Former Glory champion, Dutchman Rico Verhoeven, has commented for the first time following his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in their title fight held in Egypt. The intense and uncompromising bout ended in the 11th round with a knockout by Usyk.
For Rico, this fight was a major test. He entered the ring with strong physical preparation, a significant size advantage, and vast experience in kickboxing. However, standing across from him was Oleksandr Usyk, who has proven himself at the highest level of professional boxing and remains undefeated.
After the fight, Verhoeven addressed his fans via social media. The Dutch athlete urged people not to get emotional and asked them to look at the judges' scorecards. In his opinion, the fight was stopped just as it was nearing the final round.
“Put emotions aside. Simply put, look at the judges' scorecards. There was only one second left until the start of the final round,” Verhoeven wrote.
At the same time, Rico acknowledged the defeat and showed respect to Oleksandr Usyk. He emphasized that it was an honor for him to share the ring with the Ukrainian boxer. These words demonstrate Verhoeven's sportsmanship and respect for his opponent.
“We move forward and will become even stronger! I respect Oleksandr Usyk. Sharing the ring with you was an honor for me,” the Dutch athlete added.
However, Verhoeven does not intend to stop at this defeat. Immediately after the fight, he brought up the topic of a rematch. Rico's call, “Let's organize a rematch,” is sure to spark new discussions among fans.
Oleksandr Usyk, meanwhile, continued his undefeated streak in the professional ring with this victory. For the record, the Ukrainian boxer has achieved 25 wins in his career, 16 of which ended in knockouts. Usyk has not been defeated since his professional debut in November 2013.
These numbers clearly show his level. Usyk is not only technically strong but also a very dangerous boxer in terms of reading the fight, controlling distance, and landing decisive blows. In the fight against Verhoeven, he patiently waited for his opportunity and ended the bout in the 11th round.
For Rico Verhoeven, this clash was a tough but valuable experience. Although he has a big name in kickboxing, stepping into the ring against a high-level boxer like Usyk was a test on a completely different level. Now, how realistic his desire for a rematch is depends on the decision of the organizers and Usyk's team.
In short, Rico Verhoeven was defeated by Usyk via knockout, but he does not consider himself broken. He showed respect to his opponent, pointed to the judges' scorecards, and requested a rematch. Usyk continued his undefeated run. Now there is only one question: will there be a second fight, or does this history end here?
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
