Rico Verhoeven looked back on Saturday on a “business victory” at the GLORY four-man tournament. The heavyweight world champion will first enjoy projects outside the ring in the coming period.
During the interviews after the heavyweight tournament in Ahoy, Verhoeven chewed on a large bar of chocolate. “How I missed this,” he says. “Just like my mother’s spaghetti carbonara. It’s delicious, but not super healthy.”
In the training camp that Verhoeven completed in the run-up to the heavyweight tournament, there was no room for chocolate or spaghetti. “That was a strict diet for months and hard training every day. Because when I’m in the ring, I don’t want any excuses.”
“Then I want to be able to say to myself that I have done everything I can. And not: if I had only eaten something healthier. No, I really do everything I can to be in the ring as well as possible.”
Those sacrifices gave Verhoeven a convincing tournament win on Saturday. In the semi-finals he convincingly settled in three rounds with Hesdy Gerges and in the final Tarik Khbabez had to give up after one round, after breaking his hand on Verhoeven’s elbow.
Verhoeven and Gerges show mutual respect
The duel with Gerges was remarkably sporty, after the two rivals had arranged spectacular press conferences beforehand. After the fight, Verhoeven and Gerges hugged extensively in the ring, with Gerges saying, among other things: “I think you’re a great guy. You’re just the best.”
Nevertheless, Verhoeven denied that the earlier fight would have been staged. “In the past things were said over and over again and we meant it back then. It was not a puppet show.”
“That gave it a nice hype. But in the end we are just sports people, who respect each other. I take my hat off to him, because he took this fight ten days in advance. Now it’s done, I grant him it. very best.”
Verhoeven thinks a business win is more beautiful than a knockout
Although Verhoeven dominated the entire fight against Gerges, he never pushed for a knockout. “During a fight I am always thinking. Now I knew there was going to be a second fight. Then you better not take the risk of kicking your shin against one knee, because you might still have problems in the final. from.”
Verhoeven therefore spoke of a “business victory” over Gerges. “But I think that is even better than winning with a knockout. Hesdy has now been given three times three minutes the chance to give everything he had. He has been able to try everything and that was not enough, that gives me a very good feeling. “
Verhoeven busy with ‘cool things’ outside the ring
After the four-man tournament, Verhoeven can focus on other activities in addition to good food. “I’m busy with a lot of nice things, but unfortunately I can’t say anything else about that.”
“But everyone knows where my ambitions lie besides kickboxing”, Verhoeven referred to his acting. “There are really cool things coming up, you will see for yourself.”
It therefore seems to be a while until Verhoeven steps back into the ring. In recent years he often fought only one or two matches a year. “I have no idea what the future looks like, I can see where GLORY is coming up.”
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