Verhoeven: WBC recognised my kickboxing dominance like Usyk's

Rico Verhoeven has defended his WBC heavyweight title shot by drawing a parallel with Oleksandr Usyk's boxing record. The kickboxing champion says his 12-year run mirrors Usyk's achievements.

“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 holds multiple kickboxing world titles and competes at heavyweight. The WBC awards credentials in kickboxing and Muay Thai alongside boxing, a policy that factored into his shot at Usyk. The sanctioning body has not announced a date for the bout.

What it moves

Speaking to BBC Sport, Verhoeven said his résumé earned the WBC's backing. "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." Whether Usyk accepts remains unclear.

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