15 years of boxing training
Despite having just one pro boxing match, Rico Verhoeven had been training boxing for 15 years alongside his kickboxing career.
Snapshot · The Joe Rogan Experience
JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico Verhoeven
Explore episode
Aug 4, 2026
Where this was said
Intro & the Usyk Fight: A Crime in the Ring
At 1:00 · chapter starts 0:00
After a quick acknowledgment that it's been nearly 10 years since their last conversation, Joe Rogan wastes no time calling the Usyk-Verhoeven stoppage one of the most unjust moments he's witnessed in combat sports [1] — Rico Verhoeven "Rico Verhoeven controlled the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion for approximately 10 rounds — and had his appeal upheld when officials…" 01:15 . Rico walks through a stunning revelation: his team appealed the stoppage, officials confirmed the fight ended after the bell, and the ringside doctor found zero concussion symptoms — yet the result was never reversed [2] — Rico Verhoeven "We got stopped after the bell. The doctor came. I wasn't disoriented. Didn't have no concussion or whatever symptoms. So everything we appe…" 06:46 . Both men are baffled and angry. Rogan suggests they can't even have overturned it cleanly, since the scorecards — already absurd given how the fight looked — might have handed the decision to Usyk anyway. The opening exchange sets a tone of righteous grievance that anchors the entire episode.
1 professional boxing match before Usyk
Rico Verhoeven had only one professional boxing match before fighting undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC title.
~10 rounds dominated vs Usyk
Rico Verhoeven dominated approximately 10 of 12 rounds against undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk before a controversial post-bell stoppage.
Rico Dominated Usyk for 10 Rounds — Then Got Robbed
Rico Verhoeven controlled the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion for approximately 10 rounds — and had his appeal upheld when officials admitted the fight was stopped after the bell. The result was never overturned. Rogan calls it either incompetence or corruption, and argues the money behind Usyk made an upset politically inconvenient.
Corrupt or Incompetent? The Judging Problem in Boxing
Rogan lays out a blunt case: boxing's 3-judge system is structurally broken, and the judges know who the promoter wants to win. Glory's 5-judge format is the right model. Corruption doesn't have to be conscious — just knowing Usyk is the cash cow is enough to tilt the scales.
Glory uses 5 judges vs boxing's 3
Glory Kickboxing uses 5 judges rather than boxing's 3, which Joe Rogan argues reduces the chance of a corrupt or incompetent minority swinging the result.
Stopped after the bell
Rico's appeal confirmed the fight was stopped after the bell rang, and the ringside doctor found no concussion or disorientation — yet the result was never overturned.
The Rematch Is the Biggest Fight in Boxing
With the Usyk-Wilder fight stalling and Fury-Joshua coming too late, the real fight the world wants is the rematch. Rico is a free agent. Usyk vacated his belts. The story is unfinished and both Rogan and Rico know it. His Excellency Turki Alasheikh already called for it ringside — the question is money.
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~10 rounds dominated vs Usyk
Rico Verhoeven dominated approximately 10 of 12 rounds against undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk before a controversial post-bell stoppage.
Stopped after the bell
Rico's appeal confirmed the fight was stopped after the bell rang, and the ringside doctor found no concussion or disorientation — yet the result was never overturned.
Glory uses 5 judges vs boxing's 3
Glory Kickboxing uses 5 judges rather than boxing's 3, which Joe Rogan argues reduces the chance of a corrupt or incompetent minority swinging the result.
1 professional boxing match before Usyk
Rico Verhoeven had only one professional boxing match before fighting undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC title.
6-month boxing transition camp
Rico used a full 6 months to transition from kickboxing stance to a proper boxing stance under trainer Peter Fury, calling it essential rewiring.
75+ kickboxing fights in career
Rico Verhoeven has had approximately 75 professional kickboxing fights, giving him a massive combat sports experience advantage over pure boxers.
Kickboxing is #2 sport in Netherlands
Rico Verhoeven claimed kickboxing is the second most popular sport in the Netherlands, behind only soccer, yet it remains almost non-existent in the American market.
