Even reaching the pinnacle of their sport doesn’t guarantee a fighter’s continued success.
We recently witnessed the fall of one of UFC’s most dominant champions, Alexandre Pantoja, who lost his title after suffering a devastating injury inside the Octagon last December.
Even the best athletes in the world can experience sudden setbacks and fail to hold onto their crown indefinitely.
There are numerous cases where fighters, despite reaching the heights of their careers, face rapid declines afterward.
In a recent update, one fighter’s reign as a world champion ended before it truly began.
Tariq Kababez Stripped of GLORY Light Heavyweight Title for Declining Rematch
On the same night that Rico Verhoeven convincingly defeated Artem Bakhitov in his final GLORY appearance, Tariq Kababez was defeated by Sergei Maslobodev, losing his light heavyweight championship.
Maslobodev, who had to vacate the title previously due to a positive doping test, gave Kababez—who had beaten him at GLORY 100—a chance to reclaim it.
Kababez’s victory over Bahram Rajabzadeh last October earned him GLORY’s 2025 “Fight of the Year” honors, which was a majority decision win.
GLORY initially announced that Kababez planned to defend his title at GLORY 107 in Rotterdam on April 25th.
However, it was later revealed that Kababez had refused a rematch with Rajabzadeh and, as a result, was stripped of his belt.
“Despite confirming his intention to defend the title, Tariq Kababez refused a rematch with Bahram Rajabzadeh,” the promotion stated on social media. “Their first fight was the ‘Fight of the Year’ and ended closely, but fans have been clamoring for a rematch since. Because GLORY chooses the fighters for title defenses, Kababez’s refusal led to his disqualification.”
GLORY Sets Title Fight for Vacant Light Heavyweight Championship on April 25th
Following the announcement that the light heavyweight title was vacant, GLORY unveiled the matchup to crown the new champion on April 25th.
Bahram Rajabzadeh will compete for the belt in Rotterdam—but his opponent won’t be Kababez; instead, he will face Donovan Wisse.
Wisse, the reigning middleweight champion, has defended his title six times since capturing the vacant belt in 2021 by defeating former UFC fighter Yousri Bergaly.
Fan Take:
This shakeup in the GLORY light heavyweight division highlights the unpredictable nature of combat sports, where even top champions can lose their crowns due to factors beyond just fighting. For fight fans, it sets the stage for fresh rivalries and intense matchups that could redefine this division’s landscape.
