Usyk will face Rico Verhoeven—what do we know about the kickboxer?
Oleksandr Usyk will soon have his first fight of the year. His opponent will be a non-professional boxer and kickboxer. The Ukrainian champion will face Dutchman Rico Verhoeven, who is known for his kickboxing career and appearances in film projects.
Who is Rico Verhoeven?
The legendary Dutch fighter vacated the GLORY heavyweight world title, which he had held undisputed for over 12 years. The athlete, often called the “Klitschko of the kickboxing world,” set an absolute world record by holding the championship belt for 4,220 days. Now, the 36-year-old heavyweight is fully focused on professional boxing.
The Beginning of His Athletic Journey
The future champion’s journey began at age 6 under the guidance of his father, Jos Verhoeven, a black belt in karate. By the age of 16, he had already made his professional debut in the ring.
Over his kickboxing career, he racked up about 66 wins (21 by knockout) against 10 losses. Interestingly, early in his career, in 2012 at the K-1 World MAX tournament in Madrid, Verhoeven lost in an extra round to the titled Ukrainian Muay Thai master Serhiy Laschenko (whose life was tragically cut short in Odessa in 2015).
However, since 2013, the Dutchman has been virtually unbeatable. His only sensational loss occurred in 2015 in a fight against Belarusian Andrei Gerasimchuk. Despite this, the authoritative publication Combat Press has consistently ranked Verhoeven at the top of the list of the world’s best heavyweight kickboxers since September 2014.
Experience in MMA and Boxing
Verhoeven has never been afraid to step outside the confines of a single style. He had a brief but 100% successful stint in mixed martial arts (MMA). His professional record stands at 1-0: on October 19, 2015, in Romania at the RXF 20 tournament, Verhoeven defeated German fighter Viktor Bogutski by technical knockout in the very first round.
In addition, he has tried his hand at classic boxing. At one point, he sparred with former world champion Tyson Fury when the “Gypsy King” was training in the Netherlands. The Dutchman’s official boxing debut took place in 2014, when he knocked out János Finfer in the second round.
Personal Life
Outside the ring, Verhoeven is a successful actor. He actively stars in European and Hollywood action films. He once starred alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme in the film "Kickboxer: The Rematch" and also played the lead role in the action film "Black Lotus." A biographical book about his life, "RICO," was published in 2017 and topped the bestseller list in the Netherlands in its first week.
The athlete is not married, but has been in a relationship with Dutch fitness trainer and entrepreneur Naomi van Beem since 2021. The couple is raising four children together: Verhoeven’s three children from his previous marriage to Jackie Duchenne—daughters Miki and Jackie and son Vince—as well as Naomi’s son from a previous relationship. The large family often appears in photos on Verhoeven’s social media.
He also launched the "Heel Nederland Werkt" (All of the Netherlands Works) platform, which helps people find jobs after the crisis.
In addition, he actively supports the “Voor Sara” (For Sara) charity foundation, named after a young Dutch girl battling a rare and currently incurable form of congenital muscular dystrophy. Rico serves as the foundation’s official ambassador: he participates in charity events and telethons, and also sells his exclusive gear at auctions.
When will the Usyk–Verkhoven fight take place?
- The bout will take place on Saturday, May 23, at a historic venue near the ancient pyramids in Giza, Egypt.
- The main event of the evening and the fighters’ entrance into the ring are scheduled for no earlier than 11:45 p.m. Kyiv time. The bout will be held under the official rules of professional heavyweight boxing and is scheduled for 12 rounds.
- For 39-year-old Usyk, this is his first appearance in the ring since his victory in the rematch against Daniel Dubois in July 2025.
- In Ukraine, the official broadcaster of the event is the Kyivstar TV online television platform, which will also air the press conference on May 21 and the weigh-in on May 22.
- Both fighters have already arrived in Egypt and completed their training camps.
Usyk released a promotional video for the fight against Verhoeven ahead of the bout.
Usyk has completedhis preparations for the fight against Verhoeven.
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