Glory Kickboxing heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven has a chance to join an elite club in the young kickboxing promotion. With a win over Benjamin Adegbuyi, he will be the only champion on the roster to have defended his belt twice.
The 26-year-old last defended his title against Errol Zimmerman at Glory 19 via second-round TKO due to a leg injury for the challenger. But Adegbuyi represents a new challenge bringing in a nine-fight win streak to the bout, including three wins under the Glory banner.
The heavyweight division isn't the only one with a monumental fight, though. The lightweight landscape is set to shift as well. A new No. 1 contender in the division will emerge from the four-man tournament set to go down at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille, France.
Here's the viewing information, televised card and predictions for the event, along with a look at the top storylines surrounding the action:
Who Will Emerge as the New Lightweight Contender?
Lightweight titleholder Robin van Roosmalen should be watching the event intently. The winner of a four-man tourney will become the No. 1 contender to his thrown, and the organization has put together an interesting mix of challengers for the 25-year-old champ.
In the first bout, Canadian Josh Jauncey will put his 3-0 Glory record on the line against Glory newcomer Crice Boussoukou. Boussoukou was a last-minute injury replacement for Niclas Larsen, as the Danish kickboxer was forced out of the tournament due to a foot injury, per Glory's website.
The other semifinal is an interesting collision between a former champion in Davit Kiria versus another Glory newcomer in Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong. The Thai newcomer is a mere 23 years old, but he already has over 100 fights at 97-27-5.
With a late-notice replacement opponent in the first round, Jauncey is the one to watch for in the tournament. He's won two of his three Glory bouts by knockout or TKO, and he's coming into the tournament with an understanding of just how difficult things will be for him, via John Joe O'Regan of Bloody Elbow:
This is THE weight class. This is kickboxing's weight class. This is the hardest one in the sport. It is the most stacked and if you are a champion of this weight class, if you are doing well here, then you have to be in that pound-for-pound conversation.
At this weight you have the KO power, the speed, the movement, everything. It is the most exciting weight class in the sport.
With established veterans like Sitsongpeenong and Kiria clashing with a rising prospect like Jauncey, the tournament promises to deliver some high-quality action.
Can Verhoeven Continue Reign at Heavyweight?
Rico Verhoeven is easily the most decorated heavyweight in Glory's brief existence. Not only is he the only winner of a heavyweight tournament, but he became the first champion since Semmy Schilt earned the title at Glory 1.
Now the trick is to establish himself as the most dominant heavyweight in the organization with his second title defense. Adegbuyi isn't the most recognizable name that Verhoeven has seen in his career, but he's among the most dangerous.
At 6'6", 265 pounds, Adegbuyi is an opposing figure with knockout power. He's earned stoppages in two of his three victories under the Glory banner. However, Verhoeven sees his advantages lying in championship experience and a gas tank that appears to constantly be on full, per O'Regan of Bloody Elbow:
No matter how hard you train you cannot train for five rounds in the ring. That feeling is so different. You don't know what's happening. It's like walking into the sea and at a certain point you can't feel the ground any more. He's going to feel that, it's going to be his first time in such deep water. ... If you watch his fights, by the third round he is running out of gas. But on Friday at that point there's still potentially two rounds to go... it's going to be tough for him.
The Dutch champion has been knocked out in the past. Errol Zimmerman was the last man to do it in 2012. However, he's shown a lot of maturation in his game back then and was beating Zimmerman in his last bout before the challenger ultimately suffered a leg injury.
This bout should play out in similar fashion, as Verhoeven's movement and combinations are excellent for a heavyweight. Expect him to wear out an eager challenger and pull away as the fight carries into the later rounds.
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