DUBAI // It is tonight’s most anticipated fight, and Robin “Pokerface” van Roosmalen against Andy “the Machine” Ristie at Glory 20 Dubai comes with its own history.
On November 23, 2013, at Glory 12 in New York, Ristie, from Surinam, pulled off one of the most outstanding double-performances in the series’ history.
He became the first man to stop the legendary Armenian-Italian Giorgio Petrosyan – arguably the greatest kickboxer of all time – in the semi-final.
In the final, he defeated the man he faces tonight to claim the lightweight world championship tournament.
It is not likely Dutchman Van Roosmalen has forgotten that defeat as he prepared for the main bout of Glory 20 at the World Trade Centre.
Yet as he went through his paces at Dubai’s EMD Fitness Centre on Wednesday, he exuded a calmness that lived up to his nickname.
Revenge seemed barely on his mind; not surprising when you consider that Van Roosmalen is the man in possession of the lightweight belt now.
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“My last fight was in November at Glory 18 in Oklahoma,” he said. “I won my world title there, and now I’ve got to defend it.”
That day, Van Roosmalen was awarded a majority decision against Davit Kiria of Georgia, who himself had knocked out Ristie at Glory 14 in Zagreb to win the lightweight title.
At 26, Van Roosmalen is seven years younger than his opponent and also gives up 14 centimetres in height to Ristie, who will look to use his strength, jabbing technique and longer reach to effect. But Van Roosmalen is confident.
“We’ve trained hard. I’m motivated, I’m hungry, I’m ready,” he said. “I’m going for the win, it doesn’t matter how. Points or knockout, it doesn’t matter as long as I win. I’ll keep my belt.”
Ristie believes it is a belt Roosmalen is simply keeping warm for the moment.
Before facing the Australian Steve Moxon at Glory 19 Virginia in February, he went on record to MMAmania.com to say “I know it belongs to me already”. He promptly defeated Moxon with a first-round TKO after a brutal display of kickboxing.
The quiet Ristie brings the momentum generated by that fight with him to Dubai, and he looked in top shape as he trained two days before the fight.
“Preparation is going very well. I’m at the gym now and later will do some light training,” he said, before dismissing any lingering effects of travel.
“I live in Holland, but I get to travel for all the fights. Sometimes the jet lag affects me, but it’s OK.”
At Glory 14, Ristie looked to be cruising against Kiria, before a stunning comeback by the Georgian denied him a title he could almost touch.
He has the air of a confident man who will not let his fans down again.
“I’m relaxing the day before the fight,” he said. “Then I’m going to fight and I will make everyone proud.”
akhaled@thenational.ae
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