Glory 22: Rico Verhoeven Batters Benjamin Adegbuyi to Retain Heavyweight Crown

It took Rico Verhoeven a round to get things going but once he did, Benjamin Adegbuyi didn’t have much of a chance in the Glory 22 main event. Verhoeven successfully defended his Glory heavyweight title by out-pointing his Romanian challenger over five rounds, and he did so in punishing fashion.

Adegbuyi began well, setting up some hooks and crosses with a lethal left jab. The slightly shorter defending champion had his head snapped back several times in the opening round from the telephone pole-like jab of the challenger, but he never lost his cool. By the end of the first stanza, it’s likely that the Dutchman had his man figured out.

Verhoeven never allowed Adegbuyi to stay in rhythm from the second period on. He systematically broke him down with a painful array of kicks to the body and legs. Round after round, Adegbuyi’s mobility became drained from the furious assault below his neck and Verhoeven never relented until the final bell.

Related » Glory 22 Round-by-Round Scoring

Verhoeven never scored a knockdown but he battered Adegbuyi’s psyche and body for four tortuous rounds. Even when Adegbuyi clearly needed a knockout to pull off a miraculous victory in the end, he was too worn out and wounded to let anything go. When the final bell sounded to end the mugging, Adegbuyi sagged along the ropes, grateful that the torment was finally over.

While the official scores were being read, it was no surprise that Verhoeven had won the decision unanimously. He won via tallies of 49-45 (twice) and 50-45 to become the first Glory champion to successfully defend his title twice.

Sitsongpeenong Takes Four-man Lightweight Tourney

In the exciting four-man lightweight tournament, it was Glory newcomer Sittichai Sitsongpeenong who reigned supreme, winning both of his matches in convincing fashion. The Thai boxer kicked off the tourney with a sensational clubbing of former Glory lightweight champ Davit Kiria, knocking him out with a vicious left hook/left knee to the body in the second round. Kiria crumbled in a heap and never recovered and was eventually counted out at the 2:09 mark of the frame.

Sitsongpeenong continued his mastery in the finals when he picked apart Josh Jauncey for three rounds. His brutal left kick to the body was the deciding factor as it slowly broke down the Canadian little by little. Jauncey was game throughout and kept every round close, but Sitsongpeenong was too active and too accurate with this bread-and-butter attack.

Sitsongpeenong caused a cut above Jauncey’s right eye early in the fight and even though his foe hung tough, the Thai was able to rake thudding strikes to the head and body. Still, his go-to attack was the left kick to the ribs, which paved the way toward victory. Sitsongpeenong won the unanimous decision via tallies of 30-27 on all three official scorecards, thus making him the No. 1 contender for current champ Robin Van Roosmalen.

In his first bout, Jauncey scored a very late stoppage of late-entrant “Djime” in the third round after a crippling low kick attack caused two knockdowns in the final round.

Mwekassa Scores Highlight-Reel KO

In the light heavyweight featured attraction, the Republic of the Congo’s Zack Mwekassa scored an electrifying knockout of American Carlos Brooks in the first round. After landing a left hook that forced Brooks into the ropes and ruled down, Mwekassa unloaded a monstrous left hook that floored him. Brooks was out cold and flat on his back when referee Stefano Valenti waived it off. The official time of the knockout came just 1:58 into the contest.