Summary of “JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico Verhoeven” by PowerfulJRE

Joe Rogan Experience: Rico Verhoeven on Usyk, Boxing, and What Comes Next

Quick overview

Joe Rogan speaks with heavyweight kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven about his controversial boxing bout with Oleksandr Usyk, the possibility of a rematch, Verhoeven’s transition from kickboxing to boxing, and his future in combat sports and acting.

The Usyk fight and its disputed ending

• Verhoeven says he entered the bout with one professional boxing match, despite decades of striking experience and roughly 75 kickboxing fights.
• He and Rogan describe the fight as far more competitive than expected. Verhoeven’s game plan disrupted Usyk’s usual rhythm, and his size, pressure, movement, and cardio helped him win exchanges and rounds.
• Verhoeven says he was frustrated by the judging and stoppage:
• Open scoring reportedly showed the fight even after eight rounds, prompting his trainer to urge him to win the later rounds.
• He believes the referee stopped the fight too soon after Usyk hurt him late, and that the stoppage came after the bell.
• Verhoeven says an appeal confirmed several procedural points in his favor, but the result was not overturned.
• Rogan argues that the scoring appeared inconsistent with how many viewers and combat-sports experts saw the bout. They discuss whether boxing should use more judges, video review, or other ways to improve transparency.
• Verhoeven says he has watched the fight back and focuses on his own mistake: walking into an uppercut while pressing forward. He finds it difficult to accept the loss, but is working on processing disappointment and grief rather than turning every painful emotion into fuel for fighting.

How Verhoeven prepared

• Verhoeven explains that the opportunity began after a conversation with actor Jason Statham, who encouraged him to pursue boxing and helped get his name considered.
• He initially received an offer to fight Anthony Joshua, but the bout was delayed and later derailed by a fatal car accident involving Joshua’s friends.
• While continuing his training camp, Verhoeven and his team proposed a matchup between the undisputed kickboxing champion and undisputed boxing champion. Usyk accepted, and the fight took place outdoors near the Pyramids of Giza.
• Verhoeven trained for about six months to adapt his stance and habits from kickboxing to boxing. He worked with Peter Fury and sparred with southpaw partners of different sizes.
• Their strategy was to:
• Avoid standing directly in front of the southpaw Usyk.
• Move to Verhoeven’s left, away from Usyk’s power hand.
• Use feints, volume, and forward pressure to keep Usyk reacting.
• Close distance gradually, then use Verhoeven’s size to smother and work inside and to the body.
• Verhoeven says his conditioning is built around high-repetition, full-body circuits with short rests, plus interval and endurance running. He uses a body-weight-supported treadmill to reduce stress on his joints.

Career options and the rematch

• Verhoeven, 37, says he has vacated his kickboxing title after accomplishing what he wanted in the division. He is now a free agent and says multiple major organizations have made offers.
• He is leaning toward boxing because he enjoyed the transition and believes the heavyweight division offers the biggest opportunities.
• Both men argue that a Usyk–Verhoeven rematch is the most compelling fight to make: it would resolve the controversial ending and build on a matchup that exceeded expectations.
• Verhoeven says a rematch has been discussed, but it requires both fighters to agree. He also wants to fight in major venues such as Madison Square Garden or Las Vegas.
• He says an MMA matchup with Francis Ngannou was considered, but chose the Usyk opportunity because of its legacy and historic stakes. UFC competition may be less financially attractive after his boxing performance.

Kickboxing, promotion, and fighter pay

• Rogan and Verhoeven argue that kickboxing deserves a much larger audience, especially in the United States.
• They praise organizations and events that bring attention to striking, while noting that promotion needs more than good matchups: it also needs strong storytelling that introduces fighters as people.
• They point to the UFC’s behind-the-scenes content as a model for building fan interest through fighters’ training, families, and personal histories.
• Verhoeven describes the Netherlands as a kickboxing hub, where athletes and coaches have developed the sport by sharing knowledge and training together.
• They stress that fighters have short careers and should receive fair compensation, transparent judging, and meaningful choices between promotions. More competition among organizations, they say, can improve opportunities for athletes.

Other combat-sports discussion

• Rogan and Verhoeven discuss MMA rules and equipment, including ways to reduce eye pokes, the trade-offs between a ring and a cage, and the risks of calf kicks and kicks to the knee.
• They also talk about the value of boxing as an art form: its longer rounds allow fighters to adjust and build a performance over time.

Life beyond fighting

• Verhoeven shares that his mother died during his training camp. Seeing old photos of her at the Pyramids made the fight venue feel especially meaningful and personal.
• He is pursuing acting, with roles in Den of Thieves, Den of Thieves 2, and Road House. He says he has enjoyed working with actors including Jason Statham and Dave Bautista.
• He plans to keep fighting and acting separate, allowing himself a full preparation period for major bouts rather than rushing from a film set into fight camp.

Main takeaway

Verhoeven’s bout with Usyk established him as a credible boxing contender despite his limited professional boxing record. He and Rogan see a rematch as the natural next step, while also using the discussion to call for better judging, stronger promotion of kickboxing, and better opportunities for fighters. He is balancing that next chapter with acting and with a more deliberate approach to personal loss and emotional health.crt# Joe Rogan Experience: Rico Verhoeven on Usyk, Boxing, and What’s Next

The Usyk fight

• Kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven discusses his high-profile boxing bout with Oleksandr Usyk. Despite having only one professional boxing match, Verhoeven’s size, pressure, movement, and conditioning made the contest far more competitive than many expected.
• Verhoeven and Joe Rogan criticize the scoring and late stoppage. Verhoeven says an appeal supported several of his procedural complaints, but the result remained unchanged.
• Verhoeven is especially troubled by one mistake: moving into an uppercut while pressing forward. He says he is learning to process setbacks and grief instead of using every painful emotion only as fuel for fighting.

How he prepared

• The fight came together after actor Jason Statham helped bring Verhoeven to boxing promoters’ attention. An initial offer to fight Anthony Joshua fell through; Verhoeven’s team then proposed an “undisputed versus undisputed” matchup with Usyk.
• He spent about six months adapting his kickboxing style to boxing, training with Peter Fury and sparring with southpaw partners.
• The strategy was to move away from Usyk’s power hand, use feints and volume to keep him reacting, close distance, and use Verhoeven’s size to work at close range.
• Verhoeven says he builds conditioning through high-repetition strength circuits with short rests, plus interval and endurance running. He uses a supported treadmill to reduce strain on his joints.

What comes next

• Verhoeven, 37, has left his kickboxing title behind and is a free agent considering offers from major organizations.
• He is leaning toward boxing, but says the Usyk rematch is the most compelling option: it would settle an unusually controversial fight and build on a matchup that captured fans’ attention.
• He also considered an MMA fight with Francis Ngannou, but chose the Usyk opportunity for its historic significance.
• Verhoeven wants enough time to prepare properly for major fights and does not plan to rush directly from filming into fight camp.

Kickboxing and fighter opportunities

• Rogan and Verhoeven argue that kickboxing deserves a much larger audience, particularly in the United States. They say strong promotion should include personal stories and behind-the-scenes content, not just fight cards.
• They discuss the Netherlands’ deep kickboxing culture, where athletes and coaches share knowledge across gyms.
• Both emphasize that fighters have limited careers and deserve fair compensation, transparent judging, and more choices among promotions.

Life beyond the ring

• Verhoeven says his mother died during his training camp. Discovering old photos of her at the Pyramids made fighting there especially meaningful.
• He is also pursuing acting, with roles in Den of Thieves, Den of Thieves 2, and Road House. He describes acting as a new passion and a possible next chapter after fighting.

Main takeaway

Verhoeven’s performance against Usyk established him as a serious boxing contender despite his limited professional boxing experience. He and Rogan see a rematch as the natural next fight, while calling for better judging, stronger promotion of kickboxing, and improved opportunities for fighters.