GLORY champ Donovan Wisse 'very eager' to make future switch to MMA

Donovan Wisse already has made his mark on the world of kickboxing, and if all goes according to plan, MMA could be next on the horizon.

Wisse (23-1), who returns in Saturday's GLORY 107 headliner when he puts his middleweight belt on the line against welterweight king Chico Kwasi (45-6-2) at RTM Stage Rotterdam in the Netherlands, already has set the divisional title defense record previously held by Alex Pereira.

He was originally meant to move up to light heavyweight for this card in pursuit of a second title, which is something Pereira also accomplished in GLORY, but after champion Bahram Rajabzadeh suffered an injury, the promotion altered plans and set up a defense for Wisse, which threw some chaos into his camp.

"It was a little bit disturbing because I was focused on light heavyweight, but down to middleweight again," Wisse told MMA Junkie. "But nothing is sure until you step into the ring. He got injured, so now I have to make weight at middleweight. I will be ready for Chico, and I will make the weight."

Despite the disruption in his career path, Wisse still has his sights on the 205-pound strap in the future, because it's the only way to surpass those above him in the pecking order of all-time GLORY greats

"I try to exceed (what Pereira did)," Wisse said. "First you chase, then you exceed. I already beat the middleweight title defense record from Alex Pereira. Now I need the light heavyweight belt, and I'm better than him. I want to defend the belt also. But in the middleweight division there isn't any competition anymore. The light heavyweight division is now the most stacked and most dangerous division in GLORY. I'm up for the challenge. I know I can compete with them and beat them. I'm not afraid of the guys."

After recently signing a new six-fight contract with GLORY, Wisse said his focus is on winning all those fights and solidifying his legacy in the ring. While he's doing that, though, the 29-year-old is also training in MMA.

Wisse has beaten the likes of Yousri Belgarouri and Cesar Almeida, both of whom have since transitioned to MMA and found success in the UFC. The high bar for the crossover, of course, is what Pereira and Israel Adesanya have done under the UFC banner since their exits from GLORY.

The potential in following that path is clear, and Wisse said it's a very temping one to follow. He will continue to work on upgrading his skillset in the coming years, and once his GLORY contract is near its end, said he will give a hard look at what makes sense for his combat future.

"It's really interesting," Wisse said. "I do think about it. I do grapple. I have great ambitions to be an MMA fighter. But the focus for now is on GLORY. I have a new contract. I have some great fights ahead of me and I'm excited to step into the light heavyweight division.