'I want to take his belt!' - Mory Kromah eyes Rico Verhoeven showdown

Mory Kromah has his eyes on a bout with the elegendary Rico Verhoeven, and admits he wants his belt as he prepares to face Cristian Ristea at GLORY 103 later this month.

The star will be in action following his quick victory over Bahram Rajabzadeh again, and with his future secured in the grand final of Glory Last Heavyweight Standing in December.

But there's more than just glory on the mind of the Guinea superstar, who has spoken out on his other aims to deliver across the coming months in his combat career.

In an exclusive interview with DAZN News, the 25-year-old fighter laid out his plans, as well as his hopes to capture one of the biggest scalps in the game for silverware.

DAZN News: Your last fight was a legendary fight against Bahram Rajabzadeh. A KO in the first round. How do you feel since that time?

Mory Kromah: It's a good feeling to have something like that done. That I've done it is another step in my career.

I'm very happy to define myself as a fighter who keeps going after such a game.

DN: There was a lot of tension during the fight, all the time. What happened?

MK: I know. It was a lot. But it's not my fault. I was just fighting in the rules, and he was fighting outside the rules when the ref came between us.

He was just punching and he was kneeing. It happened three times. And after the third, he got a point deduction.

But after that, I realised that I had to be calm because after we were talking with my trainers and the bosses of Glory.

They told me to be calm. I was calm, so I used my mind and after that, that changed the game.

DN: You were close to losing, but you went back and you knocked him out. Did you believe until the end? What happened at that moment in your head?

MK: I believed in my time to come back because I know the first minute was a little bit on his side.

After the point deduction [I realised] I have to change my mind and go to the street fight like real kickboxing, and be smart and knock him out so we can't go further anymore.

I did it. I believed in myself until the last moment.

DN: The whole world watched you fight. Do you feel that the point of view of the people about you changed since that moment?

MK: I think I made Glory in the picture. The tournament is interesting for all the people, but after this, I think a lot of people will realise what defines me as a fighter.

People can say a lot about that game. A lot of people told me it was the real Bonjasky versus Badr Hari in the K1 finals.

Remy Bonjasky just laid down, and this is the continuing version of the Badr Hari versus Remy Bonjasky. So I'm very happy.

DN: Do you think that you get the recognition that you deserve?

MK: It was already there. But now when you go to other countries [I do get recognised]. I went to France, people recognised me there. I went to Spain, people recognised me there.

It's a good feeling. Even when I go to Antwerp. It's a really good feeling.

DN: You're going to fight Cristian Ristea in the Glory 103. What do you think of him?

MK: I think he's a hard fighter. He's not someone who's going down that early. But he really disturbed my vacation. I was more in my vacation mode at the time.

But yeah, Glory came and told me, [i] have to fight with Ristea. I was really thinking about it for a week. It's for the hype around the game. It's extra money also, so why not?

DN: A prediction?

MK: I don't think he will make it out through the third round. So I hope and I believe that I can finish him in two rounds.

DN: You have only one defeat in Glory. Do you want to face one day, Rico Verhoeven?

MK: Yeah, of course. I really want to... Yes, yes, yes. Because I have seen a lot of people fighting with Rico Verhoeven.

But Jamal Ben Saddik did really good, Badr Hari did good. But he was injured in two fights. I have seen Cookie (Tariq Osaro). Cookie was really disappointing,

I think, not only for me, just for other people, because people believed in him.

Now I can be that person they can believe in because they know what fighter I am right now because of the last fight.

Even in this fight coming up versus Ristea, if I win the tournament, of course, I will take the order from him. Of course.

Not just to say, I fought with Rico Verhoeven. No, I want to be there and win against him. I want to take his belt.

DN: There are 16 fighters in the final in December. Who is the favourite for you and why?

MK: I think Cookie is going to be the dangerous one. I think Cookie. Nico Horta is also a dangerous fighter. And Anis Bouzid changed after my fight with him.

If you can see in the tournament, he did a great job. Nico Horta also did a great job.

Cookie, he's taking all the bonuses to his home. I think really, Cookie is going to be the dangerous one from them all.

DN: Who is going to win for you in this main event? Jamal Ben Saddik against Levi Rigters. 

MK: Just because of the injury (shin) of Jamal Ben Saddik, I really think Levi will win.

But if Jamal... if the old Jamal is coming back, I think Jamal is going to be the winner and the dangerous one, of course, from the tournament.