Rico Verhoeven may have recently vacated his GLORY Heavyweight Championship, but that hasn’t stopped him from teasing a potential dream fight down the line.
The Dutch icon has made it clear he is open to a crossover fight with Oleksandr Usyk, and he is not interested in meeting the two-time undisputed heavyweight champion under standard conditions.
Instead, Verhoeven has outlined a format that would blur the lines between boxing and kickboxing in a way rarely seen at such an elite level.
The potential clash has been pushed into the spotlight by Turki Alalshikh, the head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and a central power broker in modern boxing. Alalshikh recently posted a clip of Verhoeven flooring Benjamin Adegbuyi back in 2015 and made his preference clear, writing that he wanted to see the Dutchman matched with Usyk.
“I want to see him against Oleksandr Usyk,” Alalshikh tweeted out on X, sharing a video of Verhoeven’s dominant KO over Benjamin Adegbuyi.
That suggestion was enough to spark a public response from Verhoeven, who did not hesitate to outline exactly how he would want the bout to play out.
“That is the challenge I’ve been waiting for,” Verhoeven wrote on X. “UNDISPUTED vs UNDISPUTED. 1 round boxing / 1 round kickboxing. Let’s see if we can get to 12.”
The idea is as bold as it is unconventional. Verhoeven believes the fight should alternate between boxing and kickboxing rules on a round-by-round basis, testing both fighters across disciplines rather than favouring one skillset exclusively.
Verhoeven’s openness to such a spectacle comes after a significant moment in his own career. In June 2025, he walked away from kickboxing following a dominant victory over the last man to beat Alex Pereira at Glory 100. He would later announce that he would be relinquishing the GLORY Heavyweight Championship in November.
Since then, the 36-year-old has been linked with blockbuster matchups against names such as Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou, although those options appear unlikely if Alalshikh gets his way.
Usyk, for his part, has yet to directly respond to Verhoeven’s challenge.
However, he did repost Alalshikh’s original tweet promoting the idea of the crossover fight, a small but notable gesture that has kept speculation alive.
Away from the Verhoeven talk, Usyk’s future is already surrounded by uncertainty.
The Ukrainian star is currently in discussions with Dana White regarding a potential move to Zuffa Boxing, White’s new boxing venture. The talks were confirmed by Usyk’s Sports Director, Sergey Lapin, who acknowledged that conversations are ongoing behind the scenes.
“There is contact, there is dialogue, and interest exists [from Dana White and Zuffa Boxing]. Details aren’t for the public right now. Let’s say a few doors are open, and if format, numbers, and timing align, the market could see a move nobody expects,” Lapin said.
He also highlighted why White’s involvement would be significant beyond the contract itself.
“Everyone has seen what he [White] did. He turned old MMA into the global UFC machine. His real power is packaging not just a fight but an event. If he gets involved, the scale and attention immediately become different,” Lapin added, per BloodyElbow.
Whether a deal with Zuffa Boxing would complicate any plans for a Verhoeven crossover remains unclear. White has historically been outspoken in his dislike of crossover events, but there is speculation he could soften that stance if it helps strengthen his relationship with Alalshikh.
Usyk’s in-ring future is also a topic of debate. He has not fought since defeating Daniel Dubois last July, and at 39 years old, retirement is increasingly part of the conversation. He previously declined a WBO mandatory defence against Fabio Wardley in pursuit of a high-profile bout with Deontay Wilder, but that plan stalled when Wilder opted to sign a fight with Derek Chisora, scheduled for April 4, 2026 at London’s O2 Arena.
Even if Wilder revisits the idea of facing Usyk later in 2026, there is a growing sense that Usyk may choose to walk away before then, potentially after just one more fight.
That context only adds intrigue to Verhoeven’s proposal. A hybrid rules showdown, framed as “UNDISPUTED vs UNDISPUTED,” would offer Usyk something entirely different at a stage of his career where legacy and spectacle may matter as much as belts.
Let’s watch this space.
Featured image credit: Instagram/usykaa/ricoverhoeven (screenshots)
