GBM Sports announce global partnership to take ‘The Heist’ to five different countries this year
GBM Sports, the UK’s fastest-growing boxing promotion, today announced a groundbreaking strategic partnership with Rygg, a leading Australian sports medicine company, to take its revolutionary one-night tournament format, ‘The Heist’, global in 2026.
This major collaboration with Rygg – founded by renowned orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Steve Andrews – will power ‘The Heist’ as it expands beyond the UK, bringing high-stakes, single-elimination action to multiple continents and featuring top international talent in explosive events designed to crown champions in one unforgettable night.
Led by CEO Izzy Asif, GBM Sports has rapidly risen to prominence since its founding in 2022.
Recognised as the second-best promoter in Boxing News’ Promoter of the Year 2025 awards – behind
only His Excellency Turki Alalshikh – GBM has delivered landmark events, including its first world title
fight at Doncaster’s Eco-Power Stadium, where Terri Harper successfully defended her WBO lightweight
crown in front of a passionate hometown crowd.
The inaugural ‘The Heist’ in November 2025 at Connexin Live in Hull was a resounding success, crowning James “Ozzy” Osborne as the winner, pocketing £30,000 cash, and captivating fans with an eight-man super-middleweight bracket featuring Britain’s top contenders, undefeated prospects, and former champions.
Streamed live on DAZN, the event delivered non-stop drama, culminating in a thrilling grand final and a substantial cash prize for the ultimate winner. Now, powered by this strategic partnership with Rygg, ‘The Heist’ will go worldwide in 2026 – staging events across different continents, showcasing the best fighters from around the globe in a format that guarantees maximum excitement, unpredictability, and reward. Fans can expect bigger prizes, elite matchups, and the kind of edge-of-your-seat action that redefines tournament boxing, with Rygg’s innovative products supporting athletes’ preparation and recovery.
Rygg and GBM Sports will take ‘The Heist’ across four continents and five countries in an unprecedented
international rollout, beginning in Dubai in April before travelling to Majorca, the UK, Australia, and the United States.
The global series underscores GBM’s ambition to become a truly international boxing promotion and positions the company as one of the first UK-based promoters to successfully penetrate and operate at scale across these major global markets.
With each event tailored to its host territory while retaining the signature high-stakes, one-night tournament format, ‘The Heist’ is set to redefine how boxing tournaments are presented worldwide. Global broadcast partnerships for the 2026 series will be announced soon.
Izzy Asif, CEO of GBM Sports, said: “The Heist proved in its debut that one-night tournaments are the
future of boxing – pure adrenaline, no fillers, just warriors risking it all for glory and big money. Partnering
with Rygg allows us to take this concept global, bringing ‘The Heist’ to new markets and new fans on
multiple continents while equipping our fighters with world-class performance and recovery support. 2026 is going to be massive. This is the next level for GBM Sports and for boxing worldwide.”
Dr. Steve Andrews, Founder of Rygg and Orthopaedic Surgeon, said: “Rygg is a premium, surgeon-formulated sports-medicine brand. All products are batch-tested through Informed Sport to meet the highest standards of elite performance and are FDA listed.
“Partnering with GBM aligns Rygg with a team defined by elite performance and uncompromising standards. This environment of world-class athletes and GBM’s global ambition provides a powerful platform as both GBM and Rygg expand internationally. GBM and Rygg are united by a shared vision of growth on a world-class stage.”
Rygg is an Australian-based sports medicine company dedicated to helping athletes and active
individuals feel stronger, move better, and recover faster through scientifically grounded, TGA-listed and
Informed Sport-certified performance and recovery products. Founded by orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Steve
Andrews in 2022, Rygg developed premium formulations such as Rygg HEATE™ thermo performance
cream – designed to improve muscle performance, endurance, and stamina pre-activity – and Rygg
KHULE™ cryoactive recovery gel, which assists post-exercise recovery and relieves mild joint inflammation.
Further details on the 2026 ‘The Heist’ global series, including dates, locations, and fighter
announcements, will be revealed in the coming weeks.
