Eddie Hall and kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven put their stomachs to the test in a brutal — and hilarious — “Iron Gut Challenge”.
The clip, shared on YouTube, sees Hall and Verhoeven — the now-former GLORY Heavyweight Champion — take turns delivering body shots that grow progressively harder until both unleash their full-force “100% punch.”
Before things got underway, Hall revealed he’d taken part in a “massive pancake challenge” the day before, which might explain why he couldn’t stop burping between hits. Despite the breakfast regret, both men laughed their way through the early rounds, trading punches and friendly banter as the intensity climbed past the 70% mark.
“The best thing is to breathe out. When you get [hit], breathe out,” Verhoeven explained to viewers, sharing a pro tip that clearly came from experience.
By the time they reached 80%, Hall was briefly knocked off his feet — and it was obvious neither man was pulling their punches. Verhoeven, one of the most decorated heavyweight kickboxers in the world, was up against a man whose power is scientifically verified. Hall still holds the record for the hardest punch ever recorded on the PowerKube — a staggering 208,901 units, set in April 2024 at the UFC Institute. That figure smashed the previous record of 191,796 units, held by UFC fighter Alex Pereira.
When Verhoeven finally went all in with his 100% punch, Hall had to take a breather, leaning near an open window to catch his breath and let out another trademark burp. But when it was Hall’s turn, the tables turned — and the strongman’s raw strength sent Verhoeven flying back into a punch bag.
“F**k,” shouted the Dutch fighter, grimacing but laughing at the same time. “I feel like, literally, my guts are going up,” he said, before adding with a grin: “F***ing b***ard!”
“Damn, that is some impact,” Verhoeven added — clearly impressed by the sheer force behind Hall’s shot.
Check out Eddie landing the strongest recorded punch below:
Fans flooded the comments section with praise for both athletes’ toughness and sense of humour. “To have abs at Eddie’s size is unreal — what a beast,” one viewer wrote. Another added, “Eddie can take body shots pretty well.”
“Shout out to Rico, giving breathing tips, as if I’m ever going to do this at home,” joked a third fan, while another summed up the mood perfectly: “Wow, this was such a fun video! Both of you took it like champs and felt like you both were having a great time.”
The exchange might have left both men nursing sore ribs — but the spirit of friendly competition, mutual respect, and a bit of shared madness made it one of the most entertaining crossovers between combat sports and strongman fans in months.
Featured image credit: YouTube/RicoVerhoeven (screenshots)
