Rico Verhoeven says WBC recognised kickboxing dominance for Usyk shot

Rico Verhoeven has defended his WBC heavyweight title opportunity against Oleksandr Usyk by pointing to his long kickboxing reign. The Dutch champion says the sanctioning body rewarded his credentials in combat sports.

“Like what Oleksandr did within boxing, I did within kickboxing for 12 years. Defeat everybody and some people multiple times. The WBC is also the only organisation that looks at kickboxing and Muay Thai. So for them, they recognised and gave me my credentials.”

— Rico Verhoeven, via BBC Sport

What Rico Verhoeven said

Verhoeven competes at 123 kg and is moving across from kickboxing to challenge Usyk for the WBC heavyweight belt. The WBC has acknowledged kickboxing and Muay Thai achievements in its rankings, creating a path for crossover challengers. Verhoeven's case rests on parallels between his kickboxing record and Usyk's boxing accomplishments.

What it moves

The justification sets up a debate over whether kickboxing success translates to a title shot in boxing. Usyk's team has not publicly addressed the challenge. The WBC's recognition of multiple combat disciplines may face scrutiny if the bout goes ahead without Verhoeven first building a boxing résumé.

Source: bbc.com. Full Rico Verhoeven fight history and recent news at boxingnews.com.