Verhoeven: “I still have goosebumps”

Rico Verhoeven lived the dream last Friday as he stopped Benjamin Adegbuyi in the first round of their GLORY 26 AMSTERDAM heavyweight title fight, ending the year on a high note which he will remember forever.

“Think of anywhere that this [first round KO] scenario could happen, and it happens right here in Amsterdam? Yeah it's crazy man. I still have goosebumps,” he says.

“Everybody went crazy. I could feel the whole crowd was right behind me, pushing me and supporting me, giving me their love and energy.”

Verhoeven says that the crowd support was a tangible thing, one which almost overwhelmed him as he made his way into the arena for his showdown with Adegbuyi.

“I stood on that catwalk [on the way to the ring] and all the iPhone lights... it was like a f--king concert man. I took that energy into the ring and that is why I finished my fight quick,” he recalls.

“I had to stay relaxed and keep my composure because serious things can happen in the ring. It worked out. Even though I already hit him, connected with the right a few times, I saw him wobble a bit but I tried not to rush in and make it a 50-50 fight. So yeah it went perfect.”

The early finish was unexpected, given that Verhoeven and Adegbuyi went five rounds in their GLORY 22 FRANCE encoutner. Verhoeven thinks he can explain why their second fight went so differently.

“This time he started really slow. In France he started really fast and tried to bring the pressure. And for me, it is fine either way. If he started with a high pace I knew he would gas after a few rounds and if he started slow... well, you saw what happened,” he says.

“I asked him afterwards, backstage, why were you so slow? You were like stuck in the mud. And he said, 'I don't know, maybe the pressure or something.'”

The knockout win was spectacular. It came together in such a structured way that there can be no talk of luck or chance. Verhoeven built the road to the right-hand finish with a pathway of solid 1-2 strikes and textbook technical work.

In the process, he has silenced those critics who have talked about his record having comparatively few knockouts on it. GLORY matchmaker Cor Hemmers said earlier this year that he saw Verhoeven developing into a 'final level' where he would start adding raw power to his technical output. That time has now arrived.

“About the critics, I don't even listen to them any more. I am fighting guys at the top level and it is not so easy to knock guys out. I am not fighting bums. These guys at this level all have good defense, you can't just go in there swinging at them,” smiles the champion.

Looking forward to the new year, Verhoeven finds himself in high demand from several quarters. His name is increasing in prominence and he is attracting interest from fans of other fight sports.

“I love all fight sports and I would love to do kickboxing, MMA and boxing, all three, at the highest level. But of course that is not possible, you have to be totally focused on one discipline if you want to be at the top of it,” he says.

“I love kickboxing, I have been doing it all my life, being champion means everything to me, but MMA and boxing are also interesting. I am going to spend Christmas with my family and then in 2016 we will see what comes up. I think it is going to be a good year.”