Rico Verhoeven demands Usyk rematch after appeal denied

Rico Verhoeven's appeal of his controversial loss to Oleksandr Usyk has been denied by the commission, leaving the May 23 result intact and prompting the former kickboxing champion to demand an immediate rematch.

Verhoeven filed a formal protest after the bout in Cairo was halted in the eleventh round under circumstances that drew scrutiny from fans and media. The commission's ruling, delivered on June 16, confirmed that the bell ending the eleventh round had sounded before the referee physically stopped the fight, according to MMA Mania. The official timekeeper and ringside doctor both supported Verhoeven's camp — the doctor noted that Verhoeven showed no signs of confusion or disorientation after the bout — but the commission concluded that those findings did not alter the outcome.

Verhoeven calls for immediate rematch after ruling

"Look, this has never been about taking anything away from Oleksandr," Verhoeven wrote on social media, per the report. "What stays with me is the feeling that, after eleven unforgettable rounds on one of the biggest and most epic stages in the world, the story simply stopped before it reached its ending." Verhoeven, who was making only his second professional boxing appearance, said Usyk caught him cleanly and shifted the momentum but that he has repeatedly turned fights around in similar circumstances during his kickboxing career.

"The fans were denied a 12th round," Verhoeven added. "After everything we'd both put into that fight, they deserved to see how it ended." He argued that both fighters were denied a definitive conclusion — Usyk was robbed of the chance to finish the bout beyond question, while Verhoeven never got to find out if he could mount one of his trademark late comebacks.

Usyk is expected to face mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel later this year, leaving the timeline for any potential rematch unclear.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Rico Verhoeven calls for immediate rematch after commission upholds Usyk victory — ‘Fans were denied a 12th round’