A Dutch kickboxing champion endured so many kicks and punches to the face during a title fight that his smartphone’s facial recognition software no longer recognised him.

Ricardo Verhoeven, 32, took home the world kickboxing title for the tenth time despite being hit so badly that he lost vision in one eye and at the end he found his phone no longer recognised his face.

The bout between Verhoeven and the Belgian-Morrocan Jamal Ben Saddik, 31, took place at the Gelredome stadium in the Dutch city of Arnhem on Saturday, 24th October.

The Duch fighter took a powerful hit to his left-eye in the closing stages of the first round which swelled up and and closed almost entirely.

Despite his impaired vision Verhoeven overcame Saddik and knocked him out in the fifth round.

Following the fight Verhoeven attempt to unlock his phone but with his eye swollen and his face badly beaten it did not recognise him.

The news site Destentor reports that the Dutchman took out his phone during the press conference and said: “I will try if it still works. Nope: ‘Face not recognized.”

He added “Facial recognition cannot be overcome,” apparently referring to the fact that he overcame his opponent in a brutal fight but his phone had got the better of him.

A clip of his failed attempt to unlock his phone and take a selfie on Instagram by GLORY Kickboxing where it racked up 48,448 likes in less than 24 hours.

He told De Telegraaf: “Was I in pain? Yes. You feel every blow, but as a fighter, you give pain a place. You kind of turn it off.”

Verhoeven has been the uninterrupted world champion since 2014 and says he plans to keep fighting for at least ten more years.

Saddik has previously beaten the Dutchman in 2011 but then lost the re-match in 2017. He has won 36 out of 46 fights and has spent the last three years battling cancer and depression outside of the ring.

Verhoeven says he plans to take a few days off and spend time recovering whilst surrounded by his children who he says stayed up to watch their dad’s title fight.