We Speak Boxing
Tessa de Kom Retains RISE Flyweight Title With Flying-Knee Knockout at RISE 202
Tessa de Kom brought the combinations, then supplied the finish. The Dutch champion stopped YAYA Weerasakreck at 0:11 of the fourth round at RISE 202, retaining her RISE QUEEN flyweight title at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall on Saturday, October 17. It was her third successful defense of the 52 kg championship, with a flying knee providing the night’s belt-saving highlight.
The champion’s jab did plenty of work before that finish. De Kom built her attacks around single and double jabs, following with low kicks, an overhand and kicks to the body and head. When the distance closed, she brought her knees into play. YAYA kept trying to get into range, but the champion gave her different problems at each distance, and the challenger’s attempts to close the gap kept putting her in the path of de Kom’s body attacks.
Then came the knockout. De Kom needed just 11 seconds of round four to end the contest, adding a first RISE stoppage to a title run previously built on decision victories. Her mother and sister were there to watch, giving the celebration a family connection.
“Thank you. I’m really happy that I can be here. I want to thank my opponent, she showed real heart,” an emotional de Kom said afterwards. “This fight was extra special, with my first KO in RISE. Also, my sister and my mom are here. I always fight for my sisters! And this belt is for them.”
De Kom won the championship from Manazo Kobayashi in May 2023. She then defended against Erina Kobayashi in December 2024 and Manazo in June 2025. Beating YAYA took her to three successful defenses.
RISE 202 Results
Tessa de Kom def. Yaya Weerasakreck — KO (flying knee), R4, 0:11 — Women’s Flyweight Title (52kg)
Akito Nakashima def. Ryunosuke Omori — TKO (3 knockdowns), R1, 2:30 — Featherweight Title (57.5kg)
Kakushi Takagi def. Hirokatsu Miyagi — UD, 3 rounds — Middleweight (70kg)
Ruka def. Seiya — KO (left cross), R1, 1:55 — Welterweight (67.5kg)
Musashi Matsushita def. Tomoya Fukui — TKO (referee stoppage), R4, 1:18 — Bantamweight (55kg)
Yusuke Iwaki def. Seido — KO (low kick), R3, 0:43 — Super Featherweight (60kg)
Shion Masaki def. Shuri Sakayori — KO (punches), R2, 2:52 — Super Flyweight (53kg)
Kinchan vs. Tesshin Tarasaka — Majority draw, 3 rounds — Catchweight (62.5kg, open-finger gloves)
Kairi Yatagai def. Bunta Kono — UD, 3 rounds — Flyweight (51.5kg)
Ayato def. Oki — UD, 3 rounds — Flyweight (51.5kg)
Taisei Kako def. Sosuke Kakamu — KO (knee), R3, 2:03 — Featherweight (57.5kg)
We Speak Boxing
GLORY COLLISION 10: Mory Kromah Defends Heavyweight Title Against Antonio Plazibat on December 12
ARNHEM, Netherlands — The stage is officially set for one of the biggest heavyweight kickboxing fights of the year, as GLORY COLLISION 10 will feature reigning GLORY Heavyweight World Champion Mory Kromah defending his title against Croatian knockout artist Antonio Plazibat.
The championship showdown takes place Saturday, December 12, inside the iconic GelreDome, one of Europe’s premier stadium venues, promising a spectacular night of elite kickboxing action. The same card also features an eight-man Welterweight Grand Prix, where champion Chico Kwasi’s belt will be defended through the tournament, and a clash between Tarik Khbabez and Mohamed Touchassie.
Kromah (38-3-1, 25 KOs) enters his second heavyweight title defense after an unforgettable performance at GLORY COLLISION 9. The champion retained his crown in spectacular fashion by knocking out Milos Cvjeticanin with a devastating flying knee that quickly became one of the year’s most viral combat sports highlights — according to GLORY, the knockout generated more than 10 million views across the promotion’s social media platforms, helping establish Kromah as one of kickboxing’s fastest-rising global stars.
The rivalry needs no selling. At a promotional staredown in Rotterdam in September, the two men had to be separated in a scuffle that left a security guard on the canvas, and they were put in the same room again at the GLORY 110 fan zone in Antwerp this past weekend.
“Plazibat thinks he is coming to take my belt. He can think again,” Kromah said. “He already had his time in GLORY. This is a new era, the Mory Kromah era. When my knee connects to his chin, he will go to sleep and only dream of becoming GLORY champion.”
Plazibat (24-5, 17 KOs) secured his opportunity by delivering an emphatic knockout victory over Anis Bouzid at GLORY COLLISION 9, immediately solidifying himself as the division’s No. 1 contender. The Croatian powerhouse made his intentions perfectly clear.
“The plan is simple. I will smash his face and beat him down until he quits,” Plazibat said. “No more playing heavyweight for Mory Kromah. He does not know the world he is entering when he is in the ring with me.”
The heavyweight title Kromah holds was made famous by Rico Verhoeven, who ruled the division for a decade before leaving GLORY for the boxing ring — where he challenged Oleksandr Usyk for a world title in Egypt in May. Verhoeven is back in the headlines this week: the Dutchman says he has accepted an offer to box former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder on December 11, the night before COLLISION 10, though Wilder’s agreement and the final terms are not yet confirmed.
Tickets for GLORY COLLISION 10 are on sale now through GLORYKickboxing.com.
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