Verhoeven tells Usyk kickboxing style will expose weight gap

Rico Verhoeven says his kickboxing background gives him an edge over Oleksandr Usyk in their proposed meeting, claiming the natural size difference will show when he lands.

“Usyk has pulled the puzzle of boxing out and put it back together, but I'm not a traditional boxer - I'm a kickboxer. My stance is different, my movement is different and I am a naturally big, athletic guy. When I hit him, he's going to feel a natural 20-kilo weight difference.”

— Rico Verhoeven, via BBC Sport

What Rico Verhoeven said

Verhoeven is a heavyweight kickboxer who competes at 123 kg. Usyk moved up from cruiserweight to become undisputed heavyweight champion in boxing. The matchup has been discussed as a potential crossover bout, though no deal has been confirmed. Verhoeven's stance and movement come from a different combat sport than traditional boxing.

What it moves

The quote sets up Verhoeven's case that Usyk's technical skill may not translate against a fighter who operates outside boxing's ruleset. Usyk has not publicly responded to the challenge. Whether the bout moves forward depends on promotional alignment and weight negotiations.

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