Rico Verhoeven shrugs off the boos and whistles during and after his title fight on Saturday evening. The figurehead of GLORY became world champion for the fourteenth time in Ahoy, but according to many fans, he did so without impressing.
Where the encounter with the Russian Artem Vakhitov should have been the highlight of the evening, GLORY 100 concluded with a fairly one-sided and unremarkable fight. Verhoeven did win, on points, but the fight didn’t deliver any sensation.
“I do my best for the fans and if my way is not appreciated, then that’s a shame,” Verhoeven said at the press conference. “Everyone is entitled to an opinion about the match. But I can’t do much with it. I’m mainly there for myself.”
Hundreds of fans left the hall during the fight. Others stayed, but showed their displeasure by whistling or booing. Blood, sweat, and tears were absent in the heavyweight title fight, which was much more spectacular in the past.
“I think a match like this is more satisfying than a quick knockout, because this was kickboxing at the highest level. Giving everything for five rounds against someone of serious stature. Winning in this way is very special. Check the box, so to speak,” Verhoeven said.
“This is definitely in the top five of my best fights. It was difficult, because we really had to pull hard, especially in terms of condition. And that wasn’t easy after I had another knee surgery at the beginning of this year. How would I describe the fight in one word? Tactical.”
Vacation and building a house
Verhoeven is taking it easy for the time being. He will soon go on vacation and is building a new house in Amsterdam. “So only good things are coming. And I’ll be back in the ring sometime at the end of this year,” said the world champion.
More will become clear about the next fight later this year. Because Verhoeven’s hunger is certainly not yet satisfied, it turned out. He looked determined to extend his hegemony.
“Why does everyone want me to stop? I keep hearing everyone talk about how they thought this might be my last fight. But I say goodbye in my own way and nobody is going to knock me off that throne,” said the 36-year-old Verhoeven, who was once again confronted with the question about a fight with Badr Hari.
“If Glory likes it, then we can look at it. But I don’t know if Badr likes it, because maybe he wants to end up winning once. I’ll wait and see and take on what they offer me. But let one thing be crystal clear: I don’t choose my own opponents.”
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