One of the best to ever do it in the kickboxing game, Rico Verhoeven, has announced that he has retired from the world’s biggest kickboxing promotion, Glory, after a 12-year relationship.
Verhoeven last competed for Glory in June, headlining Glory 100, defeating Artem Vakhitov via decision to retain his heavyweight belt.
As per his Instagram, Rico Verhoeven stated:
“After more than twelve years, fifteen world title victories, and countless unforgettable nights, I’ve decided to vacate my GLORY Heavyweight World Title.
I joined GLORY in 2012, and from that moment on, I gave everything to this sport and to the organisation. Together, we built something truly special, sold out arenas, broke records, gave fans incredible fights and moments that helped shape the history of kickboxing. I want to give a special acknowledgement to the dedicated people within GLORY who work tirelessly behind the scenes to bring such a strong product to the world. Most of them remain unseen, but their passion is what keeps this sport alive and growing. I see you, and I’ve told many of you personally how much I value the way you carry kickboxing forward with heart, respect, and purpose.
A special thank you to Pierre Andurand for his vision and the immense investment he’s made in kickboxing over the years. Without that commitment, none of this would have been possible.
To all the fans who’ve been part of this incredible journey…. Thank you for the memories, the energy, and the respect.
It’s not a goodbye, it’s an “until we meet again.” OSU”
The full post can be found here:
View this post on Instagram
What’s Next for Rico Verhoeven?
At 36, he hasn’t got a long career ahead of him, so it’s only money fights for the King of Kickboxing. Earlier this year, he called for a fight with former UFC heavyweight champion and PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Championship, Francis Ngannou.
A future crossover fight between @RicoVerhoeven and @francis_ngannou? 👀
🎟️Buy #GLORY100 – click link in bio | June 14 | Live on DAZN pic.twitter.com/By2Q1lwWBr
— DAZN (@DAZN_Sport) June 13, 2025
Speaking to DAZN before Glory 100, Rico Verhoeven said:
“The first thing that pops up is: crossover fight. I would love it. I think that is something that hasn’t been done before. Because we had the boxing world exchange with the MMA world. And that’s fun. But we’ve never had kickboxers exchanged in the mix. And they are way closer to each other. So, I think that is a fight where people will get excited”.
Verhoeven has an MMA record of 1-0, last competing under MMA rules in 2015. He won the bout via first-round TKO.
Whatever’s next for Rico Verhoeven, the future is exciting for kickboxing’s biggest star.
