Dec 23, 2023 at 6:50 PM Update: 30 minutes ago
Rico Verhoeven extended his contract with kickboxing association GLORY for three years on Saturday. His previous contract ran until 2024. He also confirmed his participation in the GLORY Heavyweight Grand Prix in March at a special press moment.
“I have been part of the GLORY family since 2012 and have never felt so motivated,” Verhoeven responds. “What drives me is the combination of taking on challenges in the ring and outside my role to grow the sport.”
Verhoeven appeared in the ring for the first time in a long time in November. Then he took on Tariq Osaro, who had surprisingly defeated Antonio Plazibat in June, in a title fight. Osaro had no chance in the fight with Verhoeven.
Against Osaro, 34-year-old Verhoeven was in the GLORY ring for only the second time in four years. He suffered from a knee injury for a long time and had to cancel a match against Plazibat. During that period he invested, among other things, in his acting career.
Initially, it seemed that Verhoeven was not interested in participating in the GLORY Heavyweight Grand Prix in March. The Grand Prix, one of the largest tournaments in the past, will get a huge boost with Verhoeven’s commitment.
Rico Verhoeven before his title fight against Tariq Osaro. Photo: ANP
Possibly a long-awaited battle with Plazibat
With Verhoeven’s commitment, the field of Grand Prix participants is as good as complete. Plazibat, Osaro, Levi Rigters, Uku Jürjendal, Bahram Rajabzadeh and Said Laidouni already participated. Nabil Khachab and Nikola Filipovic will compete for the last ticket on Saturday.
A possible fight between Verhoeven and Plazibat in particular is one to watch for martial arts enthusiasts. The two were initially supposed to meet this year, but that was canceled due to Verhoeven’s physical problems.
Not much is known yet about the content of the eight-man tournament in March. It is still unclear which fighters will compete against each other in the quarter-finals.
Image: ANP
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2023-12-23 17:50:11
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