Snapshot · The Joe Rogan Experience
The Usyk vs. Verhoeven fight concept was Rico's own idea — pitching it as undisputed kickboxing champion vs. undisputed boxing champion — and Usyk accepted voluntarily.
Where this was said
At 18:18 · chapter starts 18:15
Rico walks through one of the most extraordinary backstories in recent boxing history [1] — Rico Verhoeven "Rico texted Jason Statham during the Canelo-Crawford fight. Statham showed Rico's highlight videos to promoters. Two days later, Rico was o…" 14:15 . It begins with a text to Jason Statham during the Canelo-Crawford fight in Vegas. Statham showed Rico's fight videos to promoters, the room went crazy, and within days Rico was on a call about fighting Anthony Joshua. The deal was in motion when Rico was on the set of Roadhouse 2, training during takes. Joshua then accepted the Jake Paul fight and pushed their bout, then was involved in a tragic car accident that derailed everything. Rather than walk away, Rico proposed his own alternative: undisputed kickboxing champion versus undisputed boxing champion. He pitched it. There was a silence. Then: 'We love it.' Usyk's team said yes in two weeks. The fight was signed.
MMA fans boo when fights go to the ground. They love stand-up. Kickboxing is pure stand-up. Yet it barely exists in America while boxing and MMA are enormous. Rogan's diagnosis: no promotion machine. If the UFC got behind kickboxing the way they've built MMA, it would explode. The talent is there — the storytelling machine is not.
Thomas's wife is already ranked in the top 2,000 CrossFit athletes in the world — roughly the top 1% — and Thomas wants her to pursue the sport professionally now that he is graduating law school.
Research shows athletes who mentally imagine practicing basketball or soccer have better performance than those who do not include imagination in their training.
Rico Verhoeven dominated approximately 10 of 12 rounds against undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk before a controversial post-bell stoppage.
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 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.
Rico Verhoeven had only one professional boxing match before fighting undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC title.
Despite having just one pro boxing match, Rico Verhoeven had been training boxing for 15 years alongside his kickboxing career.
Rico used a full 6 months to transition from kickboxing stance to a proper boxing stance under trainer Peter Fury, calling it essential rewiring.
Rico Verhoeven has had approximately 75 professional kickboxing fights, giving him a massive combat sports experience advantage over pure boxers.
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