Bigfoot Silva’s team wants Rico Verhoeven fight under MMA rules after Glory loss

After a one-sided loss in kickboxing, Bigfoot Silva wants another shot at Rico Verhoeven under MMA rules.

Today’s Glory 46 event in China featured a total mismatch in the headliner, with the promotion’s heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven taking on longtime MMA fighter Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. As expected, Verhoeven stopped Bigfoot in the second round after already dropping him once. And it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that now Silva’s team wants to drag Verhoeven into a fight with a rule set more familiar to the former UFC heavyweight title challenger (via MMA Fighting):

“So Antonio went out there and did his first kickboxing fight against the current Glory champ and legend, Rico Verhoeven. And not even himself expected to win. But he fought like a lion. Nothing to be ashamed of. And nor was it the manslaughter everyone predicted.

“Now, Antonio thinks that it is Verhoeven’s turn to debut in MMA. And since he took the first challenge, he now respectfully invites Rico to do the same in MMA. Bigfoot would be more than happy to welcome him!”

One problem with that is that it wouldn’t actually be Rico’s MMA debut. He fought under MMA rules in Romania in 2015, winning via TKO. Either way though, Rico is at the top of his sport and there’s no reason to cross over for anything more than a huge payday or a fight that would get a lot of visibility. And I don’t think the UFC will come calling for Silva again after six KO losses in his last eight UFC fights.

Who knows though. Bellator might be interested.

After a one-sided loss in kickboxing, Bigfoot Silva wants another shot at Rico Verhoeven under MMA rules.

Today’s Glory 46 event in China featured a total mismatch in the headliner, with the promotion’s heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven taking on longtime MMA fighter Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. As expected, Verhoeven stopped Bigfoot in the second round after already dropping him once. And it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that now Silva’s team wants to drag Verhoeven into a fight with a rule set more familiar to the former UFC heavyweight title challenger (via MMA Fighting):

“So Antonio went out there and did his first kickboxing fight against the current Glory champ and legend, Rico Verhoeven. And not even himself expected to win. But he fought like a lion. Nothing to be ashamed of. And nor was it the manslaughter everyone predicted.

“Now, Antonio thinks that it is Verhoeven’s turn to debut in MMA. And since he took the first challenge, he now respectfully invites Rico to do the same in MMA. Bigfoot would be more than happy to welcome him!”

One problem with that is that it wouldn’t actually be Rico’s MMA debut. He fought under MMA rules in Romania in 2015, winning via TKO. Either way though, Rico is at the top of his sport and there’s no reason to cross over for anything more than a huge payday or a fight that would get a lot of visibility. And I don’t think the UFC will come calling for Silva again after six KO losses in his last eight UFC fights.

Who knows though. Bellator might be interested.