Glory Partners with ESPN, Will Televise Glory 25 Live Friday

Glory, widely regarded as the world’s premier kickboxing promotion, announced on Thursday a partnership with sports media giant ESPN. The deal will allow Glory 25: Milan to be televised live on ESPN3 on Friday at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

Headlined by the lightweight championship between titlist Robin van Roosmalen (46-14-3, 14 KOs) and Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong (103-28-5), Glory 25 will take place at the Palalper in Monza, Italy. Returning lightweight legend Giorgio Petrosyan (81-2-1, 36 KO) and rising star Josh Jauncey (23-5, 12 KO) meet in the co-headline bout.

“We couldn't be happier to be on multiple platforms of the most watched, most talked about sports network in the world,” Glory CEO Jon Franklin said during the announcement. “This Friday will be the first time our stacked card will be available live on both coasts – joining live international broadcasts already scheduled in more than 100 countries, with almost 80 more on delay – and we're excited to be working with ESPN.”

Exact details of the partnership between ESPN and Glory weren’t readily available Thursday afternoon in terms of how the long the deal will last and how many Glory events will be held.

Filling out the Glory 25 main card is a one-night, four-man welterweight contender tournament. The winner of the tourney will meet Glory welterweight king Nieky Holzken at Glory 26: Amsterdam on Dec. 4.

For the first time in the company’s history, one of its world titles will be at stake during the Super Fight Series of the event, which serves as the precursor to the main card. Featherweight champ Gabriel Varga (26-2, 8 KOs) will defend his crown against Dutch-based Ukrainian Serhiy Adamchuk (30-5, 14 KOs).

Glory 25 will be re-broadcast via tape-delay on ESPN Friday night at 1:30 a.m. ET/10:30 p.m. PT.