Rico Verhoeven likes to maintain a close-knit group of coaching companions round him when he’s getting ready for fights and that staff has included Tom Aspinall for the previous couple of years.
Whereas Verhoeven is acknowledged as arguably the best kickboxer on the planet, he’s by no means crossed over to MMA, however he’s all the time praised Aspinall for serving to him throughout his coaching camps and he returns the favor every time the UFC interim heavyweight champion wants him. Even now, with Aspinall caught in limbo whereas awaiting phrase on a possible combat towards Jon Jones, he nonetheless helped put together Verhoeven to defend his GLORY heavyweight title towards Artem Vakhitov on Saturday within the Netherlands.
“It’s a brotherhood,” Verhoeven informed MMA Combating. “The circle we now have is actually, actually small. Everyone that’s within the staff is like household. The identical with Hughie Fury and Peter Fury, it’s household. So even when they don’t have a combat, the come over and so they assist us. Identical with Tom. I don’t have a combat, I come over and assist him, the opposite manner round, the identical factor. We name, we decide up for one another, we now have one another’s backs, it doesn’t matter what.
“I perceive for different individuals, he’s Tom Aspinall! For me, he’s simply Tom. He’s my brother. He’s my good friend. I respect and I really like him. He’s the very best, the sweetest and the kindest man. He’s so humble. So warmhearted and the one factor you might be grateful. Grateful that you’ve got these individuals in your life and which are all the time open that will help you. That’s that.”
Whereas Verhoeven is only a day away from defending his GLORY title, Aspinall continues to be holding out hope the UFC can persuade Jones to combat him in what may very well be the largest heavyweight combat within the promotion’s historical past. UFC CEO Dana White stays adamant he’ll ultimately get a deal performed to guide Jones vs. Aspinall earlier than the years is over, however there’s nonetheless no phrase when which may really occur.
Verhoeven hopes the combat will get finalized and he’ll be proper there beside Aspinall serving to him get able to tackle the athlete most universally acknowledged as the very best to ever do it in MMA. Nobody can deny Jones’ credentials as a multi-time champion within the UFC however Verhoeven believes Aspinall has greater than sufficient to lastly hand Jones the primary respectable lack of his profession — and he expects it to occur in violent style.
“He’s going to wipe the ground with Jon Jones,” Verhoeve mentioned. “Jon Jones doesn’t have an opportunity versus Tom Aspinall. Mark my phrases. Tom Aspinall is a freaking monster. On his toes and on the bottom.
“I actually consider Jon Jones has by no means confronted someone that’s that good on his toes. On the bottom, he’s confronted some guys which are fairly good. However on the toes, I feel Tom, he would even do good within the kickboxing ring. He could be a prime competitor to combat me as nicely. So I like it.”
Verhoeven credit Aspinall as an incredible a part of his preparation, particularly as a result of the 32-year-old heavyweight doesn’t come after him with the identical form of approach as a conventional kickboxer.
“In the best manner with out my phrases being twisted, he’s awkward,” Verhoeven mentioned. “As a result of he’s not a kickboxer, he doesn’t include commonplace kickboxing mixtures and that makes it troublesome. That’s what I imply he’s awkward in a great way. That makes it difficult.
“He’s explosive and he’s sensible and his combat IQ is excessive. That’s why I all the time like to have him over and work with him.”
As Aspinall continues to cement his personal legacy within the UFC, Verhoeven only recently celebrated a exceptional milestone of his personal after surpassing 4,000 days as GLORY heavyweight champion.
He admits was gobsmacked when noticed that quantity as a result of it appears unreal that he’s been holding and defending his title for that lengthy.
“It’s a protracted, lengthy ass time,” Verhoeven mentioned with amusing. “I used to be additionally blown away. Once you’re in it, it simply flows however 4,000 days. Wow, what an accomplishment.”
So what precisely does he credit score most for his longevity on the prime of the game?
“For me, it’s simply making an attempt to the very best model of me each time and be my very own greatest critic,” Verhoeven mentioned. “Everyone is aware of, that’s what the entire staff does. It’s how we have a look at the entire preventing recreation. We simply need to enhance. We simply need to get higher. There’s all the time room to enhance.
“Should you maintain considering that, in the event you maintain minding that, in the event you maintain specializing in that particular half, you continue to grow, you retain getting higher and sooner or later you’re 4,000 days additional.”
If he beats Vakhitov on Saturday, Verhoeven provides yet one more former champion to his résumé and it doesn’t appear like he’s slowing down any time quickly.
It’s nearly not possible to argue towards Verhoeven as the highest kickboxer on the planet proper now and lots of consider he’s already established himself as the best of all time. It’s a label Verhoeven would by no means bestow upon himself, however he definitely respect anyone who thinks that about him.
“All I can do is be grateful, be grateful however like I mentioned, it’s less than me,” Verhoeven mentioned. “I do know that what I’m doing, I’m doing with ardour, I’m doing with love and I’m having enjoyable whereas doing it. That’s a very powerful factor. The one factor you possibly can hope for is individuals respect what you do. That’s it.
“However it’s less than me to say for my part, I feel I’m the best kickboxer ever. As a result of everyone has totally different statistics or alternative ways to categorize their greatest or the best. It’s less than me however the second when individuals say it, it’s an enormous, enormous praise. The one factor you are able to do is be pleased about it as a result of what we attempt to do, we attempt to entertain individuals.”
