Kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven wants to clash with Oleksandr Usyk

Rico Verhoeven is very eager to duel with Oleksandr Usyk (Instagram/@ricoverhoeven).

JAKARTA - Former boxer and kickboxing legend, Rico Verhoeven, expressed his desire to clash with two-time undisputed heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk.

This was known from his response to a post by Turki Alalshikh on his X social media account. The boss of the Saudi Arabian Entertainment Authority uploaded a video of Verhoeven knocking down Benjamin Adegbuyi in 2015 with the caption that he wanted to see a cross-disciplinary clash.

"I want to see him against Oleksandr Usyk," Alalshikh wrote as quoted from Talksport.

The tweet immediately got a response from Verhoeven. He said he was ready for the fight because he had wanted it for a long time.

However, he suggested that the clash should be held with a hybrid rule. If the first round uses boxing rules, then the next round must use kickboxing rules.

"That's the challenge I've been waiting for. Undisputed world champion vs. Undisputed world champion. One round with boxing rules, one round with kickboxing rules. Let's see if we can get to 12 rounds," he replied.

Usyk previously refused a mandatory fight order for the WBO belt against Fabio Wardley so that he could get a prestigious duel with Deontay Wilder, the former WBC heavyweight champion from the United States.

The two have also been involved in negotiations that have gone very well. However, Wilder then decided to sign a contract against Derek Chisora which will be held on April 4, 2026 at the O2 Arena, London, England.

Wilder seems to still be considering a fight with Usyk in late 2026. However, this desire can come true if he can stop the more favored Chisora in the betting exchange.

Regardless of whether Wilder wins the title or not, Usyk is also likely to decide to retire before the second semester of this year. So, it could be that the Wilder vs Usyk duel fails to materialize.

Usyk has not returned to the ring since beating Daniel Dubois in July last year. He will most likely decide to retire after one more match considering he is 39 years old now.