Rico Verhoeven reveals how Oleksandr Usyk fight was pitched to Turki Alalshikh
Rico Verhoeven has revealed how the idea for his crossover boxing fight with Oleksandr Usyk first came about. The GLORY heavyweight champion shared the story during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, explaining how he personally pitched the concept to Turki Alalshikh before the bout was eventually announced.
The fight between Verhoeven and Usyk has now been officially confirmed, setting up a unique clash between one of kickboxing’s most dominant champions and boxing’s reigning heavyweight star.
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How Rico Verhoeven pitched the idea
Speaking about the origins of the matchup, Verhoeven explained that he directly contacted Turki Alalshikh with the idea of a fight between two champions from different combat sports.
“I called them up and said, ‘We have an idea. I’ve been the undisputed champion in my discipline for the last 12 years, and Oleksandr Usyk was the undisputed champion at cruiserweight. Then he moved up and has been the undefeated champion at heavyweight for a long time. So what about undisputed versus undisputed?’”
According to Verhoeven, the response from Alalshikh and his team was immediate and positive.
“They said one thing: ‘I love it.’”
The concept centered around the idea of two dominant champions facing each other despite coming from different combat sports backgrounds.
Verhoeven has ruled the GLORY heavyweight division for over a decade, while Usyk built a historic boxing career by becoming undisputed cruiserweight champion before moving up to heavyweight and capturing the division’s biggest titles.
The matchup that Verhoeven originally pitched has now become reality. Usyk and Verhoeven are scheduled to face each other in a boxing bout on May 23, 2026, at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
The fight will see the Ukrainian boxing champion take on the long-reigning kickboxing king in what is expected to be one of the most unique crossover fights in recent combat sports history.
READ MORE: Paddy Pimblett Targets Benoit Saint-Denis After Rankings Shift, Michael Bisping Approves the Matchup
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