Verhoeven says kickboxing resume earned WBC heavyweight shot

Rico Verhoeven has defended his WBC heavyweight title shot by comparing his kickboxing reign to Oleksandr Usyk's boxing dominance. The Dutchman says his 12-year stretch at the top of Glory kickboxing convinced the sanctioning body to grant him a championship opportunity.

“Like what Oleksandr did within boxing, I did within kickboxing for 12 years. Defeat everybody and some people multiple times. The WBC is also the only organisation that looks at kickboxing and Muay Thai. So for them, they recognised and gave me my credentials.”

— Rico Verhoeven, via BBC Sport

What Rico Verhoeven said

Verhoeven holds multiple kickboxing world titles in the super-heavyweight division and is moving into professional boxing at 123 kg. The WBC has previously recognised combat-sports crossovers, and Verhoeven says that history of looking beyond boxing made his case. His comment addresses criticism that kickboxers should not walk straight into title fights.

What it moves

The WBC has not announced an opponent or date for Verhoeven's title shot. Boxing purists often resist crossover fighters jumping the queue, but the sanctioning body's willingness to credential kickboxing records could clear a path. Verhoeven's next step likely depends on how the WBC orders its heavyweight mandatory cycle.

Source: bbc.com. Full Rico Verhoeven fight history and recent news at boxingnews.com.