A fight into China's sports market

It must be intriguing to see a top Chinese Kungfu master duel with a world-class boxer, and that's what Glory wants to do.

With innumerable resources pouring in, China's buergeoning sports market is capturing the attention of the whole world.

"The whole world knows the Chinese sport market is growing very very rapidly," said Scott Rudmann, co-founder and vice chairman of Glory, an international kickboxing promotion company founded in 2012.

"It's a major focus for China to promote sports as a big business over the next 10-20 years."

Kickboxing is a group of stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, which can be seen as a combination of Karate, Muay Thai, and Western boxing, and Glory is among the biggest promoters of the sport.

"Kickboxing is the most beautiful and most exciting combat sport on TV," said Pierre Andurand, chairman of Glory.

In Rudmann's mind, China is a perfect land to promote Glory events and kickboxing sports, as the country has a long history of admiring Kungfu and a culture including martial arts.

"For thousands of years, sports has been an important culture in China. In US and other parts of the world, we have to educate people what is combat sports. But when you go to China, everybody knows Kungfu," Rudmann told Xinhua.

At the moment there are four major Chinese companies trying to promote kickboxing, and Glory has a plan to join them.

"I think it's a good time to put our flag on the ground in China, and we expect we will see more and more Glory events there and in the next year for sure," Rudmann said.

Rudmann considers Glory as the best kickboxing promotion in the world because the league has the best kickboxing fighters. The Glory matches have been broadcasted through more than 200 countries and regions in the world and Rudmann expects more Chinese fighters can stand on their stage.

"I think some of them now can do it, some of the top fighters," said Rudmann about whether Chinese fighters can compete on the highest level.

"I think they need to test themselves on the world stage to really become excellent."

"We are going to have Chinese athletes on Glory stage very soon."

In June, Legend of Emei staged an event in Qingdao, Shandong province under the Glory rules. Rudmann thought it was a great try.

"It worked out very well and we are going to have more corporations like this and with Chinese promotions as we get started in China," he said.

There was rumor that Glory had been purchased by Chinese company Kunlun Fight, but Rudmann denied the possible link between the two companies.

"It's completely not true," said Rudmann.

"They never even talked to us."