. Cem is calm and calculated, breaking opponents down with devastating body shots. Meanwhile, Mory is all aggression, flying at his opponents with Remy Bonjasky-style kicks and knees. It’s the perfect recipe for fireworks. If I had to pick a winner, I can only say the real winner will be us, the fans. I do think GLORY could’ve promoted this fight a lot better. I mean, these guys are the future. You can’t rely on Rico, Badr, and Jamal forever. If you’ve watched my video’s, you know I’ve been pretty critical of how kickboxing promotions build new stars. This has been on my mind for a while, and I even made a video about it recently. Let me know what you think.

There are plenty more exciting fights on this card: Michael Boapeah making his Light Heavyweight debut, Hamicha’s return, and the insanely talented Featherweight André Santos.

Bottom line? GLORY 98 looks fun, but it might be fantastic.

GLORY 98 goes down on Saturday, February 22, at the RTM Stage in Rotterdam.