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Nieky Holzken vs Joseph Valtellini GLORY 13. Joe leads by probing Nieky’s guard and angling off his jab, Nieky stops Joe’s lateral movement by cutting him off with a lowkick, Valtellini taps with the inside lowkick (to get Holzken to angle his check inside) to safely land outside
Nieky mirrors Valtellini in reverse. Except when he throws his inside kick he lands high on Valtellini’s shinbone with his instep.
Valtellini nudges his lead foot to the inside of Holzken’s, in response Holzken jabs, Valtellini uses this as a trigger to counter low. Folding Holzken’s leg across his stance. Valtellini takes the slightest angle upon returning to stance.
Both men admiring each others guards, Holzken, faith in his shell takes small inching steps into range, the Canadian engages with a 1-3 Dutchie, Holzken attempts to parry the leg across but is too late and gets styled on. In a hurry to get those points back he pursues
after Valtellini (who slid back in a straight line). Holzken paws/feints down the center with the left, chucking up a delayed roundkick (which he would knockdown Cosmo.A with later in his career).
Valtellini staying disciplined using Holzken’s jab as a trigger to land free leg kicks. Joe hops back out of range, Holzken entering behind a stiff jab nails Joe who was anticipating a kick (hence the light lead leg). Valtellini blinds with the left up top, while doubling up
same side with the inside low, dissuading Holzkens pressure and presence in the pocket. Nieky taking the brunt of the kick and using that momentum to swing into a step up lowkick (looking to hit Valtellini’s rear leg). Valtellini nullifies with a cross-check. Good stuff.
Off the check Valtellini immediately has positioning on his mind, pulling his checking leg back to immediately circle. He gets Holzken turning and shifting to reset and punishes him with a hard lowkick. Credit to Holzken for being devoted to pressuring, he’s already probing
in the midst of his leg being folded across his stance. The 2nd jab slides over Valtellini’s lead glove & across the top of his forehead. Then the final exchange with both men connecting with their preferred weapon.
Nieky turns his rear foot towards Joe, Valtellini feints the check and pulls back halfway. Nieky shifts back (into an open stance) and frames, and kicks on the half-beat. Joe’s cross-check is a split second late as the kick lands just underneath his elbows. (great angle on
nieky’s kick, bringing his knee above his foot). Valtellini eagerly lashes out with a touch, touch lowkick (being at the wrong range to kick, & rhythm being too predictable). Holzken’s catch & counter left hook intercepts Joe, with his hand in the cookie jar (and on one leg).
Holzken’s step entering is a beat slower then his preoccupying jab. Valtellini chooses to shell instead of pivot off. This is where Holzken does his best work. Dutch hand trap, peel the lead glove down with the left hook. Crack him defenseless with the right hook.
Holzken pulls from Valtellini’s counter left hook, and stumbles back to center behind his shell. Not the prettiest defensive footwork, always was reliant on his gloves to due the heavy lifting. But hey valtellini’s no doumbe
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Love this, both fighters looking to create holes and breach each others guards. Holzken slipping outside with his jab and dipping his rear shoulder trajectory below his lead, uncorking a foul uppercut. Joe hooking into a kick. Camera angle shows how neutralized Nieky’s stance is
Valtellini leveraging his physicality by nudging Holzken off & striking on the reset. Vintage Nieky going full scorched earth on Valtellini’s liver. Have mercy. Although, Valtellini catches Holzken admiring his work, w a counter right over the lead shoulder & pivots off his hook
Note how he initiates by touching with the uppercut (to narrow the guard), a purposeful left hook on the glove (to raise the guard/elbow protecting the liver), it also shifts Joe’s weight onto his lead hip exposing the baby back ribs even more.
Valtellini settling in and feeling free to open up with the same rhythm, big mistake. Joe shoots a straight that deflects off the outside of Nieky’s rear glove, Joe’s rear foot off the ground, right hand lagging on retraction, and attempting to hook with a hooker. Death sentance.
Sticky jab into hand trap. Pressure. Valtellini hooks over the top of Holzken’s cross and parries it down. Continues to counter Holzken’s jab with lowkicks although he’s in a dreadful position to do so here. Holzken sets rhythm behind his jab, breaks it with a lowkick, checked.
Holzken’s combinations coming on halfbeats now, splits the hole w his lead uppercut converting it to a collar tie & walking a circling Valtellini into a knee. Note how he’s on the ball of his foot nearly leaving the ground when he throws the knee. Impressive how it finds the chin
Holzken can be a nightmare when you let him find his rhythm, set the pace, control the ring and he sees you’re visably hurt. His manipulation of guards was exceptional once it got going and once he started mixing his combinations to the body.
Valtellini trying to hook with Holzken often resulted in coming up short in the exchange. Holzken’s left hook had variation and was mechanically better. He could throw it down the center, around the guard, or as a counter.
