As a massive fight fan, Jason Statham was overjoyed when one of the greatest combat sports stars of all time turned up to meet him while he was in the middle of filming a movie.
The actor and the reigning world champion enjoyed chatting away with one another.
Jason Statham was over the moon to meet Rico Verhoeven
In his incredible career, Rico Verhoeven has proven himself as one of the best strikers to ever lace-up the gloves.
The reigning Glory kickboxing world champion, has become a global superstar, with famous faces around the world resonating with the Dutchman’s fighting heart.
With so much success, the popular fighter has had the opportunity to travel the world, once heading to the UK, where, by chance, Jason Statham was filming a movie.
When their mutual connections realized that the two stars were both in the country, they went above and beyond to ensure their paths crossed in person.
WOW: How Jean-Claude Van Damme helped Rico Verhoeven discover his passion for acting
In an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, Verhoeven, said: “A fun story is how I met Jason Statham. I was in London doing an interview. Friends of mine approached me from LA. They said, ‘Yo, we’re in London, we’re shooting a movie with Jason, come over. Jason would love to meet you’. Of course, he’s a huge martial arts fan.
“They sent me the address, and it was an hour-and-a-half drive. It was crazy; London is huge. We went there, and I met Jason.
“I was there just waiting while he was working. He was like, ‘I can’t believe you’re here, it’s so nice to meet you’. I was like, ‘I’m happy to be here’. That was one of my coolest moments.”
Randy Couture reveals what it’s really like to work alongside Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone in The Expendables
Verhoeven isn’t the only fighting icon Statham has had the privilege of meeting in his acting career.
In fact, the Brit has actually featured alongside former UFC champion, Randy Couture, in The Expendables films.
The warrior recently spoke to Bloody Elbow about his experience of working with the two acting phenoms, revealing some behind-the-scenes secrets of what happened while filming these movies.
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