Rico Verhoeven has given a fascinating insight into the time he’s spent with Jean-Claude Van Damme, explaining how the martial arts legend helped him with his acting career.
The pair starred alongside one another in Kickboxer: Retaliation.
Rico Verhoeven credits Jean-Claude Van Damme for helping him follow his dreams in the movie industry
In his illustrious career, Rico Verhoeven has established himself as one of the greatest strikers of all time.
The iconic athlete, most recently, defended his Glory heavyweight title on December 7, rising from the canvas, to drop Levi Rigters, en route to winning a unanimous decision.
However, outside of competition, the Dutchman loves to act, starring in a plethora of popular films, including Kickboxer: Retaliation, where he graced the screen with Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Like the Glory King, the Belgian comes from a fighting background, with Verhoeven giving him enormous credit for helping him break into the industry.
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In an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, the 35-year-old said: “Kickboxer Retaliation was with the legend — Jean-Claude Van Damme. It was awesome. Two years ago, I starred in Black Lotus, I was the lead. That was amazing. I did Den of Thieves: Pantera, with Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Junior. I’ve been really enjoying it. I truly found my new passion.
“We’re still in contact. We still call now and then and just check in with each other. He’s a huge martial arts fan. He’s turned out to be a very good friend and good as a coach to see how he approached the whole acting game as a martial artist and getting his advice from that.”
Rico Verhoeven dropped Eddie Hall and gave him an incredible insight into what it takes to become a Glory champion
While the warrior is building a fantastic reputation as an actor, first and foremost, the world still knows him for his sensational performances inside the ring.
Even 2017 World’s Strongest Man, Eddie Hall, is fascinated by everything the kickboxer has achieved.
With that in mind, he went to visit Verhoeven in his gym, where the long-reigning champion dropped him with a leg kick and put him through everything he does in a day, to show him what it really takes to get to the top.
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