Rico Verhoeven sat down with Joe Rogan on Episode 183 of the JRE MMA Show, and the conversation quickly turned to what comes next for the Dutch kickboxing legend following his jaw-dropping performance against undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk in Egypt.
Verhoeven, widely regarded as the greatest heavyweight kickboxer of all time, entered the bout with just one professional boxing match to his name. Yet he controlled the majority of 11 rounds before a controversial stoppage ended his bid to pull off one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.
Now a free agent, Verhoeven confirmed that offers have been pouring in from major organizations around the globe. When the topic of the UFC came up, both men were candid about why that door is effectively closed.
Rico put it plainly: “I believe that the gap is even bigger now.”
Rogan agreed, adding, “For you, boxing makes the most sense, especially at this point in your life, financially.”
Rico confirmed he is leaning toward staying in boxing, crediting his six months of dedicated preparation with his trainer for opening his eyes to the sport.
“I was always boxing, but I was boxing to kickbox,” he explained. “It’s a totally different game. I had to rewire everything.”
Having done that work and delivered the performance he did against Usyk, Verhoeven says the experience left him hungry to compete in the boxing world again.
The rematch with Usyk is the match both men clearly want to see happen. Rogan called it “one of the biggest matches in heavyweight boxing right now,” pointing out that Usyk vacated his belts and that reports of a Deontay Wilder matchup don’t carry the same commercial weight.
“That rematch would be gigantic,” Rogan said. “It’s the ultimate Rocky story.”
Verhoeven, now 37 years old and self-described as being in “the winter” of his career, echoed that sentiment: “I don’t want a rematch just to have the rematch. I would like the rematch because it makes sense. There’s a story within this rematch.”
Verhoeven also addressed the match’s ending directly, revealing that his team successfully appealed the stoppage on multiple grounds, including being stopped after the bell and showing no signs of concussion when examined by the ringside doctor. Despite winning every argument they raised, the result was never overturned.
