Verhoeven invites any fighter “posting about me on social media” to “ste...

Rico Verhoeven (51-10, 14 KO's) has invited “[any fighter] who is posting on social media about me” to step up and take their shot at him.

The heavyweight champion made the comment following his win over Ismael Lazaar (30-3-1, 15 KO's) in the main event of GLORY 41 HOLLAND and while he didn't name names, seemed to be aiming his comment in a specific direction.

“I have no clue who is next and I don't care,” he said backstage after the shutout win over Lazaar. “Anyone who wants jump in, let's go, I am ready for everyone. And to anyone who is posting on social media about me, let's go! I am ready, I am here.”

All but one of the five judges had Verhoeven winning all five rounds against Lazaar on Saturday night. That's a decisive win by any measure but for Verhoeven, who holds himself to a higher standard than most, it barely merited celebrating.

“It could have been better. Sometimes I let myself engage too much with the boxing and he would take a punch and land one back. That happened a few times, just stupid mistakes,” he says.

“I was enjoying it but my trainer was definitely not happy. He was like 'what the f—k' are you doing? Keep moving!' But in the fifth round [Lazaar] had no chance to hit me, I was moving around and that was plan from beginning.”

Lazaar's 50% knockout ratio in his wins has him regularly described as one of the hardest punchers in the sport but Verhoeven declares himself unimpressed and says that nothing particularly troubled him, not even the shot which knocked his mouthguard out at the end of the first round.

“Yeah that was so funny, he came in, he hit me with the right hand, my mouthguard flew out and then the round ended. I was like 'Damn man, my mouthguard flew out!' and he was like 'Really?!' I said, 'Yeah, over there somewhere,'” he laughs.

“I wasn't really impressed with his power so I started messing around, slipping and ducking, and sometimes he hit me but it wasn't too hard. Maybe I have a good chin but for me I wasn't impressed with the power. He hit me a few times clean but it was another day at the office.

“Maybe I am too critical of myself but for me I have to stay sharp, so it's back to the drawing board. It doesn't have to be good, it has to be perfect. Everything I do has to be perfect, like my apparel line. It has to look good, feel good, fit right. That's how I am, not just in kickboxing but in business as well. It's a difficult way to live.”