Glory Kickboxing 23 Results: Holzken vs. Daniels Winners, Scorecards, Reaction

Nieky Holzken is the new Glory welterweight champion. He defeated Raymond Daniels via third-round TKO at Glory 23 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Friday. 

Referee John McCarthy called an end to the fight when a nasty gash opened on Daniels' left eyelid. Glory congratulated its new champion via Twitter:

Professional kickboxer Sean Madden complimented Holzken's performance:

Daniels had been making a strong account of himself through the first two rounds. Here's a look at some of the dandy spin attacks he was using to control the early action, per Glory on Twitter:

Daniels found himself in some trouble in the third. Holzken backed him into the corner and landed a big knee that opened the gash on his eye.

It all happened so fast.

Daniels was seemingly coasting, but Holzken came out more aggressive in the third round. He landed a hard left-right combination to Daniels' head that seemed to shift momentum. The punches forced Daniels into the corner, and that's where the decisive knee landed.

After the fight, per the Spike TV broadcast, Daniels acknowledged the knee and said he "respected" McCarthy's decision to stop the fight.

This was a just stoppage.

It was sudden, but one look at Daniels' eye is all anyone should need to validate McCarthy's decision. A few more punches could have caused some serious damage, and McCarthy was right to make Daniels' safety the highest priority.

Bleacher Report's Jeremy Botter had this shot of the cut and a fitting comment:

This was the second time Holzken and Daniels have faced each other, with the former winning both times. Immediately after Friday's fight, talk of a rematch ensued. In Daniels' post-fight interview, he said he'd be interested in facing Holzken again.

Mike Bohn of USA Today says he's all in for a third fight:

Daniels showed improvement in this bout. In their first meeting, Holzken seemed to walk through his strikes en route to a more decisive win. A big knee was the blow that led to the end in that fight as well.

As he stood with his title around his waist during his post-fight interview, Holzken called out former champion "Bazooka" Joe Valtellini, whom he stopped at Glory 13 in December 2013 to win the Glory Welterweight Tournament Championship.

Valtellini had to vacate the title due to concussion issues, which is what created Daniels and Holzken's opportunity to fight for gold on Friday.

While the win over Daniels was rewarding, Holzken wants to ultimately beat the man who held the title to prove he is the king of the Glory welterweight division. Hopefully, Valtellini can get healthy enough to make that fight happen.

Here's a look at all of the results from Friday's card:

Matchup	Weight Class	Results
Dustin Jacoby vs. Ariel Sepulveda	Middleweight Tourney Semifinals	Jacoby by KO (first round)
Casey Greene vs. Quinton O'Brien	Middleweight Tourney Semifinals	Greene by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Xavier Vigney vs. Daniel Sam	Heavyweight	Vigney by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Dustin Jacoby def. Casey Greene	Middleweight Tourney Championship	Jacoby by TKO in second round
Nieky Holzken vs. Raymond Daniels	Welterweight Championship	Holzken by third-round TKO (referee stoppage)

Jacoby Wins Middleweight Tourney

Dustin Jacoby came into Glory 23 with a losing record (4-6), but he left with a spot in the next Middleweight Contender tournament. 

The co-feature of Glory 23 was a four-man middleweight tournament, and Jacoby battled his way past Ariel Sepulveda and Casey Greene en route to the win. 

Jacoby destroyed Sepulveda in the very first round. A snapping left hook initially stunned Sepulveda, but a knee and subsequent flurry finished him off. Here's a look at the finish in a tweet from Caposa:

"

Dustin Jacoby KO's Ariel Sepulveda at GLORY 23. HE SLEEP. https://t.co/z7RCQqKYii

— caposa (@GrabakaHitman) August 8, 2015"

Jacoby was just beginning to show his knockout power. In the final against Greene, who had won a unanimous decision over Quinton O'Brien, Jacoby would again unleash some vicious strikes.

As the much fresher fighter, Jacoby battered Greene with combinations in the first round. He opened up a cut on the forehead of his opponent with a well-placed high knee. Greene stumbled against the ropes, just barely avoiding a knockdown. Somehow, he escaped the round, but Jacoby would waste no time going for the finish.

Early in the second, Jacoby landed a barrage of shots that forced the referee to call a halt to the fight, and Jacoby had claimed the tournament. Truth be told, Jacoby's chances of winning the middleweight title—or even the next tournament—seem slim. 

The talent level in this mini-tourney wasn't especially high. Jacoby's a brawler with a questionable chin, having been stopped in two of his last six fights. However, on Friday, he proved to be the toughest of four mid-tier middleweights.

We'll have to wait and see if he can surprise the next group of opponents he faces.

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