Verhoeven cites kickboxing record to justify WBC shot

Rico Verhoeven has compared his kickboxing dominance to Oleksandr Usyk's boxing career as he defends his right to challenge for a WBC title. The heavyweight contender pointed to his credentials across 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 is stepping into boxing at 123 kg after a long reign in kickboxing. The WBC has acknowledged his striking background as it considers his position in the heavyweight division. His quote addresses critics questioning whether a kickboxing champion should skip the traditional queue.

What it moves

The statement sets up a debate over crossover fighters and sanctioning-body discretion. Whether the WBC fast-tracks Verhoeven or mandates a longer proving ground will shape his boxing path. His reference to Usyk underlines the precedent for elite strikers moving across codes.

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