Ismael Londt is used to waiting.
It took him years of fighting in organizations around the globe, before the 30-year-old “Mr. Pain” finally made his Glory debut in April of this year. He made it an impressive one, beating both Anderson Silva and Jahfarr Wilnis in one night at the heavyweight contender tournament at Glory 29 in Copenhagen. There he was, the new number-one contender.
Londt had to wait again though, and faced the returning Hedy Gerges in a rematch at Glory 31 last Saturday instead. And after a close victory, Londt likely still won’t get his shot at heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven, who is right now negotiating a super fight with kickboxing’s Enfant Terrible Badr Hari.
But Londt doesn’t care if he has to wait. In fact, he is looking forward to a possible Hari-Verhoeven bout as well, as he told BloodyElbow.com’s Mark Bergmann right after the Glory 31 post-fight press conference.
“I just fight, it doesn’t matter. As long as I get the title shot, for me it’s good,” Londt said in an interview for German broadcaster ran.de. “And if (Verhoeven) get’s Badr in between, I think maybe for the kickbox world it’s a good fight. It’s better for me also promotional-wise. So I don’t really care. I can train longer also for him. I take Rico very serious, and I have my game plan for the preparation for him, so it doesn’t really matter for me. We’ll see.
“I would like to see the fight also as a kickboxer and as a kickbox fan,” the K-1 veteran added with a smile.
Londt faced Badr Hari in his last fight outside of Glory in August last year and got knocked out in the third round. He also holds a victory over Verhoeven, although one that dates back seven years, when both fighters where just starting their careers trying to climb the pro ranks.
“Difficult,” Londt weighed in on the rumored and semi-confirmed Hari-Verhoeven super fight. “If it’s a short fight, I think Badr. If it’s gonna be a longer fight, I think Rico.”
A bout between Hari and Verhoeven is expected to take place in late summer or fall this year, at a Glory show somewhere in Europe.
About the author
