Glory Kickboxing cuts all Russian fighters including champ Artem Vakhitov
In a move out of left field, Glory Kickboxing Vice Chairman Scott Rudmann announced today that several Russian fighters were cut from the organization due to the difficulties involved with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. With concerns of safety, legal barriers, and the unwillingness of opponents to take on a Russian, Glory seemingly had no choice but to release.
Rudmann says, “We’d like to deeply thank our Russian athletes for their cooperation during this challenging tune and for their historic performances in our league. We value then as athletes, competitors, and friends, and this regrettable situation is both their fault. It’s not our fault either.” He continues, “we respect their careers and commitment to the sport, and we’ve gone to enormous lengths to try and make various bouts happen for them, but the real-world challenges are insurmountable in today’s environment.”
Among fighters cut, the light heavyweight champion, Artem Vakhitov was one of the fighters let loose. Vakhitov notched two wins over Alex Pereira in his last two fights. Now, Luis Tavares and Sergej Maslobojev will fight for the vacant title at Glory 81 on August 20th.
Consequences for Russia in the combat sports world
Since invading Ukraine, Russia has been hammered with sanctions and consequences from their own actions. Organizations around the world have handed down these sanctions to send a message to Russia that their actions are not condoned around the world.
The world of combat sports has been no exception in said sanctions. Many different organizations have preceded Glory kickboxing in sending their message. Read those below:
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IOC and World Taekwondo Federation Strip More Awards from Vladimir Putin
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IJF suspends Vladimir Putin as honorary president over Ukraine invasion
It is unclear what will come of these fighters like Artem Vakhitov who are very talented fighters, some of the best in the world of kickboxing. While many weren’t in agreement with the Russian invasion, their own government’s actions has cost them their careers which they dedicated their lives too. Should this war end soon, it will be interesting to see where everyone lands.
