At the age of 22, Jahfarr Wilnis decided he wanted to test himself as an individual. He gave up football and, younger brother Jason in tow, joined a kickboxing gym in his home city of Utrecht, Netherlands.

A year later he found himself in the ring for the first time. He fought and beat a more experienced opponent in a gritty fight that saw both sides receive plenty of damage. The next day, as he stood surveying his cuts and bruises in the bedroom mirror, he knew in his heart that he had found his path in life.

Now, five years on, Wilnis fights out of The Coliseum, where he has been since day one. It is a training center which is starting to make a name for itself. The venerable Peter Aerts was so impressed with the team’s cutting-edge approach to fitness and conditioning that he joined up and now does all his training there.

In his GLORY debut, Wilnis announced his presence in the heavyweight division by beating the giant Jamal Ben Saddik despite being the heavy underdog. He says the fight was a good example of what to expect in the future.

“I think my team isn’t so well known yet, compared to some other gyms, but we are coming. Right now we have at least one guy who can make an impact in each GLORY weight class. We’re going to be a big team in the future.”