Rico Verhoeven Successfully Defends Heavyweight Title for the Eleventh Time

  By NOC*NSF, via Wikipedia

On Saturday, Rico Verhoeven, the 34-year-old Dutchman, successfully defended his heavyweight world title for the eleventh time. The showdown took place at the GelreDome stadium in Arnhem, where Verhoeven outscored challenger Tariq Osaro. The match was primarily a strategic battle, with few highlights.

A Strategically Played Match

The first round of the fight saw little action, leading to some whistling from the audience. As the rounds progressed, Verhoeven became more assertive, although there were few decisive blows. Osaro fought back but was unable to seriously challenge the world champion. Verhoeven proved to be the stronger of the two throughout all the rounds and was unanimously declared the winner by the jury.

Upon winning, Verhoeven reflected on the severe knee injury he suffered earlier this year, saying, “Did it look easy? Thank you for the compliment, but there is still much to work on. Ten months ago, I didn’t know if I would be able to fight. But here I stand.”

Verhoeven’s Reign Since 2014

Verhoeven has held the world championship title at GLORY since June 2014, successfully fending off numerous attempts to dethrone him. Over the years, challengers such as Badr Hari, Jamal Ben Saddik, and now Tariq Osaro, have failed in their attempts to take the championship belt.

Future Fights and Championships

In Arnhem, Verhoeven stepped into the GLORY ring for only the second time in four years. An earlier fight this year with Antonio Plazibat was cancelled due to Verhoeven’s severe knee injury. The 28-year-old Osaro earned a title fight against Verhoeven by surprisingly defeating Plazibat in June of this year, making him the interim champion.

It is not yet known when Verhoeven’s next fight will take place. In early 2024, GLORY will organize a prestigious eight-man tournament. However, Verhoeven did not confirm whether he would participate in the tournament after his victory over Osaro.