Rico Verhoeven linked with possible UFC debut

Rico Verhoeven decided to vacate the rubric of Glory heavyweight champion earlier this year, but that intelligibly did not mean the extremity of his warring story. The experienced Dutchman, who ruled the kickboxing country for 12 years, continues to beryllium successful the spotlight, and present his sanction is adjacent being linked to the UFC.

Derrick Lewis revealed that helium has been offered a combat against the erstwhile Glory champion astatine the UFC 324 event, scheduled for January 24. However, that lucifer volition not instrumentality spot due to the fact that "The Black Beast" has successful the meantime arranged an quality against Waldo Cortes-Acosta. The American heavyweight celebrated with stoppages successful his past 2 appearances, confirming that helium is inactive a superior menace successful the division.

On the different hand, his caller hostile besides comes successful bully form. "Salsa Boy" has registered knockout victories successful his past 2 fights, and his show against Shamil Gaziev, whom helium defeated successful conscionable 82 seconds, is particularly memorable, arsenic a short-term replacement. In 2025, the 34-year-old has made 5 appearances and has won four, though 1 of them was controversial, particularly against Ante Delija.

Rejected offer

Lewis explained connected The Beast & The Cowboy podcast that the archetypal program was different. “The UFC said, ‘We’ve got thing large for you.’ It was going to beryllium immoderate feline from Glory, Rico Verhoeven. Then helium turned the combat down.”

Although helium didn’t judge the UFC offer, the celebrated kickboxer’s vocation continues to instrumentality an unexpected turn. His nonrecreational kickboxing grounds is 49 wins and 8 losses, according to Tapology, which places him among the astir palmy fighters of his generation.

Meanwhile, a imaginable boxing combat has besides caught the public’s attention. After Anthony Joshua defeated Jake Paul by TKO successful the sixth circular this weekend, the British heavyweight called retired Tyson Fury. However, earlier that spectacle, determination is simply a anticipation that the 35-year-old boxer volition conscionable Verhoeven.

Matchroom CEO Eddie Hearn spoke astir the enactment successful Miami. “We are talking astir a imaginable combat with Turki Alalshikh successful February. There person been a fewer opponents mentioned. The biggest situation present is that we are 8 weeks distant from that.” Hearn added; “He has had a precise pugnacious camp, 8 oregon 9 weeks, with a caller squad that has ‘worked’ him retired well.”

He concluded by saying; “Rico oregon whoever it is, we person not finalised thing yet. We volition not unreserved him if helium is not afloat ready. The program is to combat successful the outpouring and then, of course, against Tyson Fury.”