MMA Knockout

GLORY CEO Eyes Francis Ngannou vs. No. 1 Heavyweight Kickboxer

Ngannou's PFL victory keeps opening doors.

Mathew Riddle

Verhoeven (GLORY), Ngannou (USA-Today)

Francis Ngannou's return to MMA was disconcerting, but the lineal MMA heavyweight champion put on a performance that opened more doors than we might assume.

A first-round knockout over PFL champ Renan Ferreira on October 19 cemented Ngannou's place as one of the top heavyweight fighters in the world, and now other promoters are eyeing 'The Predator' for their own super fights.

Francis Ngannou vs. Rico Verhoeven

Speaking to Ariel Helwani on October 21, GLORY Kickboxing CEO Marshall Zelaznik expressed interest in Ngannou squaring off with Rico Verhoeven, the world's No. 1 heavyweight kickboxer.

"Anytime we can have the best vs. the best, we'd be interested in having that conversation," Zeleznik said. "Rico is the best heavyweight striker on the planet and a fight with Francis would be fascinating."

Who is Rico Verhoeven?

GLORY CEO Eyes Francis Ngannou vs. No. 1 Heavyweight Kickboxer
GLORY

Verhoeven, 35, is a Dutch kickboxer who is also undefeated at 1-0 in professional boxing and MMA. He is the reigning GLORY heavyweight champion.

Rico Verhoeven record & stats

Verhoeven is 6'5", 270 lbs. His professional kickboxing record is 64-10, with 21 knockout victories.

Has Rico Verhoeven fought MMA fighters before?

MMA fighters of note on Verhoeven's resume include Guto Inocente, Sergei Kharitonov, and Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva. He was scheduled to face Alistair Overeem in 2021, but Overeem withdrew.

Rico Verhoeven in professional MMA

Verhoeven fought in professional MMA once in October 2015. He won by first-round TKO. His opponent, Viktor Bogutzki, retired at 0-2, having only fought Verhoeven and Jiri Prochazka.

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Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with over five years of experience in digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMAKO in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on The Fight Fanatic, Heavy on UFC, Fansided, and Sportskeeda. Reach him at mr@thefightfanatic.com.

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