When Francis Ngannou shocked the world on Saturday evening together with his efficiency towards Tyson Fury, it opened up the floodgates for extra crossover occasions.
For a very long time, these match-ups weren’t aggressive and for good cause, such is the character of 1 competitor stepping exterior of their consolation zone.
In Saudi Arabia, Ngannou wasn’t simply aggressive with “The Gypsy King”, he gained the battle in most individuals’s eyes.
After seeing what the previous UFC heavyweight champion was capable of accomplish, it was solely a matter of time earlier than MMA fighters began to shoot their pictures at a few of the high stars in boxing.
The latest identify to name for a crossover match-up may need extra credibility to his claims as he believes he can replicate the same degree of efficiency to Ngannou.
Glory Heavyweight Champion Rico Verhoeven Calls For His Time To Crossover From Kickboxing
Because the long-reigning Glory heavyweight champion, Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven is held up as one of many all-time greats in his area.
Regardless of every little thing that he has completed in kickboxing, a lot to the confusion of Joe Rogan, kickboxing has by no means actually taken off in the USA.
With a possibility to introduce himself to an entire new viewers, the “King of Kickboxing” is raring to go and take a look at himself in a crossover match-up.
Having skilled extensively with the likes of Fury, Ngannou and Tom Aspinall previously, Verhoeven is not any stranger to dipping his toe into each boxing and MMA the place he believes he could be aggressive on the highest degree in both.
Showing on Combat Nation with Jimmy Smith, the world champion mentioned that watching Ngannou compete with the perfect on the planet within the ring solely gave him extra confidence about his potential exterior of kickboxing.
“In the entire crossover recreation, that is the place I feel the actual problem is and yeah no matter. We may do a boxing battle, we may do an MMA battle like no matter, I am open. I am open to whoever needs it. What I noticed Francis do, I do know I can do precisely the identical or higher. I am open for the entire high heavyweight recreation in boxing or MMA, let’s do it.”
"What I noticed Francis do, I do know I can do precisely the identical or higher. I'm open for the entire high heavyweight recreation in boxing or MMA, let's do it."@GLORY_WS HW king @RicoVerhoeven is prepared for crossover challenges of his personal after #COLLISION6Unlocking the Cage | @jimmysmithmma pic.twitter.com/Gt5zfRAA1M
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) November 1, 2023
Verhoeven returns this Saturday evening at Glory: Collison 6 the place he faces interim heavyweight champion Tariq Osaro in a unification conflict.
Learn additionally: Jon Anik ‘Celebrates’ Francis Ngannou’s Efficiency Towards Tyson Fury, Bashes Occasion’s Manufacturing: ‘What The F*** Was Going On?’
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