Saturday, February 7, saw the GLORY 105 gala take place.
The fight card was stacked, featuring the long-awaited heavyweight pyramid that was set to determine the division’s champion.
One particularly interesting bout was the return to GLORY of Ștefan Lătescu, who delivered a strong performance against Italian fighter Enrico Pellegrino. It was a solid showing from the Romanian, who demonstrated that he had learned from his previous defeats to Abena and Boapeah, precisely and confidently blocking his opponent’s low—and even mid-level—kicks. His trademark hooks took a little while to appear, but they thrilled the crowd toward the end of the first two rounds, when the Italian was sent to the canvas. The fight did not end by knockout, however, with Lătescu earning a unanimous decision victory.
Another notable bout also featured a Romanian fighter: young Alin Nechita, competing in his fourth GLORY fight, against the far more experienced Luis Tavares, in the light heavyweight division. The drop in weight class brought Nechita increased speed and smoother coordination, while allowing him to retain his durability and power. Contrary to expectations, Tavares was unable to cope with his opponent and ultimately had to accept defeat by split decision.
From the heavyweight pyramid, the heroic performances of Miloš Cvjetićanin stood out, as he faced the technical Sofian Laïdouni and the powerful Anis Bouzid — opponents he overcame despite suffering an injury to the big toe of his right foot during the very first fight, the quarterfinal against Laïdouni.
The bout was exciting and open, with both fighters exchanging more straight punches than expected. Their pre-fight statements had suggested a highly tactical, chess-like encounter, but fortunately the action in the ring told a different story. Almost as a nod to Daniel Ghiță’s famous devastating middle kick to Jamal Ben Saddik’s liver, Miloš landed a lightning-fast front kick to Laïdouni’s abdomen at the start of the first round, which visibly shook him and nearly resulted in a knockout. Laïdouni recovered, however, and the fight continued at a high pace on both sides, interrupted only by Miloš’s injury toward the end of the first round.
Tense moments followed at ringside, as the doctor managed to straighten Miloš’s toe in full view of the spectators, allowing the fight to continue. Beyond his toughness and remarkable athletic qualities, Miloš once again sent his opponent to the canvas at the beginning of the second round. Having lost two of the three rounds, Sofian Laïdouni launched an all-out chase in the third, throwing powerful punches and kicks and attempting extended combinations at times, but the Serbian fighter held firm, securing the victory and advancing to the semifinals.
The semifinal between Miloš Cvjetićanin and Anis Bouzid was shrouded in uncertainty, as it was unclear whether the doctor would clear the Serbian to compete. Miloš’s appearance—his foot heavily bandaged, yet smiling and full of courage—sent the crowd into a frenzy. The fight was grueling, with heavy exchanges from both sides. Responding to an attack from Bouzid, Miloš scored a knockdown with a left hook near the end of the first round, which had been very evenly contested up to that point. Bouzid managed to level things in the second round, appearing more aggressive and fresher than his opponent. The final moments were tense, with exchanges from both fighters. Miloš managed to preserve the advantage gained in the opening round, while Bouzid, despite his comeback over the last two rounds, failed both to convince the judges or to land a decisive blow that would secure him the win. The flow of the fight seemed to leave open the possibility of an extra round, with Bouzid appearing slightly favored in such a scenario. The judges, however, were convinced by the Serbian’s solid performance, awarding him the victory by majority decision.
Unfortunately, due to his injury, Miloš was not cleared by the doctor to compete in the final. As a result, the heavyweight title went to Mory Kromah, who defeated Tariq Osaro by unanimous decision in the second semifinal.
