Rico Verhoeven is set for his next fight on December 7 in the main event of Glory: Collision 7. Going through the ropes at GelreDome in Arnhem, Netherlands, the Dutch kickboxing champion puts his heavyweight title on the line.
Verhoeven’s opponent at the 7th annual Collision fight card is yet to be determined. The 35-year-old is expected to face the winner of the Glory 95 headline-bout pitting Levi Rigters against Bahram Rajabzadeh. The event is held in Zagreb, Croatia on September 21.
Rico Verhoeven (64-10, 21 KO) makes his fourth ring appearance for the year. Three of his previous outings in March, saw the native of Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands taking all one-night eight-man heavyweight tournament. The final of the knockout contest saw an all-Dutch clash with Levi Rigters, where the latter managed to drop his opponent with a spinning back fist, but was TKO’d at the end of the second round.
“Every fight is a test and I’m here to prove why I’m still King,” said Rico Verhoeven. “Levi knocked me down last time, but I got the win. He’s dangerous, but as long as I’m on top, the belt stays with me.”
29-year-old Levi Rigters (18-2, 8 KO) of Abcoude, Netherlands returned to winning ways in May, scoring a unanimous decision against Nico Pereira Horta.
Bahram Rajabzadeh (69-3, 61 KO) won an opening round and a semi-final bout of the eight-man knockout tourney in June inside the distance against Ibrahim El Bouni and Sergej Maslobojev. In the finale, the Iranian-born Azerbaijani 33-year-old contender was stopped in the first round by Donegi Abena.
“Levi has potential, maybe even a future champion, but not while I’m in charge,” Verhoeven stated. “Bahram talks big and had his moments in the tournament, but talk is cheap. If he beats Levi, he might prove the hype is real. September 21 sets the stage, but December 7 at the GelreDome is where it all gets settled. Collision 7 will be unforgettable!”
Other bouts featured on the Glory: Collision 7 fight card are expected to be confirmed shortly.