GLORY heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven is set to return from an injury and face interim champ Tariq Osaro in a title unification bout in the Netherlands.
The highly anticipated return of the heavyweight king of kickboxing is imminent. GLORY heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven is all set to make a comeback in a title unification bout against interim champ Tariq Osaro. The bout is scheduled for GLORY Collision 6 on Nov. 4 at the GelreDome in Arnhem, Netherlands. The last time Verhoeven was seen competing was back in October 2022 when he triumphed over Hesdy Gerges with a fifth-round knockout. His absence from the ring for most of the current year was due to a knee injury.
Rico Verhoeven, with a record of 60-10 and 20 knockouts, is held in high regard in the world of kickboxing. The 34-year-old Dutch native has been the reigning GLORY heavyweight champion since 2014. He has a GLORY record for racking up ten title defenses and has been victorious over several well-respected opponents including Badr Hari, Gokhan Saki and Errol Zimmerman among others. The champion has managed to maintain an unbeaten streak in 16 consecutive bouts, a record that extends back to 2015.
Meanwhile, Verhoeven is set to face a promising 27-year-old opponent, Tariq Osaro. Nicknamed “Cookie”, Osaro recorded the most significant win of his kickboxing career when he stunned Antonio Plazibat with a fifth-round knockout in June. This win allowed him to claim the GLORY interim heavyweight title. In his six appearances in the GLORY ring so far, Osaro has tasted victory five times, with each victory ending in a knockout.