Michael van Gerwen was ‘punched multiple times’ by rival with Luke Humphries revealing details of bust-up
Michael van Gerwen has spent much of his career intimidating opponents across the oche, but Luke Humphries has revealed that even the Dutch superstar has, on occasion, found himself on the wrong side of a confrontation.
The story is made even more surprising by the identity of the person involved. According to Humphries, Vincent van der Voort — one of Van Gerwen’s closest friends and former touring companions — punched his fellow Dutchman in the face on more than one occasion.
It sounds like the kind of darts story that would be difficult to believe if it came from anywhere else. But Humphries said the story came directly from Van der Voort himself, making the revelation particularly intriguing.
The story behind the punches
Humphries discussed Van Gerwen and Van der Voort while appearing on the Happy Hour podcast. He was asked which player in darts had the biggest ego, and his answer was immediate.
“Well, that’s easy; Michael van Gerwen,” Humphries said.
He went on to explain that Van Gerwen’s personality was something he believed suited the three-time world champion, before turning to his relationship with Van der Voort.
Humphries said Van der Voort had told him that he had “punched Michael a couple of times in the face.” He stressed that it was not a case of Van der Voort completely attacking his friend, but rather two separate incidents that apparently happened at different stages of their long relationship.
The first incident, according to Humphries, happened early in their friendship. The second was said to have occurred around eight years before the January 2025 interview, when Humphries believed Van Gerwen had allowed his ego to get the better of him.
That is where the story becomes particularly fascinating.
A friendship with plenty of history
Van Gerwen and Van der Voort have known each other for years and have shared plenty of experiences away from the stage as well as on it.
Their relationship was much deeper than simply being two Dutch players competing on the PDC circuit. Van der Voort was Van Gerwen’s best man at his wedding, and the two have repeatedly been described as close friends.
That makes Humphries’ revelation sound less like a traditional darts rivalry and more like an unusual story between two people who knew each other extremely well.
Humphries also made it clear that he likes Van der Voort personally. He described him as one of the coolest people around the sport and praised his direct personality and sense of humour.
That context matters because the story could easily be misunderstood as evidence of a bitter feud. The available reporting instead points to a friendship in which the pair could clearly clash despite remaining close.
Van Gerwen’s personality has always been part of the package
There is also an important reason why Humphries’ comments attracted attention.
Van Gerwen has built one of the greatest careers in modern darts while developing an unmistakably intense personality. He has never been shy about showing emotion, challenging opponents or carrying himself with the confidence expected from a player who spent years dominating the sport.
The numbers explain why that confidence exists.
Van Gerwen is a three-time PDC world champion, with his World Championship victories coming in 2014, 2017 and 2019. He has also won the Premier League seven times and has accumulated dozens of major titles during his career.
So when Humphries talks about Van Gerwen having a big ego, it is impossible to separate the personality from the achievements that helped create it.
And there is a difference between confidence and disrespect. Humphries’ story suggests that Van der Voort, at least on the occasions he described, believed Van Gerwen had crossed that line.
Humphries knows exactly what Van Gerwen is like
There is another layer to the story because Humphries himself has shared the stage with Van Gerwen in some enormous matches.
Their rivalry produced one of the most dramatic finals of the 2024 World Matchplay. Humphries eventually defeated Van Gerwen 18-15 in Blackpool after a remarkable contest in which Van Gerwen had several opportunities to level the match.
That victory was significant for Humphries because it showed he was not simply the new world champion waiting for the older generation to move aside. He could beat one of the sport’s most decorated players when the pressure was at its highest.
Their relationship has generally appeared competitive rather than hostile, however, and Humphries’ comments about Van Gerwen were delivered with plenty of humour.
That is what makes the punching story so entertaining for darts fans. Humphries was not describing a bitter rivalry between enemies. He was revealing an unusual chapter in the relationship between two people who had spent years around each other.
Van der Voort’s role makes the story even funnier
Perhaps the most amusing part is that Van der Voort was apparently the person willing to give Van Gerwen a reality check.
Humphries suggested that Van der Voort reacted because he believed Van Gerwen had shown him disrespect. He also described Van der Voort as someone who was extremely straight-talking.
That personality fits the story perfectly.
Van der Voort has long been known around the darts circuit as a player who does not appear particularly interested in pretending to be someone he is not. Even after stepping away from regular professional competition, he remained closely connected to Van Gerwen and continued to discuss his friend’s performances publicly.
In early 2025, for example, Van der Voort offered a blunt assessment of Van Gerwen’s form after the Dutch Darts Masters. He said there was still “a lot of work” for Van Gerwen to do after his quarter-final defeat by Luke Littler.
That tells you something about their relationship. Van der Voort was not simply someone who surrounded Van Gerwen and agreed with everything he did.
He was comfortable challenging him.
And perhaps that is exactly why they remained friends for so long.
The timing made the story even more interesting
Humphries’ comments arrived at a fascinating point in Van Gerwen’s career.
The Dutchman had reached the 2025 World Championship final but was beaten by Luke Littler, who became the youngest world champion in PDC history. BBC Sport noted that Van Gerwen had struggled to win a major in the seasons immediately before that final, despite his extraordinary career record.
At the same time, Humphries and Littler were increasingly becoming central figures in the next era of darts.
That meant stories about Van Gerwen’s personality naturally attracted attention. The sport was changing, younger stars were pushing into the spotlight, and one of its biggest names was having to adapt to a new generation.
But there is another way to look at Humphries’ revelation.
Rather than simply reinforcing the idea of Van Gerwen as an arrogant character, it also shows how close friendships can survive plenty of arguments, disagreements and strong personalities.
After all, Van der Voort and Van Gerwen continued to describe each other as close friends despite the remarkable incidents Humphries revealed.
A bizarre story that says plenty about darts
The most important thing to remember is that Humphries was recounting a story he said Van der Voort had told him. The details should therefore be understood as Humphries’ account of what he had been told, rather than as a fully documented account of the incidents themselves.
Still, it is difficult not to find the story fascinating.
Van Gerwen has spent years being one of the fiercest personalities in professional darts, and his relationship with Van der Voort appears to have included an unusual mixture of friendship, honesty, arguments and loyalty.
That combination is probably why the story has stuck with fans.
For a player who has won three world titles and 48 major PDC titles, Van Gerwen has certainly earned the right to carry plenty of confidence.
But according to Luke Humphries, there was at least one person who was perfectly willing to tell Mighty Mike when enough was enough.
And somehow, that person was one of his best friends.
For darts fans, it is another reminder that behind the trophies, rivalries and packed arenas, professional darts is still full of personalities who know each other extremely well. The real question is whether Van Gerwen would tell the same story quite as casually as Humphries did.
What do you make of Humphries’ revelation about Van Gerwen and Van der Voort?