GBM SPORTS promoter Izzy Asif looks to extend his scintillating run of shows in 2025, starting with the familiar, but always fan-friendly, concept of an 8-man tournament.
The event, which has been billed as ‘The Heist’, will take place at the Connexin Live, Hull, on November 8, setting the stage for a selection of unbeaten prospects and more established names to battle away for supremacy.
As is often the case with such tournaments, it is practically impossible to identify a clear favourite within the lineup of super-middleweight contestants, though one would suspect that Mark Dickinson, Germaine Brown and Steed Woodhall – all familiar faces on the domestic scene – might have the edge when it comes to experience.
But with this particular format, where there are just three rounds – nine minutes – to turn in a convincing performance, experience might as well be tossed out the window.
In that sense, the shorter duration may favour the likes of James Osborne and Taz Nadeem, both of them built for destruction and explosive attacks.
But equally, remaining combatants SA Smith, Ellis Steward and Haaris Khan could quite easily progress to the final, where a lucrative prize of £25,000 awaits the winner.
“We spoke about it earlier this year, when we were telling DAZN all the different concepts we wanted [to deliver],” Asif told Boxing News, expressing his excitement after announcing the tournament yesterday.
“So it was always on the radar, but it just worked out perfectly for November 8 as one of our last shows of the year.
“I try to relate everything to what I like as a fan, and before I started promoting, I always loved the tournament format.
“It’s engaging, always gets you on the edge of your seat, so I thought why not bring it back?
“It’s not been done for a few years, and I believe it’s the first UK 8-man tournament on DAZN, so why not do something a little bit different; something to spice things up a bit?”
Having put together a strong cast of 168lbs operators, lending itself to a series of 50/50 matchups, the GBM boss insists that he did not exactly have to go searching far and wide for willing participants.
“We had a list of around 25 fighters that were all interested,” he reveals. “Obviously, we had to knock back a few that weren’t quite suitable, or said that they might not make the weight, so we got it down to eight relatively easily.
“They all think it’s a great opportunity because, if you win a tournament like this, with the exposure on DAZN and financial gain that comes with it, it can really propel your career.”
The financial incentives for each fighter, of course, is an added bonus, especially with Asif promising to introduce opportunities for them to further increase their prize pot by the end of the night.
For him, though, this tournament represents a chance to stand out in a crowded market, offering something that differs from what we typically expect from a fight card.
“My job is to increase viewership, and this is the kind of format that excites people,” Asif continues.
“Let’s call it as it is – there’s a show every single week, and they’re all quite similar – but with a format like this, it’s almost like chucking a spanner in the works.
“Our content team is blowing up with ideas, because this is an opportunity to express ourselves as an outfit, and try something different.
“We might even do the draw [determining the first four matchups] on the night, live on DAZN. I reckon from now until fight week, there’ll be something announced, whether it’s a knockout bonus or fight of the night bonus.
“Every time a fighter wins, their money doubles, and in the final, it more than doubles.”
As Asif continues to expand his business, hoping to eventually become one of the sport’s leading promoters, it must be said that, already, GBM’s progression has taken many by surprise.
“I’m extremely happy, but I don’t want to get too happy because that gets me comfortable, and then the hunger goes,” the Sheffield man says.
“Everybody doubted me when I got my promoter’s licence, saying I wouldn’t last three months, but what they didn’t realise is that the more you doubt me, the stronger I’ll become.
“To be involved in this sport is beyond a dream, and that’s why I take the stresses and losses pretty well, because it’s all part of the game.”
