Why Gzim Selmani's Viral BKFC Promo Was Really About Rico Verhoeven

Gzim Selmani's BKFC debut delivered two things: a second-round stoppage of Dan Curtin after multiple knockdowns, and a post-fight promo so blue that most broadcasters would have bleeped the whole thing. The clip went viral off BKFC Newcastle in March. Now the former WWE tag champ has explained what was actually fueling it — and the answer traces back to a kickboxing legend he never got to hit.

The 32-year-old says the whole rant was born out of frustration with the modern fight game. His pro MMA résumé reads 4-2 across six bouts, all of them fought before he turned 21 — a reminder that his combat roots predate the WWE run with the Authors of Pain. When he came back to the non-scripted side, he says the first thing he wanted was Rico Verhoeven, GLORY's long-reigning heavyweight.

The Verhoeven That Never Happened

Selmani says he reached out to old GLORY contact Robbie Timmers, pitched himself as an opponent for Verhoeven, and heard nothing meaningful back. In his telling, the promotion was protecting its star — unwilling to risk the aura that made Verhoeven a draw. That, he argues, is exactly what's wrong with the business now.

He didn't hold back on Verhoeven personally, either. Both men come from the Dutch kickboxing scene and have trained and sparred in the same circles, Selmani says, so he claims to know firsthand that the former champ isn't the tough guy his record suggests. He pointed to the spectacle of Verhoeven sharing cards with crossover names like Oleksandr Usyk as proof the sport had tipped into circus territory.

His nostalgia is specific. Back in his MMA days around 2012 to 2014, Selmani says, nobody cared who the opponent was or what the purse looked like — you just fought. That spirit, he feels, has drained out of the sport in favor of streamers and influencers padding big cards.

Why Bare Knuckle, Why Now

So he chose what he calls the hardest room in the building. No gloves, no cushion, just the premise that he'll knock out whoever's standing across from him. The Curtin finish was his proof of concept, and the promo was the exclamation point. He framed it as a message that he doesn't need a spot on anyone's card — he'll travel to fight the best, anywhere.

The sophomore test is already booked. Selmani meets Brad Lee at BKFC 95 in Newark later this month, a chance to show the debut wasn't a one-off and that the volume of knockdowns against Curtin was a pattern rather than a fluke.

The Rothwell Sideshow

The booking also kicked off a side feud. When BKFC announced Selmani for 95, former heavyweight champ Ben Rothwell claimed on social media that Selmani had turned down a fight with him on the card. Selmani calls that flatly untrue.

His version: heavyweights started circling the moment a WWE name signed, all of them hunting a bit of shine, but BKFC never put a Rothwell offer in front of him. He says he checked with his management and no such bout was ever on the table. The warning attached was predictable — if Rothwell keeps talking, he'll get knocked out too.

What makes Selmani worth watching isn't the trash talk, it's the context. A fighter who finished all his meaningful business before 21, detoured through sports entertainment, and came back swinging at the idea that stars should be shielded. That's a chip on the shoulder with a decade of fuel behind it.

For now the Verhoeven fight is a fantasy — GLORY has no reason to engage, and Selmani has found a lane that actually rewards his approach. The real question is whether a win over Lee builds him into a genuine bare-knuckle problem or just another viral clip. Newark gives the first real answer.