Exclusive | ‘Big Sexy’ Nico Horta Says “Even though you’re a heavyweight, you shouldn’t fight like a heavyweight.”
“Big Sexy” Nico Horta is nearly 300 lbs with a commanding 6’5″ height, but he moves like a lightweight. He’s slick and quick. He dodges strikes with slick head movement, counters, and pivots with smooth-as-butter footwork. The Cape Verde athlete explains how drilled these habits over time in an exclusive interview with LowKick MMA.
“Big Sexy” Nico Horta
Worldwide heavyweights, whether it’s MMA, boxing, or Kickboxing, have an image of lumbering giants hucking haymakers or laying on each other. But not “Big Sexy” Nico Horta. He floats like a butterfly, then punches, kicks, and knees, like a 300 lb bee. Speaking in an interview, the 33-year-old athlete explained:
“I’ve got to give props to my first trainer. His motto was: even though you’re a heavyweight, you shouldn’t fight like a heavyweight. He emphasized movement—pivoting, redirecting your opponent instead of chasing, cutting off the ring intelligently.
“Now, with my current trainer Michael Palon, we’ve built on that foundation. We’ve taken it further. I really ramped up the intensity of my kickboxing training. I took care of different aspects, treated my body better during recovery, and focused on relaxation when needed. Over the past few months, I’ve seen big improvements.“
Nico Horta has faced the top levels of GLORY Kickboxing’s heavyweight division. This weekend, at GLORY 99, he will enter into the biggest event in kickboxing history with 32 men competing in the Last Heavyweight Standing tournament kicking off on April 5. He has one of the most challenging matches in the brackets as he is set to face Rade Opačić, the Serbian veteran. On this upcoming match, he said:
“I had the best training camp of my life for this one. I took everything seriously. I stuck to a proper meal plan, and I brought in an expert for strength and conditioning. From here, it’s just about climbing higher. In the rankings, in popularity—whatever the category, I just want to be up there.”
