Kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven joins Undefeated and Undisputed to break down his blockbuster boxing crossover with Oleksandr Usyk in Egypt, his 15 years of boxing at the highest level, and why he turned down more money for legacy.
Rico explains how he went from a group of Dutch kickboxers to Tyson Fury’s trusted training partner, what Peter Fury changed in his style, and why 12‑round boxing cardio is a totally different beast than 5‑round kickboxing. He opens up about vacating his kickboxing belt, negotiations with the UFC and Saudi Arabia, turning down a bigger MVP offer, and how close fights with Anthony Joshua, Francis Ngannou, and Derek Lewis really were.
The conversation also covers:
Usyk’s “U‑Haul of advantages” and how Rico plans to solve that Rubik’s Cube
Honest talk on exhaustion and a fighter’s biggest fear in the ring
Why he believes Gane beats Pereira 9 out of 10 times in pure kickboxing
Whether Jon Jones and Ilia Topuria could hang with elite strikers
His openness to MMA and what it would take to sign with the UFC
The sacrifices his children and family make, losing both parents young, and the “never give up” mindset he’s trying to pass down
New episodes of Undefeated and Undisputed drop every week.
Undefeated & Undisputed is the combat sports interview podcast from Smash Cast Media. Every week we sit down with fighters, coaches, and insiders from the worlds of MMA and boxing.
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