Rico Verhoeven

Rico Verhoeven
Born	(1989-04-10) April 10, 1989 Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands
Occupation(s)	Kickboxer, professional boxer, mixed martial artist
Years active	2004–present
Known for	Glory Heavyweight Championship

Rico Verhoeven (born 10 April 1989) is a Dutch heavyweight competitor in kickboxing, a former professional boxer, and a former mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the GLORY organization, where he holds the Glory Heavyweight Championship. Since beginning his career in 2004, Verhoeven has also participated in notable promotions such as K-1, It's Showtime, and SUPERKOMBAT. According to Combat Press, he has been the top-ranked global heavyweight since their rankings were first published in September 2014.

Recognized as one of the premier kickboxers and heavyweight titleholders in combat sports history, Verhoeven has maintained the Glory heavyweight crown for over 4,000 days—exceeding a decade—and has achieved an impressive streak of 26 successful title defenses within GLORY.

Early life

Born in Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands, Rico Verhoeven started practicing martial arts at the age of five with a focus on Kyokushin, training under his father, who held a black belt in karate. By age seven, he transitioned to kickboxing and, due to his physical development, began competing against adult fighters by the time he was 16.

His primary training took place at Superpro Sportcenter in Zevenbergen under coach Dennis Krauweel. There, he trained alongside prominent kickboxers including Benjamin Adegbuyi, Albert Kraus, and Alviar Lima.

Glory

Following his tenure in K-1, It's Showtime, and SUPERKOMBAT events, Verhoeven signed with the Glory World Series.

During the 2012 Glory Heavyweight Grand Slam held in Saitama, Japan, he competed against Russian MMA athlete Sergei Kharitonov in the opening round. After leading through two rounds, he progressed to the quarter-finals but was ultimately defeated by the tournament’s champion, Semmy Schilt.

On 20 April 2013 at Glory 7: Milan, Verhoeven secured a unanimous decision victory over Jhonata Diniz.

On 22 June 2013, he faced Errol Zimmerman again during Glory 9: New York - 2013 95kg Slam in New York City. Despite receiving a point deduction for an illegal rabbit punch early in the first round, Verhoeven outperformed Zimmerman throughout three rounds to earn a unanimous decision win.

Ghiță rivalry

In October 2013, Verhoeven delivered a significant upset by winning the Glory 11: Chicago - Heavyweight World Championship Tournament in Illinois. He advanced past Gökhan Saki with a majority decision in the semi-finals and then overcame Daniel Ghiță by unanimous decision in the final after scoring a contentious knockdown during the opening round.

Further cementing his reputation, Rico defeated renowned kickboxing figure Peter Aerts via split decision at Glory 13: Tokyo - Welterweight World Championship Tournament on 21 December 2013 in Tokyo, Japan.

Verhoeven was initially set to make his professional boxing debut against Nikolaj Falin at Mix Fight Gala XV in Darmstadt, Germany on 26 April 2014; however, his opponent was replaced by János Finfera for undisclosed reasons. He claimed victory by knocking out Finfera in the second round.

He then reclaimed victory over Daniel Ghiță by unanimous decision to win the vacant Glory Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) Championship at Glory 17: Los Angeles on June 21, 2014, held in Inglewood, California.

Zimmerman trilogy

Verhoeven was scheduled to defend his Glory Heavyweight championship against Errol Zimmerman at Glory 19: Virginia in their decisive trilogy encounter. Each fighter had previously secured one victory: Verhoeven by decision and Zimmerman by knockout. Throughout the bout, Verhoeven kept his distance, employing body kicks alongside straight punches, as well as snap and teep kicks. Toward the end of the first round, following an intense exchange, Zimmerman was knocked down twice and eventually suffered a knee injury caused by a missed spinning back kick, resulting in a technical knockout.

Adegbuyi fights

In his second defense at Glory 22: Lille, Verhoeven faced off against former SUPERKOMBAT Heavyweight Grand Prix champion Benjamin Adegbuyi. Adegbuyi started strong, catching Verhoeven off guard early on, but as Verhoeven increased his pace and strike volume, Adegbuyi’s momentum waned. Ultimately, Verhoeven claimed victory by unanimous decision with scores of 49–47, 49–47, and 50–45.

After winning the 2015 Glory Heavyweight Contender Tournament, Adegbuyi earned a rematch. At Glory 26: Amsterdam, Verhoeven dominated the bout and finished it with a first-round knockout via a right hook. This triumph prompted him to adopt the moniker "King of Kickboxing".

Three months later at Glory 28: Paris, Verhoeven defended his title against FFC Heavyweight champion Mladen Brestovac. Although one judge awarded the first round to Brestovac, Verhoeven secured a clear unanimous decision win with scores of 49–46, 50–45, and 50–45.

Verhoeven’s fifth straight title defense was against Brazilian fighter Anderson Braddock Silva at Glory 33: New Jersey. He utilized relentless leg kicks, landing 16 out of 22 attempts in the opening round. Early in the second round, Verhoeven knocked Silva down three times—once with a right leg kick and twice with left head kicks—leading to a referee stoppage.

Verhoeven vs. Hari

The December 10, 2016 match against former world champion Badr Hari at GLORY Collision in Oberhausen, Germany represented a significant milestone in Verhoeven’s career. Hari, known for his dominance and controversy within kickboxing, held a slight height advantage (1.98 m versus Verhoeven’s 1.96 m) and longer reach, entering the fight with the intent to finish Verhoeven in the opening round. Hari began aggressively, causing a cut on Verhoeven’s nose and taking the first round on the scorecards. However, the bout ended prematurely due to an arm injury sustained by Hari, handing Verhoeven a TKO victory—marking his 50th career win.

Following this event, Glory faced difficulties finding suitable challengers for Verhoeven and arranged a non-title bout against reigning Enfusion Super Heavyweight champion Ismael Lazaar at Glory 41: Holland. Verhoeven controlled the fight against the shorter Lazaar and secured a unanimous decision win. Lazaar was subsequently suspended for four years following doping infractions.

Glory then organized another non-title contest for Verhoeven against former MMA competitor Antônio Silva, described by Bloody Elbow as a "gross mismatch". Entering as a significant underdog with odds of 35-1, Silva faced an aggressive Verhoeven who deviated from his usual style to press forward relentlessly. The fight concluded with a technical knockout after Verhoeven landed a head kick 43 seconds into round two.

Verhoeven vs. Ben Saddik

On 9 December 2017, Verhoeven put his Glory heavyweight championship on the line against Jamal Ben Saddik. This encounter was promoted as the largest clash in kickboxing history, largely due to the fighters' imposing physiques—Ben Saddik stood 6'9" and weighed 280 lbs, while Verhoeven measured 6'5" and weighed 260 lbs—making it a major commercial highlight. Although Ben Saddik had previously defeated a younger Verhoeven back in 2011, his record since then was 11-6, whereas Verhoeven had ascended to world champion status.

Ben Saddik began the match with considerable aggression, but Verhoeven took control as the fight progressed, ultimately securing victory through a technical knockout in the fifth round.

At Glory 54, Verhoeven successfully defended his belt in a rematch against Mladen Brestovac. Entering with a five-fight winning streak compared to Brestovac’s three, Verhoeven employed his characteristic outfighting tactics to earn a unanimous decision triumph, with all judges scoring the bout 50–45.

Verhoeven sought to extend his record to eight consecutive title defenses at Glory 59 when he faced WGP Heavyweight champion Guto Inocente. Despite Inocente resorting to illegal techniques such as foot sweeps and judo throws, Verhoeven maintained control throughout and convincingly won every round on all scorecards.

Verhoeven vs. Hari II

For his ninth defense of the title, Verhoeven met Badr Hari again at Glory 74: Arnhem. Since their initial confrontation, Hari had served time in prison and had only one fight afterward—a unanimous decision win over Hesdy Gerges that was later overturned to a no-contest.

The event took place at the packed GelreDome, drawing an audience of 30,000 spectators. Verhoeven started assertively but suffered a knockdown early in the opening round. He rebounded in round two, yet was sent to the canvas once more in the third round. The contest concluded when Hari sustained a broken ankle from a failed kick attempt, resulting in a TKO victory for Verhoeven.

This event not only filled the arena but also attracted approximately 3.5 million viewers on live Dutch television, capturing an estimated 53% share of the audience and ranking as the second most-watched live sports broadcast in the Netherlands’ history.

Glory 77

In October 2020, Glory announced that Verhoeven would engage in a trilogy bout against Jamal Ben Saddik scheduled for early 2021; however, the exact date was initially unspecified. Both fighters held one TKO victory over the other prior to this matchup. The fight was set for Glory 77 on 30 January 2021, but Ben Saddik withdrew just eleven days before due to a back injury.

Following this, Verhoeven participated in a four-man heavyweight tournament. He faced Hesdy Gerges in the semifinals after Gerges issued a challenge. Verhoeven prevailed by unanimous decision and advanced to defeat Tarik Khbabez by technical knockout when Khbabez retired at the conclusion of round one.

Verhoeven vs. Ben Saddik III

On August 23, 2021, it was revealed that Verhoeven would make his tenth defense of the Glory Heavyweight title against 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix champion Alistair Overeem at Glory: Collision 3 on October 23, 2021. However, Overeem withdrew on October 7 due to injury and was replaced by Jamal Ben Saddik, who accepted the challenge with only two weeks’ notice. Verhoeven secured a fourth-round TKO victory over Ben Saddik.

Verhoeven vs. Gerges IV

On April 12, 2022, it was revealed that Verhoeven’s upcoming bout would take place at the debut "HIT IT" sports and entertainment event. Although initially slated as an exhibition match, confirmation on June 2 established that he would compete against former It's Showtime World Heavyweight champion Hesdy Gerges for the fourth occasion, having emerged victorious in all prior meetings. This quadrilogy served as the main event on October 29, 2022, at Rotterdam Ahoy, where Verhoeven achieved a technical knockout win in the fifth round.

Verhoeven vs. Osaro

Verhoeven was originally scheduled to make his eleventh defense of the Glory heavyweight title against Antonio Plazibat in spring 2023; however, this was delayed due to a knee injury sustained by Verhoeven. Following Plazibat’s defeat to Tariq Osaro during an interim Glory Heavyweight Championship bout at Glory: Collision 5 on June 17, 2023, Verhoeven’s opponent was changed to Osaro. The unification match took place at Glory: Collision 6 on November 4, 2023, with Verhoeven securing victory by unanimous decision (scores of 49–47, 50–46, and three judges scoring 50–45).

GLORY Heavyweight Grand Prix

In the quarterfinals of the Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix on March 9, 2024, Verhoeven faced Sofian Laidouni, winning through a unanimous decision. He continued his success by defeating Nabil Khachab via unanimous decision in the semifinals. Ultimately, Verhoeven clinched the tournament championship along with the $500,000 prize by delivering a second-round technical knockout against Levi Rigters.

GLORY: Collision 7

Scheduled for December 7, 2024, at GelreDome in Arnhem, Netherlands, Verhoeven was set to defend his Glory heavyweight title at Collision 7 against the victor of the Glory 95 main event between Levi Rigters and Bahram Rajabzadeh. On November 8, 2024, it was confirmed that Verhoeven would face Rigters. He successfully retained his championship by unanimous decision.

GLORY 100: Duel of Legends

In March 2025, it was announced that Verhoeven would defend his Glory heavyweight crown against Artem Vakhitov, a former two-time Glory Light Heavyweight Champion, at Glory 100 on June 14, 2025. Verhoeven retained his title by securing a unanimous decision win.

Professional mixed martial arts career

Verhoeven made his professional MMA debut at RXF 20 in Sibiu, Romania, on October 19, 2015, securing a first-round TKO victory over Viktor Bogutzki through punches. Prior to entering MMA competition, he honed his skills at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California, training alongside notable fighters such as Daniel Cormier and Jon Fitch.

Fighting style

Known for his inventive and technical approach, Verhoeven utilizes a diverse range of offensive techniques, prominently featuring impactful low kicks and a solid defensive strategy. He acknowledges heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury for helping him develop his jab into a highly effective tool.

Championships and accomplishments

• Glory
  • 2014 Glory Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) World Championship Tournament Winner
  • Glory Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) Champion (one reign; current titleholder)
    • Holds the record with thirteen consecutive successful title defenses—unmatched in Glory history
  • 2017 Glory Fighter of the Year
  • 2017 Glory Knockout of the Year (against Jamal Ben Saddik)
  • 2019 Glory Highlight of the Year
  • 2021 Glory 77 Heavyweight Tournament Champion
  • 2021 Glory Fight of the Year (against Jamal Ben Saddik)
  • 2024 Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion
  • 2024 Glory Fighter of the Year

Awards

• Combat Press
  • 2024 Fight of the Year (vs Levi Rigters II)
• Liverkick.com
  • 2017 Fighter of the Year
• Kickboxingplanet.com
  • 2016 Kickboxer of the Year
• Bloody Elbow.com
  • 2013 Kickboxer of the Year

Kickboxing record

Kickboxing record
66 Wins (21 by (T)KO), 10 Losses
Date	Outcome	Opponent	Event	Venue	Method	Round	Time
2025-06-14	Win	Template:Country data RUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Artem Vakhitov	Glory 100	Rotterdam, Netherlands	Unanimous Decision	5	3:00
Successfully defends the Glory Heavyweight Championship.
2024-12-07	Win	Template:Country data NEDTemplate:Namespace detect showall Levi Rigters	Glory Collision 7	Arnhem, Netherlands	Unanimous Decision	5	3:00
Retains the Glory Heavyweight Championship.
2024-03-09	Win	Template:Country data NEDTemplate:Namespace detect showall Levi Rigters	Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix, Final	Arnhem, Netherlands	TKO (Four Knockdowns)	2	2:59
Claims victory in the 2024 Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix.
2024-03-09	Win	Template:Country data MARTemplate:Namespace detect showall Nabil Khachab	Semifinals, Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix	Arnhem, Netherlands	Unanimous Decision	3	3:00
2024-03-09	Win	Template:Country data ALGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Sofian Laidouni	Quarterfinals, Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix	Arnhem, Netherlands	Unanimous Decision	3	3:00
2023-11-04	Win	Tariq Osaro	Glory: Collision 6	Arnhem, Netherlands	Unanimous Decision	5	3:00
Maintains possession of the Glory Heavyweight Championship.
2022-10-29	Win	Template:Country data NEDTemplate:Namespace detect showall Hesdy Gerges	HIT IT	Rotterdam, Netherlands	TKO (Punches)	5	1:58
2021-10-23	Win	Template:Country data MARTemplate:Namespace detect showall Jamal Ben Saddik	Glory Collision 3	Arnhem, Netherlands	TKO (Punches)	4	0:56
2021-01-30	Win	Template:Country data MARTemplate:Namespace detect showall Tarik Khbabez	Glory 77: Rotterdam Final	Rotterdam, Netherlands	TKO (Corner stoppage/Injury)	1	3:00
2021-01-30	Win	Template:Country data NEDTemplate:Namespace detect showall Hesdy Gerges	Glory 77: Rotterdam Semi Final	Rotterdam, Netherlands	Unanimous Decision	3	3:00
2019-12-21	Win	Template:Country data MARTemplate:Namespace detect showall Badr Hari	Glory Collision 2	Arnhem, Netherlands	TKO (Leg injury)	3	0:59
2018-09-29	Win	Template:Country data BRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Guto Inocente	2018 in Glory#Glory 59: Amsterdam	Amsterdam, Netherlands	Unanimous Decision	5	3:00
2018-06-02	Win	Template:Country data CROTemplate:Namespace detect showall Mladen Brestovac	2018 in Glory#Glory 54: Birmingham	Birmingham, England	Unanimous Decision	5	3:00
2017-12-09	Win	Template:Country data MARTemplate:Namespace detect showall Jamal Ben Saddik	2017 in Glory#Glory 49: Rotterdam	Rotterdam, Netherlands	TKO (Head kick and Punches)	5	1:10
2017-10-14	Win	Template:Country data BRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Antônio Silva	2017 in Glory#Glory 46: China	Guangzhou, China	Referee Stoppage TKO	2	0:43
2017-05-20	Win	Template:Country data MoroccoTemplate:Namespace detect showall Ismael Lazaar	2017 in Glory#Glory 41: Holland	Den Bosch, Netherlands	Unanimous Decision	5	3:00
2016-12-10	Win	Template:Country data MARTemplate:Namespace detect showall Badr Hari	Glory 36: Oberhausen	Oberhausen, Germany	TKO (Arm injury)	2	1:22
2016-09-09	Win	Template:Country data BRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Anderson Silva	Glory 33: New Jersey	Trenton, New Jersey, USA	TKO (Three knockdowns rule)	2	2:57
2016-03-12	Win	Template:Country data CROTemplate:Namespace detect showall Mladen Brestovac	Glory 28: Paris	Paris, France	Unanimous Decision	5	3:00
2015-12-04	Win	align=left	Template:Country data "ROU"Template:Namespace detect showall Benjamin Adegbuyi	Glory 26: Amsterdam	Amsterdam, Netherlands	KO (Right hook)	1	2:12

Professional boxing record

No.	Outcome	Record	Opponent	Method	Round, time	Date	Location	Remarks
1	Template:Yes2Victory	1–0	Template:Country data HUNTemplate:Namespace detect showall János Finfera	KO	2 (4), 1:40	26 Apr 2014	Boellenfalltor-Halle, Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany

Mixed martial arts record

| Win | align=center| 1–0 | Viktor Bogutzki | TKO (punches) | RXF 20: Verhoeven vs. Bogutzki | | align=center| 1 | align=center| 2:11 | Sibiu, Romania |

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2015	Bluf	Davey
2019	Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson	Himself	Episode: "Champions Henry Cejudo, Kamaru Usman, & Rico Verhoeven"
2019	Makkelijk Scoren	Huisdichter
2022	RICO: Dream Big	Himself	Documentary series
2023	The First Years	Nico Veenboer	Portrayed a biology teacher
2024	Het Sinterklaasjournaal	Meneer Spaargaren

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2015	Vechtershart	Tony Corella
2018	De Film van Dylan Haegens	Diederik-Jan
2018	'Kickboxer: Retaliation'	'Moss'
2019	Don Diego Poeder - Fight, Honor, Legacy	Glory Heavy Weight Champion
2023	Black Lotus	Matteo Donner
2025	Den of Thieves 2: Pantera	Vigo

Personal life

Verhoeven and his former spouse Jacky Duchenne are parents to three children.

Acting

His film debut came with a supporting role alongside Alain Moussi in the follow-up film Kickboxer: Retaliation.

Documentary

The four-part documentary series RICO: Dream Big, released in 2022, chronicled Verhoeven’s training for his bout against Badr Hari as well as his ambitions to break into the Hollywood industry.

See also

• List of male kickboxers

External links

• Profile at Glory