Artem Levin Ready to Put an End to Rivalry with Simon Marcus at Glory 27
Considered by most as one of the best kickboxers in the world
regardless of weight class, Artem Levin is on a mission to prove
those high praises are accurate.
The Russian is slated to headline Glory 27 on Friday and when he got word as to whom he was about to fight, Levin couldn’t have been more excited.
Levin (89-7-2, 35 KOs) will face off against an old rival for the
third time when he squares off against Simon Marcus. Levin has yet
to officially defeat his Canadian adversary, but when one brings up
his fights with Marcus – especially their most recent clash – he is
quick to point out that the outcome was incorrect.
“You mean, when the [judges] presented him a draw last year,” he told Sherdog.com. “If you are good in math, it’s clear who won not counting that point deduction. I’m not saying that I had won; you’ve seen it with your eyes!”
“There are no complaints to (judges) here,” he remarked. “I don’t know them. It’s all my fault if I lose or win. I take all the responsibility on my actions and I can blame only myself in that situation. I was angry in the second fight. Simon took a shot at me and I was going to punish him for that. I was on a rampage and I couldn’t think clearly.
“[But] I’m okay now,” he continued. “I don’t take my mind off the fight, my family is by me, friends support me, my training camp is in my hometown at [my] native gym. I don’t think of Marcus at all. I think of the opponent, who he is now, not more.”
Levin stated that he doesn’t dislike Marcus on a personal level because he doesn’t truly know him. However, he wants to set the record straight and prove to the world that he is the best middleweight in the world. He is the defending Glory champion and he has been since conquering American Joe Schilling almost two years ago and he intends on not only defending his throne, but also going down in history as one of the sport’s best ever.
The Russian powerhouse has achieved a great deal already up to this point, and at 29, he still has several years left to rack up more and more accolades. But while he might enjoy a wealth of fame and adulation across the globe, his beloved kickboxing remain one of the country’s phantom sports, as promoters have long suffered in trying to make the fine art as mainstream as boxing and MMA.
Levin knows his profession has struggled to catch on in America and he says he knows why: “The UFC has the right marketing policy. It’s UFC that made MMA an industry and attracted a large audience. There should be a person like Dana White for kickboxing. Charismatic, crazy, with plenty of ideas.”
But until that happens, Levin will have to keep plugging away at his craft and continue to dominate his weight class. The next phase of his already-brilliant career begins on Friday at Glory 27. Provided he can finally get an official win over arguably his biggest rival, maybe it’s Artem who can spearhead the sport of kickboxing into massive success in a country that is foreign to him.
The Russian is slated to headline Glory 27 on Friday and when he got word as to whom he was about to fight, Levin couldn’t have been more excited.
Advertisement
“You mean, when the [judges] presented him a draw last year,” he told Sherdog.com. “If you are good in math, it’s clear who won not counting that point deduction. I’m not saying that I had won; you’ve seen it with your eyes!”
It’s no surprise that “The Lion” believes he was robbed in his last
fight with Marcus, which headlined Glory 21 in San Diego. The duel
was declared a draw though most observers felt that the Prokopyevsk
native deserved to have his hand raised. But Levin isn’t one to
point fingers at anybody because, he said, it was up to him to make
sure the battle didn’t go to the scorecards.
“There are no complaints to (judges) here,” he remarked. “I don’t know them. It’s all my fault if I lose or win. I take all the responsibility on my actions and I can blame only myself in that situation. I was angry in the second fight. Simon took a shot at me and I was going to punish him for that. I was on a rampage and I couldn’t think clearly.
“[But] I’m okay now,” he continued. “I don’t take my mind off the fight, my family is by me, friends support me, my training camp is in my hometown at [my] native gym. I don’t think of Marcus at all. I think of the opponent, who he is now, not more.”
Levin stated that he doesn’t dislike Marcus on a personal level because he doesn’t truly know him. However, he wants to set the record straight and prove to the world that he is the best middleweight in the world. He is the defending Glory champion and he has been since conquering American Joe Schilling almost two years ago and he intends on not only defending his throne, but also going down in history as one of the sport’s best ever.
The Russian powerhouse has achieved a great deal already up to this point, and at 29, he still has several years left to rack up more and more accolades. But while he might enjoy a wealth of fame and adulation across the globe, his beloved kickboxing remain one of the country’s phantom sports, as promoters have long suffered in trying to make the fine art as mainstream as boxing and MMA.
Levin knows his profession has struggled to catch on in America and he says he knows why: “The UFC has the right marketing policy. It’s UFC that made MMA an industry and attracted a large audience. There should be a person like Dana White for kickboxing. Charismatic, crazy, with plenty of ideas.”
But until that happens, Levin will have to keep plugging away at his craft and continue to dominate his weight class. The next phase of his already-brilliant career begins on Friday at Glory 27. Provided he can finally get an official win over arguably his biggest rival, maybe it’s Artem who can spearhead the sport of kickboxing into massive success in a country that is foreign to him.
Related Articles
