2021 was quite the year for the King of Kickboxing, Rico Verhoeven. Rico went 3-0 in the ring and ended 2021 with one of the best kickboxing matches in recent memory, scoring a TKO victory over Jamal Ben Saddik after suffering a brutal cut under his left eye. With the win, Rico was able to defend his title for a record 10th time and extended his win streak to 15 fights, dating all the way back to 2015. His efforts earned him the 2021 Glory Fighter of the Year award.
Despite all of his success, Rico was very critical of his win over Saddik.