Podcast with Remy Bonjasky | ‘Fans in Japan asked me to give them a low kick’ | podcast

Instead of the three usual current affairs rounds, Bonjasky and Reedijk this time stick to two more extensive rounds. One of them focuses on last weekend, with Glory Rivals 1 in Alkmaar and of course a spectacular UFC evening. Bonjasky tips Enfusion fighter Robin Gillebaard as a talent to keep an eye on and elaborates on the situation around Luis Tavares, who won convincingly in Alkmaar by knockout of Florent Kaouachi. Furthermore, the concept of Glory Rivals is discussed, in which fighters from different organizations meet. The potential is certainly there, although it also became clear on Saturday that the differences in level are sometimes still too great.

The second round is about Rico Verhoeven, his event and Glory’s heavyweight division. A large part of the line-up of his sports and entertainment show Hit It on October 29 in Ahoy is now known and the name of the brand new ADO trainer Dirk Kuyt is missing, to the disappointment of Bonjasky and Reedijk. Bonjasky does not get warm from the main fight of the evening between Verhoeven and Hesdy Gerges. He thinks that there is too little ‘history’ between the two fighters and that the differences in level are too great.

Meanwhile, Glory fighter Antonio Plazibat tries to raise the ‘King of Kickboxing’ via social media and Bonjasky hopes it will actually come between a showdown between Plazibat and Verhoeven. The situation of the elderly men, Badr Hari and Alistair Overeem, is also discussed in In de Ring. Verhoeven is so strong that he is sitting on a seat in the heavyweight division, Bonjasky judges.

In the question round, the question is asked what is the craziest request that Bonjasky has received in his time as a fighter. “In Japan you have these little guys who are fans and come running up to you and say, ‘Give me a low kick’. Or: ‘Put me really hard on the face once’. I do not do that. Of course they want to have that feeling that my opponents have experienced. They don’t care at that point if it’s mine or some other great fighter. I never did it. If you do, they are lame or worse.”