Rico Verhoeven is attempting one of the steepest jumps in combat sport: leaving an illustrious kickboxing career to challenge Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC heavyweight title on May 23.
The Dutchman dominated Glory kickboxing for more than a decade but has only one previous professional boxing bout. Fellow kickboxer Jonathan Haggerty says Verhoeven deserves the chance despite the mismatch on paper, calling him a long-reigning, dominant champion and “a beast.” Haggerty conceded the odds are against Verhoeven, adding that without kicks Usyk should be comfortable, and bluntly suggesting Verhoeven has little chance to win.
Verhoeven has prepared with experienced boxing trainer Peter Fury, which supporters hope will sharpen the technical and tactical elements of his game. Haggerty thinks Verhoeven should make the fight physically uncomfortable — use size and pressure to disrupt Usyk’s rhythm. Former WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith likewise notes the intriguing clash of disciplines and sizes, though he would be surprised if Usyk didn’t win convincingly. The bout’s crossover narrative is precisely what makes it compelling.
Usyk’s record features high-profile wins — names like Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois appear on his résumé — and analysts point to several attributes that explain why he is so difficult to beat.
Richie Woodhall highlights Usyk as an exceptional counter-puncher, but with a twist: he often counters while moving forward. Rather than sitting back and waiting, Usyk presses the action while landing counters, combining timing with aggression. His footwork is consistently praised — circular, decisive and designed to hold the centre of the ring. He rarely gets pinned on the ropes and can neutralise size by controlling distance and angles, creating a “bull versus matador” dynamic where he dictates where exchanges happen.
Woodhall calls that frontal countering and continuous ring-centre movement rare at the highest level, describing Usyk as “one in a million.”
Amir Khan, who has observed Usyk in camp, emphasises his hand-eye coordination, fluidity and seemingly effortless punch mechanics. Khan describes Usyk’s training as technical and often playful rather than gruelling — detailed footwork, vision drills, unusual exercises like catching coins and wall drills — all reinforcing a mental-first approach. Khan says Usyk’s sparring can look deceptively easy while still breaking opponents’ confidence, and that this combination of precision, pace and composure puts him among the elite heavyweights.
That combination of elite timing, ring IQ, movement and front-foot countering explains why a decorated kickboxer faces such an uphill task. Verhoeven’s size and power are genuine assets, and solid boxing coaching helps his cause, but Usyk’s specialized boxing skills and experience at the highest level are tailor-made to neutralise bigger, less experienced boxers. The fascination of the fight comes from that contrast: Verhoeven’s physicality and kickboxing pedigree versus Usyk’s refined, boxing-specific craft.