“Just hope and pray for unity,” Rico Verhoeven passionately pleas for world peace amid Israel-Palestine conflict after GLORY championship victory

Following his victory over Tariq Osaro at GLORY Collision 6, Rico Verhoeven passionately appeals for global harmony and world peace.

“Just hope and pray for unity,” Rico Verhoeven passionately pleas for world peace amid Israel-Palestine conflict after GLORY championship victory

Rico Verhoeven (Image Via IMAGO)

Glory Collision 6 was a significant event that featured “The Prince of Kickboxing,” Rico Verhoeven, in the headliner against interim belt-holder Tariq Osaro. The much-anticipated card boasted some incredible fights and was broadcast from Arnhem, the Netherlands. 

This was Verhoeven’s first time back in the ring in a little over a year and his first time back in a GLORY ring in two years. Verhoeven had been out of action for an extended period due to an injured knee. Originally, he was slated to face Antonio Plazibat, but Verhoeven had to withdraw, leading to the creation of an interim belt. 

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Plazibat and Tariq Osaro faced off in a thrilling bout, with Osaro ultimately emerging victorious with a round-five knockout. This set the stage for the recent unification bout. The fighters brought impressive stats and accolades to the main event. After five competitive rounds, Verhoeven was declared the winner via unanimous decision, and he then took this opportunity to speak about the Israel-Hamas war. He said,

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"Before we celebrate. There is crazy stuff going on in the world. So let's take one second to take the Gaza situation and just hope and pray for unity and for peace in the world guys." 

Verhoeven asked everyone to stop celebrating and pay attention to the current unrest in the world, especially the situation in Gaza, during his speech. He underlined how crucial it is to hope and pray for world peace and harmony.

Rico Verhoeven talks about his potential UFC debut

Rico Verhoeven is one of the biggest names in the world of kickboxing and has a humongous fan following. A popular fighter like him would be a great signing for the UFC and it seems like the fighter isn’t against it either.

Rico Verhoeven
Rico Verhoeven (Image Via IMAGO)

In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, the fighter stated that he never closes any doors and is open to any challenge. Rico loves crossover boxing fights and is open to MMA fights. He enjoys competing with the very best in the world and believes he needs to be in the conversation as the baddest in the world. He has experience in professional boxing, MMA, and kickboxing, so he is curious to see what the future holds.

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Verhoeven is an old training partner of Francis Ngannou and has also sparred with Tom Aspinall. Given the success of Glory kickboxers such as Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira in the UFC, moving to the promotion isn’t a bad idea at all for the Dutch.

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