How Usyk the heavyweight champion of the world is boxing a kickboxer who’s only fought once as a pro next is unheard of. Who is Rico Verhoeven?
The sport and fans around the world have launched a massive backlash on Oleksandr Usyk lately and you can understand why before his fight later this month.
So, who is Rico Verhoeven? Here’s what we know.
| Category | Facts | |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Rico Verhoeven | |
| Nationality | Dutch | |
| Birth Date | Apr 10, 1989 | |
| Age | 37 | |
| Hometown | Bergen op Zoom, North Brabant, Netherlands | |
| Height | 6’5″ / 195.58 cm | |
| Weight | 265 lbs / 120.2 kg | |
| Reach | 77″ | |
| Nickname | “The King of Kickboxing” | |
| Primary Sport | Kickboxing | |
| Main Organization | Glory | |
| Glory Heavyweight Title | Won 21 Jun 2014 vs Daniel Ghiță | |
| Title Defenses | 13 successful title defenses — most in Glory history | |
| Other Glory Achievements | 2014 Glory Heavyweight World Championship Tournament Champion | |
| 2017 Glory Fighter of the Year | ||
| 2021 Glory 77 Heavyweight Tournament Winner | ||
| 2024 Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix Winner | ||
| 2024 Glory Fighter of the Year | ||
| Professional Boxing Record | 1-0, 1 KO | |
| Professional MMA Record | 1-0, 1 TKO | |
| Last Boxing Fight | 26 Apr 2014, KO win vs Janos Finfera | |
| Upcoming Boxing Fight | Scheduled to challenge Oleksandr Usyk for WBC heavyweight title on 23 May 2026 in Giza, Egypt | |
| Years as Kickboxing Champion | 12 years as undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion | |
| Fighting Style Note | Credits former WBC and Lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury with helping develop his jab | |
| Notable Wins in Kickboxing | Badr Hari, Peter Aerts, Daniel Ghita (twice), Gokhan Saki, Errol Zimmerman (twice), Benjamin Adegbuyi (twice) |
Alas, Rico has a good record in kickboxing and has done well in other combat sports with respect to him there.
But he’s a novice professional boxer with just one single pro boxing bout going in against the undefeated undisputed heavyweight champion of boxing?
That is surely more crazy than even Jake Paul fighting Anthony Joshua — at least Jake Paul had some pro boxing experience and Joshua was past it anyway.
Usyk is far from past it and has been dismantling young heavyweight champions and contenders in recent years.
Rico Verhoeven has been getting tanked in sparring according to some fans as well with this black eye.
The fight happens at the Pyramids in Egypt later this month but Usyk’s opponent is seriously mismatched here and could risk serious health concerns in the fight.
