Rico Verhoeven facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rico Verhoeven |
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Verhoeven in 2021
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| Born | Ricardo Verhoeven April 10, 1989 Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands |
| Other names | Prince of Kickboxing (formerly) King of Kickboxing (currently) |
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) |
| Weight | 122 kg (269 lb) |
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Reach | 77 in (196 cm) |
| Style | Kickboxing, Kyokushin |
| Team | Superpro Sportcenter |
| Trainer | Dennis Krauweel |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Professional boxing record | |
| Total | 1 |
| Wins | 1 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Kickboxing record | |
| Total | 75 |
| Wins | 65 |
| By knockout | 21 |
| Losses | 10 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 1 |
| Wins | 1 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| Losses | 0 |
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last updated on: 29 October 2022
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Rico Verhoeven (born 10 April 1989) is a famous Dutch professional kickboxer. He used to be a professional boxer and a mixed martial artist. Today, he competes in the heavyweight division of GLORY, where he is the current Glory Heavyweight Champion. He has been a professional fighter since 2004.
Rico also fought in other big events like K-1, It's Showtime, and SUPERKOMBAT. Since September 2014, Combat Press has ranked him as the number one heavyweight kickboxer in the world.
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
Early Life and Training
Rico Verhoeven was born in Bergen op Zoom, a city in the Netherlands. He started learning martial arts when he was just five years old. His first style was Kyokushin, a type of karate. His father, who was a karate black belt, trained him.
When Rico was seven, he switched to kickboxing. Because he was very big for his age, he started competing against adults when he was only 16. He mainly trains in Zevenbergen at the Superpro Sportcenter. His coach is Dennis Krauweel, and he trains with other kickboxers like Benjamin Adegbuyi and Albert Kraus.
Professional Kickboxing Career
After fighting in K-1, It's Showtime, and SUPERKOMBAT, Rico Verhoeven joined the Glory World Series. Glory is one of the biggest kickboxing organizations in the world.
Early Glory Fights
In 2012, Rico fought in the Glory Heavyweight Grand Slam tournament in Japan. He won his first fight against Sergei Kharitonov. But then he lost to his countryman Semmy Schilt in the quarter-finals.
In 2013, Rico won against Jhonata Diniz and then had a rematch with Errol Zimmerman. Even though he lost a point for an illegal punch, Rico fought hard and won by decision.
Becoming Champion
Rico surprised many people by winning the Glory 11: Chicago - Heavyweight World Championship Tournament in October 2013. He beat Gökhan Saki in the semi-finals. Then, he defeated Daniel Ghiță in the final to become the tournament champion.
He also beat kickboxing legend Peter Aerts in a very close fight in December 2013.
In 2014, Rico had a boxing match and won by knockout. Later that year, he had a rematch with Daniel Ghiță. Rico won again by decision and became the Glory Heavyweight Champion.
Defending His Title
Rico has defended his Glory Heavyweight title many times.
Rico vs. Zimmerman (Part 3)
His first title defense was against Errol Zimmerman in 2015. They had fought twice before, with each winning once. Rico used kicks and straight punches to keep Zimmerman away. Zimmerman got knocked down twice in the first round. The fight ended when Zimmerman injured his knee, giving Rico a technical knockout (TKO) win.
Rico vs. Adegbuyi
For his second title defense, Rico fought Benjamin Adegbuyi. Adegbuyi surprised Rico in the first round, but Rico took control in the second. Rico won by decision. Six months later, Adegbuyi earned another chance to fight Rico. This time, Rico quickly knocked Adegbuyi out in the first round with a right hook. After this win, Rico changed his nickname from "Prince of Kickboxing" to "King of Kickboxing."
More Title Defenses
Rico defended his title against Mladen Brestovac in 2016. He won by decision. Later that year, he faced Anderson Braddock Silva. Rico used many leg kicks and knocked Silva down three times in the second round, winning by TKO.
Rico vs. Hari
On December 10, 2016, Rico fought Badr Hari. This was a very important fight for Rico. Hari started aggressively and cut Rico's nose. Hari won the first round. But in the second round, Hari injured his arm and could not continue. Rico won by TKO, marking his 50th kickboxing victory.
After the Hari fight, Rico had two non-title fights. He beat Ismael Lazaar by decision and Antônio Silva by TKO.
Rico vs. Ben Saddik
Rico fought Jamal Ben Saddik for the Glory heavyweight title in December 2017. This fight was called one of the biggest fights in kickboxing history because both fighters were very large. Jamal had beaten Rico once before in 2011. In this rematch, Ben Saddik started strong, but Rico took over and won by TKO in the fifth round.
Rico continued to defend his title, beating Mladen Brestovac again in 2018 by decision. He also defeated Guto Inocente by decision, even though Inocente used some illegal moves.
Rico vs. Hari (Part 2)
For his ninth title defense, Rico had a rematch with Badr Hari in December 2019. The fight took place in a sold-out arena with 30,000 fans. Rico started aggressively but was knocked down in the first round. He was knocked down again in the third round. However, Hari broke his ankle during the fight, and Rico won by TKO. This rematch was watched by 3.5 million people in the Netherlands, making it one of the most-watched live sports broadcasts in Dutch history.
Recent Fights
In January 2021, Rico was supposed to fight Jamal Ben Saddik again, but Ben Saddik got injured. Instead, Rico joined a four-man heavyweight tournament at Glory 77. He won his semi-final fight against Hesdy Gerges and then won the final against Tarik Khbabez by TKO.
In October 2021, Rico was scheduled to fight Alistair Overeem, but Overeem got injured. Jamal Ben Saddik stepped in on short notice. Rico defeated Ben Saddik by TKO in the fourth round, keeping his title.
In October 2022, Rico fought Hesdy Gerges for the fourth time. Rico had won all their previous fights. Rico won this fight by TKO in the fifth round.
In November 2023, Rico defended his title against Tariq Osaro at Glory: Collision 6. Rico won the fight by unanimous decision.
In March 2024, Rico participated in the Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix. He won all three of his fights on the same night, beating Sofian Laidouni and Nabil Khachab by decision, and then defeating Levi Rigters by TKO in the final to win the tournament and a $500,000 prize.
In December 2024, Rico defended his Glory heavyweight title against Levi Rigters at Collision 7, winning by unanimous decision.
Professional Mixed Martial Arts Career
Rico Verhoeven also tried MMA. He made his professional MMA debut in October 2015. He won his first fight against Viktor Bogutzki by TKO in the first round. Before his MMA debut, he trained in California with famous fighters like Daniel Cormier.
Fighting Style
Rico Verhoeven is very tall and strong for a fighter his size. He is also a very smart fighter. He uses many different attacks, especially powerful low kicks. He also has a very strong defense. He even worked with boxing champion Tyson Fury, who helped him improve his jab.
Championships and Accomplishments
- Glory
- 2014 Glory Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) World Championship Tournament Champion
- Glory Heavyweight (+95 kg/209 lb) Championship (one time; current)
- Twelve successful title defenses
- 2017 Glory Fighter of the Year
- 2017 Glory Knockout of the Year vs. Jamal Ben Saddik.
- 2019 Glory Highlight of the Year
- 2021 Glory 77 Heavyweight Tournament Winner
- 2024 Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix Winner
Awards
- 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 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65 Wins (21 (T)KOs), 10 Losses | ||||||||
| Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Location | Method | Round | Time | |
| 2024-12-07 | Win |  Levi Rigters |
Glory Collision 7 | Arnhem, Netherlands | Decision (Unanimous) | 5 | 3:00 | |
| Retains the Glory Heavyweight Championship. | ||||||||
| 2024-03-09 | Win | Levi Rigters |
Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix, Final | Arnhem, Netherlands | TKO (4 Knockdowns) | 2 | 2:59 | |
| Wins the 2024 Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix. | ||||||||
| 2024-03-09 | Win |  Nabil Khachab |
Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix, Semifinals | Arnhem, Netherlands | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2024-03-09 | Win |  Sofian Laidouni |
Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix, Quarterfinals | Arnhem, Netherlands | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2023-11-04 | Win |  Tariq Osaro |
Glory: Collision 6 | Arnhem, Netherlands | Decision (Unanimous) | 5 | 3:00 | |
| Retains the Glory Heavyweight Championship. | ||||||||
| 2022-10-29 | Win | Hesdy Gerges |
HIT IT | Rotterdam, Netherlands | TKO (Punches) | 5 | 1:58 | |
| 2021-10-23 | Win | Jamal Ben Saddik |
Glory Collision 3 | Arnhem, Netherlands | TKO (Punches) | 4 | 0:56 | |
| Retains the Glory Heavyweight Championship. | ||||||||
| 2021-01-30 | Win | Tarik Khbabez |
Glory 77: Rotterdam Final | Rotterdam, Netherlands | TKO (Corner stoppage/Injury) | 1 | 3:00 | |
| Wins the Glory 77 Heavyweight Tournament. | ||||||||
| 2021-01-30 | Win | Hesdy Gerges |
Glory 77: Rotterdam Semi Final | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2019-12-21 | Win | Badr Hari |
Glory Collision 2 | Arnhem, Netherlands | TKO (Leg injury) | 3 | 0:59 | |
| Retains the Glory Heavyweight Championship. | ||||||||
| 2018-09-29 | Win |  Guto Inocente |
Glory 59: Amsterdam | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Decision (Unanimous) | 5 | 3:00 | |
| Retains the Glory Heavyweight Championship. | ||||||||
| 2018-06-02 | Win |  Mladen Brestovac |
Glory 54: Birmingham | Birmingham, England | Decision (Unanimous) | 5 | 3:00 | |
| Retains the Glory Heavyweight Championship. | ||||||||
| 2017-12-09 | Win | Jamal Ben Saddik |
Glory 49: Rotterdam | Rotterdam, Netherlands | TKO (Head kick and Punches) | 5 | 1:10 | |
| Retains the Glory Heavyweight Championship. | ||||||||
| 2017-10-14 | Win | Antônio Silva |
Glory 46: China | Guangzhou, China | TKO (Referee stoppage) | 2 | 0:43 | |
| 2017-05-20 | Win | Ismael Lazaar |
Glory 41: Holland | Den Bosch, Netherlands | Decision (Unanimous) | 5 | 3:00 | |
| 2016-12-10 | Win | Badr Hari |
Glory 36: Oberhausen | Oberhausen, Germany | TKO (Arm injury) | 2 | 1:22 | |
| 2016-09-09 | Win | Anderson Silva |
Glory 33: New Jersey | Trenton, New Jersey, USA | TKO (3 knockdowns rule) | 2 | 2:57 | |
| Retains the Glory Heavyweight Championship. | ||||||||
| 2016-03-12 | Win | Mladen Brestovac |
Glory 28: Paris | Paris, France | Decision (Unanimous) | 5 | 3:00 | |
| Retains the Glory Heavyweight Championship. | ||||||||
| 2015-12-04 | Win |  Benjamin Adegbuyi |
Glory 26: Amsterdam | Amsterdam, Netherlands | KO (Right hook) | 1 | 2:12 | |
| Retains the Glory Heavyweight Championship. | ||||||||
| 2015-06-05 | Win | Benjamin Adegbuyi |
Glory 22: Lille | Lille, France | Decision (Unanimous) | 5 | 3:00 | |
| Retains the Glory Heavyweight Championship. | ||||||||
| 2015-02-06 | Win |  Errol Zimmerman |
Glory 19: Virginia | Hampton, Virginia, United States | TKO (Leg injury) | 2 | 2:17 | |
| Retains the Glory Heavyweight Championship. | ||||||||
| 2015-01-03 | Loss |  Andrey Gerasimchuk |
Kunlun Fight 15 | Nanjing, China | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2014-06-21 | Win | Daniel Ghiță |
Glory 17: Los Angeles | Inglewood, California, USA | Decision (Unanimous) | 5 | 3:00 | |
| Wins the Glory Heavyweight Championship. | ||||||||
| 2013-12-21 | Win | Peter Aerts |
Glory 13: Tokyo | Tokyo, Japan | Decision (Split) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2013-10-12 | Win | Daniel Ghiță |
Glory 11: Chicago - Heavyweight World Championship Tournament, Final | Hoffman Estates, Illinois, USA | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| Wins the Glory Heavyweight World Championship Tournament. | ||||||||
| 2013-10-12 | Win |  Gökhan Saki |
Glory 11: Chicago - Heavyweight World Championship Tournament, Semi Finals | Hoffman Estates, Illinois, USA | Decision (Majority) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2013-06-22 | Win | Errol Zimmerman |
Glory 9: New York | New York City, New York, USA | Decision (Majority) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2013-04-20 | Win | Jhonata Diniz |
Glory 7: Milan | Milan, Italy | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2012-12-31 | Loss | Semmy Schilt |
Glory 4: Tokyo - Heavyweight Grand Slam Tournament, Quarter Finals | Saitama, Japan | Decision (Unanimous) | 2 | 2:00 | |
| 2012-12-31 | Win |  Sergei Kharitonov |
Glory 4: Tokyo - Heavyweight Grand Slam Tournament, First Round | Saitama, Japan | Decision (Unanimous) | 2 | 2:00 | |
| 2012-06-30 | Win | Hesdy Gerges |
Music Hall & BFN Group present: It's Showtime 57 & 58 | Brussels, Belgium | Decision | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2012-05-27 | Loss |  Serhiy Lashchenko |
K-1 World MAX 2012 World Championship Tournament Final 16, Super Fight | Madrid, Spain | Extra round decision (Split) | 4 | 3:00 | |
| 2012-03-17 | Win |  Ben Edwards |
Capital Punishment 5 | Canberra, Australia | Decision | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2012-01-28 | Loss | Errol Zimmerman |
It's Showtime 2012 in Leeuwarden | Leeuwarden, Netherlands | KO (left uppercut) | 1 | 0:59 | |
| 2011-11-17 | Win | Hesdy Gerges |
SUPERKOMBAT Fight Club | Oradea, Romania | Decision (Split) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2011-06-18 | Win | Raemon Welboren |
Thaiboksgala BlokhuispoortKickboxing | Leeuwarden, Netherlands | Decision | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2011-05-21 | Win |  Justice Smith |
SUPERKOMBAT World Grand Prix I 2011, Reserve Fight | Bucharest, Romania | TKO (Referee stoppage) | 1 | N/A | |
| 2011-03-06 | Loss | Jamal Ben Saddik |
It's Showtime Sporthallen Zuid | Amsterdam, Netherlands | TKO (Corner stoppage) | 2 | 1:00 | |
| 2010-12-18 | Win |  Frank Muñoz |
Fightclub presents: It's Showtime 2010 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2010-10-09 | Win | Michael Duut |
Ring Rage Part 5 | Assen, Netherlands | Decision | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2010-09-12 | Win | Ricardo van den Bos |
Fightingstars presents: It's Showtime 2010 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2010-05-29 | Win |  Dzevad Poturak |
It's Showtime 2010 Amsterdam | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2010-03-07 | Win | Alex Novovic |
Time For Action presents: Team SuperPro 10 Year Anniversary | Nijmegen, Netherlands | TKO (Referee stoppage) | 2 | 3:00 | |
| 2010-01-30 | Win | Mutlu Karabulut |
Beast of the East | Zutphen, Netherlands | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2009-11-21 | Win | Jantje Siersema |
It's Showtime 2009 Barneveld | Barneveld, Netherlands | KO (Left knee to the body) | 1 | N/A | |
| 2009-10-24 | Loss |  Rustemi Kreshnik |
It's Showtime 2009 Lommel | Lommel, Belgium | Extra round decision | 4 | 3:00 | |
| 2009-08-11 | Loss |  Brice Guidon |
K-1 World GP 2009 Tokyo, Quarter Finals | Tokyo, Japan | Decision | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2009-08-29 | Win |  Gábor Meiszter |
It's Showtime 2009 Budapest | Budapest, Hungary | Decision | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2009-06-13 | Loss |  Ismael Londt |
Gentlemen Promotions | Tilburg, Netherlands | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2009-05-16 | Win | Ricardo Fyeet |
It's Showtime 2009 Amsterdam | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Decision | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2009-03-18 | Win | Filip Verlinden |
Fights at the Border presents: It's Showtime 2009 | Antwerp, Belgium | Decision | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2009-03-14 | Win | Petar Majstorovic |
Oktagon presents: It's Showtime 2009 | Milan, Italy | Decision | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2008-11-29 | Win | Dennis Stolzenbach |
It's Showtime 2008 Eindhoven | Eindhoven, Netherlands | Decision | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2008-08-09 | Win |  Koichi Watanabe |
K-1 World GP 2008 Hawaii, Super Fight | Honolulu, Hawaii | Decision | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2008-04-26 | Win | Christiano Delgado |
K-1 World GP 2008 Amsterdam, Opening Fight | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Decision | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2008-02-17 | Win | Redouan Abdelloui |
K-1 MAX Netherlands 2008, Super Fight | Utrecht, Netherlands | Decision | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2007-12-16 | Win |  Brunon Sokołowski |
Oss Muay Thai | Oss, Netherlands | Decision | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2007-05-13 | Loss | Said Eljajaui |
Fight Night Veghel B Tournament, Quarter Finals | Veghel, Netherlands | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 2:00 | |
| 2007-03-24 | Win | Zoltán Tóth |
WFCA Muay thai gala, Zuidwest hallen | Roosendaal, Netherlands | Decision (Unanimous) | 5 | 2:00 | |
| 2006-10-15 | Loss | Brian Douwes |
Top Team Beverwijk Muay thai gala | Beverwijk, Netherlands | Decision (Unanimous) | 5 | 2:00 | |
| 2006-04-09 | Win | Reduan Abdellaoui |
K.O.C. III | Goes, Netherlands | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 1:30 | |
| 2006-02-03 | Win | Chris van den Ouweland |
Thaiboxing Gala, Zuidwesthallen | Roosendaal, Netherlands | KO | 3 | N/A | |
| 2005-11-26 | Win | Stijn van Tatenhove |
Thaiboxing Gala, Zuidwesthallen | Roosendaal, Netherlands | Decision | 3 | 2:00 | |
| 2005-05-29 | Win | Sander Duyvis |
Gala in Zonnehuis | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Decision | 3 | 2:00 | |
| 2005-04-30 | Win | Wilbert Dam |
Impact in de Zuidwesthallen | Roosendaal, Netherlands | KO | 2 | 1:56 | |
| Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes | ||||||||
Professional boxing record
| 1 fight | 1 win | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 1 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | János Finfera |
KO | 2 (4), 1:40 | 26 Apr 2014 |  Boellenfalltor-Halle, Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany |
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 1 match | 1 win | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 1 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Viktor Bogutzki | TKO (punches) | RXF 20: Verhoeven vs. Bogutzki | October 19, 2015 | 1 | 2:11 | Sibiu, Romania |
Film and TV Appearances
Rico Verhoeven has also appeared in movies and TV shows.
| 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 |
| 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: Pantera | Vigo |
Personal Life
Rico Verhoeven has three children with his ex-wife, Jacky Duchenne.
Acting Career
Rico started his acting career with a small role in the movie Kickboxer: Retaliation.
Documentary
In 2022, a four-part documentary series called RICO: Dream Big was released. It showed Rico preparing for his fight against Badr Hari and his efforts to become an actor in Hollywood.
See also
In Spanish: Rico Verhoeven para niños
- List of male kickboxers
