Will Usyk Box A Kickboxer Next?

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And now, Verhoeven has emerged as a target. He is an 18-time world champion with 13 consecutive title defenses in GLORY. Rico gave up his GLORY belt with a view to securing boxing fights. While he only has one professional boxing match (a 2014 knockout win), he is a frequent sparring partner of Tyson Fury.

The momentum for this matchup started after Turki Alalshikh expressed public interest in seeing Verhoeven challenge Usyk. Frank Warren also recently hinted that Usyk’s next opponent would likely come from the world of MMA or kickboxing.

“He’s going to have a fight against an MMA fighter, so he may not fight or defend his titles by the end of the year. All of these mandatories, and most of the guys are with us, they’re not going to sit around waiting,” Warren said 

Will It Happen?

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The 39-year-old Usyk, with only a few fights left, could arguably face boxers such as Joseph Parker or Agit Kabayel. Defeating Verhoeven adds a “cross-disciplinary” shine to his resume. Based on previous fights, it is not something out of the ordinary. Fans have already seen Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou. While Fury won, he did struggle in the fight, getting knocked down. If Usyk struggles with Verhoeven or gets caught by a “lucky” shot, it could spell danger. 

If Usyk dismantles Verhoeven with ease, it would show that while other heavyweights (like Fury) struggle with crossover athletes, Usyk’s IQ is so high that he can adapt to any opponent. Many fans would prefer Usyk to chase records, such as matching Muhammad Ali’s title defense numbers or retiring as an undefeated champion.